Fred E. “Grandpa Fred” Oden Sr., a longtime Tiosa resident and blacksmith, stands in his living room at his home in Fulton County. Photo by Libby Hubbard.

By Libby Hubbard
InkFreeNews

TIOSA – Tiosa resident Fred E. Oden Sr., 79, has been a fixture in Fulton County’s blacksmithing community for more than three decades – but his love for metalwork began long before that.

“I started blacksmithing at 15 down at the other end of town with Forrest Sutton,” Oden said. “He had a radiator repair shop here in Tiosa. Back then, there was an elevator and a store – Byron Strong’s – so it was a busier little town.”

Born on Jan. 26, 1946, Oden grew up in Fulton County, attending several rural schools before leaving high school in his late teens.

He began working at Midwest Spring, where he stayed for 10 years before turning his skills into a full-time business.

“I started doing radiators evenings and weekends while working at Midwest,” he said. “In ’72, I got enough work to start full-time, and I ran my radiator shop right here in Tiosa.”

His passion for blacksmithing took off in 1989, when he attended his first Indiana Blacksmiths Association meet at the Tipton County Fairgrounds.

“There was only one demonstrator and maybe ten people there,” Oden recalled. “The next year I got on the board, and the group started growing.”

By 1992, Oden had established a blacksmith shop at the Fulton County Historical Society, where he still demonstrates and teaches during public events.

He also helped the IBA expand to 14 satellite groups across Indiana, each meeting monthly to preserve and share traditional forging skills.

“It just got to be too far to drive every month to one meeting,” he said. “Now every area’s got a group.”

Oden continues to oversee blacksmithing demonstrations at the museum on the second Saturday of each month, welcoming both visitors and aspiring smiths. “We get some young kids in every once in a while,” he said. “If they’re under 18, they’ve got to have their parents with them.”

He’s also one of the longest-running participants in the Trail of Courage Living History Festival, held each September by the Fulton County Historical Society.

“I did the first one,” Oden said. “I’ve been doing it for 49 years now.”

Reflecting on his years in Tiosa, Oden’s advice for today’s local leaders is simple: “Be honest. Quit trying to run us all, or go home and behave.”

For those looking to meet a craftsman who’s kept Fulton County’s history alive through fire and iron, Oden’s forge still burns bright every second Saturday of the month at the Fulton County Museum.