The blacksmith was essential to the Morning Star Mine's operation, keeping the company's ore wagons ready and stock teams shoed, repairing mine equipment, forging new parts as needed, and fixing or remaking whatever broke, while nails, nuts, bolts, and mining tools were kept stocked at the shop. In 1925, the company's blacksmith, Lee Metley, built the blacksmith shop for the reopening of the Morning Star Mine. The building had two rooms, one for forging and one for storing parts, and a large lean-to warehouse, now gone, stood on the right side, where wagon parts, pipes, pipe joints, and fittings were stored along with the company general manager's prized Jordan car. Lee Medley kept the forge burning hot until 1931, when trucks had taken team and wagon work to the point that there was not enough blacksmith work to justify keeping the shop open, so he closed it and started farming. Milton Snipes, a Rush resident, recalled working in the shop with Lee Medley, helping him build tram cars after all the woodwork had rotted, and remembered that they had lots of fun together.