Vic Ferron opened his blacksmith shop in Lakeport in 1908. He was known around town as the Village Blacksmith and was usually seen around town wearing his leather apron and cap. People in town remember the methodical hammer bounce that echoed through his tin building near the SE corner of First and Main in Lakeport.

Freight wagons could be found on all the stage roads. Their 6-horse teams, weight and size made them difficult to drive, hard to turn, and slow to stop. All freight wagons had bells, so other wagon and horse riders could hear them coming down the road and could get out of the way.

The restoration was completed by William "Bill" Melton in Porterville, CA. Bill indicated that Vic Ferron "was a very talented blacksmith. There are only 6 pieces of iron on this wagon that weren't hand-wrought." Both Bill Melton and Vic Ferron would be considered wainwrights (wagon makers) and wheelwrights (wheel makers) when this wagon was made.