Reprinted with permission of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. From the issue
Thursday, November 9, 2000.
 

HAMILTON ANVIL SHOOT TO MARK VETERANS DAY
By Jon McConal

Hamilton - Explosions that can be heard for several miles will shatter the
early morning darkness here Saturday morning.

And the blasts won't have anything to do with presidential politics.

Instead, they will mark the 82nd year that an event called "shooting the anvil"
has been held in this town on U. S. 281, about 100 miles southwest of Fort
Worth, to celebrate Veterans Day.

The event creates quite a blast.

It should. It involves placing a 90-pound anvil on top of another 90-pound
anvil. These anvils have a special trench in their middles that is filled with
black gunpowder.

Then, a steel rod heated until it is red-hot is handed to a brave soul wearing
thick leather gloves.

This person marches to the anvils and touches the red-hot steel to the
gunpowder, causing the explosion that can be heard for miles.

"I have never heard it because we just moved here from Waco", said Sandy Reed,
executive director of the Hamilton Economic Development Corp. "But I will be
here for this one".

This one begins at 5 a.m. Saturday at the building housing American Legion
Cunningham Post 222, which is half a mile north on U. S. 281.

The ceremonies go back to when World War I ended.

The local people received the word about 3:30 a.m. by telegram at the local
railroad depot.

They had no way of letting people know the tremendous news.

So some ingenious souls acquired two anvils from the local Holmes Blacksmith
Shop. They set one anvil on top of the other, packed gunpowder between them and
touched the hot iron to it.

After shooting the anvils several times, folks began gathering to find out what
was going on.

Hence, the tradition of shooting the anvils was born. 

"We've done it every year since then," said Norman Knesch, post adjutant.

And, they will be using the same anvils that were fired during that first
celebration.

"The blacksmith finally donated them to the post when he went out of business,"
Knesch said.

Knesch, an Army veteran, said everyone is invited to the event.

"I understand that we are the only American Legion post in Texas that is still
doing this," he said.

And spectators are allowed to shoot the anvils as long as the powder supply
lasts.

I have attended two shoots. Jane shot the anvils at one of those.

"It is one of the craziest things I have ever done," she said.

Knesch said the event is meant to honor all veterans for what they have done
for their country.

"We are continuing to do this so young people can remember what really went on
and learn that they have a better way of life", he said.

Not only can people shoot the anvils, but they are invited to a huge breakfast
served after activities.

Local post members will cook eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy.

People do work up an appetite shooting anvils.