Forging a link to the past

Forging a link to the past

Frank McKinney stood in the windblown outdoor display at the entryway to the Dixon Historical Society Museum, the rhythmic clang of metal on metal echoing through the downtown venue. As curator of the museum for the past six months, he is already making his mark, curating a new exhibit that is both deeply personal and profoundly historical. The new exhibit, titled “Hammer and Heat: The Legacy of Blacksmithing,” has been his idea from the moment …