A rod of wrought iron glowed red hot in Jeffrey Funk’s forge at his shop near Echo Lake.

A master at his craft, he moved quickly and effortlessly. Within minutes, the metal would be shaped into a chestnut leaf.  

Funk is always looking for opportunities to get his hands on wrought iron, which was largely used in bridge construction prior to the early 1900s. A mix of nearly pure iron and slag, the metal is malleable and the perfect composition for blacksmithing.

“I’ve basically collected the bridges because otherwise, this material is going to go to the scrap yard to get melted down,” Funk said.  

As a longtime Bigfork resident, he long admired the historic Bridge Street Bridge across the Swan River. 

The one-lane bridge was first built in 1907 for $2,500, then replaced with a steel structure in 1911. Looking worse for wear, the span was closed in January 2024 and was deemed unsafe for pedestrian and vehicle travel, following a 3-ton weight limit for several years. Construction on a replacement bridge began that winter and construction wrapped up this summer. 

Funk has been using salvaged metal from the old bridge in classes at his New Agrarian School. 

“I didn’t want them to take [the bridge] down, but if it has to go, it might as well come here,” he said. 

His students learned to make chestnut leaves with the bridge material in his “Forging From the Natural World” class. Funk said the metal is good for forging decorative pieces and making axes. He crafted two sledgehammers that he later presented to crews that took the bridge down, with the inscription “Bigfork Bridge RIP 1911-2024.” 

“We use that iron exclusively for most of the classes, because it's historic, because it has wonderful forging qualities, and of course, recycling — so, it’s less resource intensive,” Funk said.  

He’s also using parts of the Bigfork bridge to build an addition onto his shop, where the classes take place. It’s already supported by beams reclaimed from the Kearney Rapids bridge, which used to be located about 2 miles upstream of Bigfork over the Swan River. It was the first bridge he reclaimed in the late 1990s, and he still uses pieces of it today. He also salvaged parts of the former Old Steel Bridge in Evergreen, which are also used in his classes.  

In his shop, there are several forges, anvils, wracks of metal tongs and power hammers, nearly all of which were built or made by Funk. With the forges powered by propane, the space stays warm and cozy. Students come from near and far to learn from experts like Funk or the many different blacksmith instructors he brings in from around the country.  

“Most students don't have a lot of experience, but this school attracts a lot of students that do have experience. This shop is a very well-equipped blacksmith shop,” Funk said.  

“I've been doing this for 50 years and I know what you need to do. Unlike other schools, this one still has me involved. You can make a living doing this. But you got to be smart, you got to be persistent.”  

Funk was called to start a school after his long career in blacksmithing, which included architectural and commissioned work such as gates, railings, light fixtures and sculptures. His art can be seen throughout the property and along the walls in his shop, which was once featured on the History Channel show “Forged in Fire.” 

Modeled after East Coast craft schools, Funk said a distinguishing feature is an emphasis on a holistic approach to the craft, which includes the making of iron from rocks. He offers smelting every other year, which he said is “fairly intense and comprehensive.”  

“We go into the field, collect iron and bring it back and process it. Make our own fuel from charcoal, build the furnaces from clay, sand and sawdust. It's basically making iron from scratch,” Funk said.  

Now a registered nonprofit, complete with a board of directors and an executive director, Funk said he’s excited to see the school grow beyond just him. Reed Miller will take on the executive director role, which Funk is happy to relinquish after several years at the helm. He said Miller grew up in the Flathead Valley and splits his time between here and Missoula.  

“The school is an entity beyond myself. I founded it, but it is not me. So we are looking to join other nonprofits and succeed in building a strong financial base so that we can offer this craft to more people,” Funk said.  

Schools similar to what Funk offers typically rely on philanthropic support. They were only able to hire an executive director after receiving a grant this year, he said. 

Though most of his career was spent as a reclusive craftsman, Funk said the school allows him to interact with the local community.  

“It turns out, there's a lot of young people in the valley who are interested in this,” he said.  

To learn more about the New Agrarian School, visit newagrarianschool.org.  

Reporter Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or [email protected].

    Jeffrey Funk forges a piece of iron using a power hammer at his workshop in Bigfork on Wednesday, Nov. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Jeffrey Funk holds a piece of iron forged to the shape of an American chestnut leaf at his workshop in Bigfork on Wednesday, Nov. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    A row of hammers and other blacksmithing tools inside Jeffrey Funk's workshop in Bigfork on Wednesday, Nov. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Jeffrey Funk holds a set of lilac leaves forged from iron from the Old Steel Bridge in Evergreen at his workshop in Bigfork on Wednesday, Nov. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Jeffrey Funk forges a piece of iron using a power hammer at his workshop in Bigfork on Wednesday, Nov. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider