Ludvigsens made steel caulks in Jackson
H. Ed Carlson
LAKEFIELD -- Anyone working with horses knows what a toe caulk is. A toe caulk applies to the horse's shoes for better grip and secure footing of the horse.
From about 1910 to the 1940s, Eric and brother Christ Ludvigsen operated a blacksmith Historical columnist shop in Jackson and created an innovative invention for the troublesome caulks used at the time on horseshoes. They didn't last too well, being made of the same material as the shoe. The brothers came up with the steel caulk that could be welded to the toe of the shoe and the process to make them. As a result, the caulk was sold all over the world.
Others grabbed the idea and started to make toe caulks. Ann Ludvigsen, a granddaughter, said in a letter to the Jackson County history museum in Lakefield that she heard her father, Lawrence Ludvigsen -- son of Eric --heard the comment many times that if they had gotten a patent on the process instead of the caulk itself, they would have made millions.
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The last shipment of these toe caulks was made in 1942, according to the ledger kept by Eric's wife. The blacksmith shop stood at the location of the present-day library in Jackson. The Jackson County Historical Society museum in Lakefield has been promised many items of memorabilia concerning the Ludvigsen business. We hope to make a display when it arrives.
