About Us

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="042fd5a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#0000CC" FACE="Arial" ><B>Cottonwood Forge</B><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>    |    </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><U> </U></B></FONT><B><U>H</U></B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cottonwood Forge"><U><B><U>o</U></B></U></A><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cottonwood Forge"><U><B><U>me</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>About Us</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Products and Services"><U><B>Products and Services</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Information"><U><B>More Information</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recent and Upcoming Events"><U><B>Recent and Upcoming Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Antique Power Show"><U><B>Antique Power Show</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="043d2b03.jpg"> <bR> <div> </div> <bR> <div> <B>1</B><B>917 Little Giant 25 lb. Power Hammer</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>NOT FOR SALE</U></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="11f91d70.jpg" border=0 width="145" height="215" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="13fc3920.jpg" border=0 width="195" height="146" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Old Thresher's </div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>About Us</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Proprietor & Blac</U></B><B><U>ksmith :</U></B></div> <div> <B>Sam Dembitsky</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="24170140.jpg" border=0 width="368" height="276" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div>  </div> <div> Sam, Hays, Kansas</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>#1 - Mark Fresquez- "Crash"-17</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="22e07c50.jpg" border=0 width="263" height="197" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="2739bed0.jpg" border=0 width="155" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Mark's Senior Picture</div> <bR> <div> 18 years Old</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2767ce10.jpg" border=0 width="380" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2009  Class 1A - Yuma High School </div> <div> State  Football Champions</div> <div> <B>     </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B> <img src="HTMLobj-282/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="108" height="100">  </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>                    </B></div> <div> <B>Apprentice & Sales:</B><B> </B><B>   Todd Fresquez-14</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1fd5d060.jpg" border=0 width="349" height="262" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Todd smithing @ Octoberfest in Hays, KS 2008 </B></div> <div> <B>Todd sold everything he made.</B></div> <div> <B>2005-11 Year Old Colorado Pedal Tractor Champion</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="27a552c0.jpg" border=0 width="341" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>2009    School Picutre  now 15, </B></div> <div> <B>playing football, and wrestling</B></div> <div> <B>Doesn't he look like his great-grampa, Jack?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> Justin Webb-Isabella</B></div> <div> <B>Future Blacksmith:-now 4</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="27832e60.jpg" border=0 width="306" height="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>2009-4 year old Colorado Pedal Tractor Champion</B></div> <bR> <div> I became interested in welding, metal and iron working at a very young age.  Over the years I have built or repaired many items for myself, as well as for others. Many of the projects I worked on would require a tool that I did not have, and that would be my calling. First to build or make the tool, then to continue with the project. Some have labeled me as a sort of  inventor, always with an idea or project in mind, refining the idea, then building it.  </div> <bR> <div>  In 1992, Mr. Chuck Everitt of Longmont, Colorado was blacksmithing for the Yuma Old Threshers Group at their annual show.  I was very interested in what he was doing, and he offered to teach me what he could.  Mr. Everitt presented me with an opportunity and the rest was up to me.  I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ran like the devil, and I am still running.  Chuck has remained a very close friend and mentor over the years, and has never turned me away when I needed him.  "Thanks Chuck!"</div> <bR> <div>  My wife has also been very important to me through out all of this. I always wanted a nice shop of my own, but it seemed to be just a dream.  It was my wife that kept reminding me that if it was worth having, it was worth waiting for, and not to turn loose of my dreams.  I now have a fine shop and she is still very busy.  She is there when I need an extra hand, she is my doctor for minor injuries and burns, cleans up after me when I track coal dust and soot into the house.  THANK YOU SANDRA !</div> <bR> <div> My grandsons, Mark & Todd Fresquez, have always enjoy coming to grandpa's shop.  In 2003 when Mark was 12 years old, he wanted to start blacksmithing and I gave him the same opportunity that Chuck gave me, and Mark has done as I did, grabbed the opportunity and ran with it.   Mark travels to events with grandpa and does a lot of the blacksmithing at demonstrations.  Todd  is doing well with blacksmithing and has assumed the role of shop foreman for grandpa.   Thanks Mark and Todd!</div> <bR> <div> The 2004 Old Thresher's Show earmarked 14 years for Chuck, and 11 years for Sam bringing the Old Threshers Blacksmith Shop to life for their annual 3 day show.  2004 was also Chuck and Sam's last year at Old Threshers. </div> <bR> <div> Sam, Mark & Todd now  blacksmith at events throughout Colorado,  Nebraska and Kansas and have been contacted for events in Wyoming also.  I also was invited to  blacksmith at the LosAngles County Fair in  CA.  </div> <bR> <div>  In 2007,  the first ever Antique Tractor & Power show in the Brush CO area was organized,  it was such a success, it has become an annual event.  See "Antique Power Show" page.</div> <bR> <div> In an attempt to do my part of keeping the age old art of blacksmithing alive, we welcome spectators in the shop, and offer demonstrations to small groups, and at fairs, festival, etc.   Please feel free to stop by and see what is going on.  Someone is always here (unless we're gone), and always blacksmithing unless we are doing something else.</div> <div> </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>FOOD FOR THOUGHT</B></div> <div> <B>It isn't what you take with you when you leave,</B></div> <div> <B>but it's what you leave behind when you go that makes the difference</B>.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B></B></div> <div> <B>     Mark-now 17 years old                                                                                </B></div> <bR> <div>      <IMG SRC="08dd8a20.jpg" border=0 width="216" height="162" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">      </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Chuck Everitt</B></div> <bR> <div>   <IMG SRC="1fffbbc0.jpg" border=0 width="251" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Don't be confused by friends and </div> <div> acquaintances, there <B>i</B><I><B>s</B></I><B> </B>a difference! </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>