Someday someone in your family will want to know this bit of history. When Matthew Edel began working in his shop, farming was done with horses or other forms of animal power. In the United States, this is not usually the case anymore. The Amish and Old Order Mennonites still use horses for farm work. Matthew and his son Louis added the automobile repair garage onto the blacksmith shop as a way of expanding the business.
Automobile mechanic is just one job that developed from blacksmithing.
Matthew emigrated with his parents and siblings to the United States from Germany in the late 1860s or early 1870s, and then moved to Iowa in 1881. This was during a time when a lot of families where moving, either to a new country, such as the United States, or to a new area, such as Iowa. These activities may be used to further explore ideas presented by your visit. You may want to adjust the activities to the students' interests and abilities. Matthew Edel was an inventor as well as a blacksmith.