Robert Fitzsimmons

Robert Fitzsimmons
"The Fighting Blacksmith"
World Middleweight Champion 1891-1897
World Heavyweight Champion 1897-1899
World Light Heavyweight Champion 1903-1905

This vintage horseshoe was heated, beat into shape and polished by multiple titleholder Robert Fitzsimmons... The etching Fitzsimmons has added to the horseshoe reads Made by "Bob" Fitzsimmons 1891 Presented to John Greenway... Greenway was co-founder of the Greenway Brewery of Syracuse, New York which was established in 1858... It was common practice for Fitzsimmons to giveaway his hand made horseshoes as gifts... Also included is a vintage 1893 photo of Fitzsimmons as a blacksmith!!

horseshoe measures: 5" horizontal, 5.25" vertical
horseshoe condition: excellent
photo measures: 5 x 5.25" w/o mounting
photo condition: horizontal creasing to left center, vertical
crease lower center, upper left corner crease

	Robert Fitzsimmons The Fighting Blacksmith
	The first man to win three world championship titles was Bob Fitzsimmons who was a physical freak as well as a fistic phenomenon. Born at Helston in Cornwell, he was taken to New Zealand as a child and brought up at Timaru where his father conducted a blacksmith's business. After schooldays young Bob helped in the forge and proved an expert at shoemaking. At the age of 18 he had built himself a magnificent pair of shoulders and deep chest, but as these were perched on a pair of spindly legs, he looked somewhat grotesque when stripped for action. Winning two competitions for novices organized by visiting Jem Mace, former champion of England, Fitz went to Australia where his boxing was perfected and where he developed astonishing punching power.
	Gilbert Odd Boxing: The Great Champions

	Greenway Brewery Syracuse, New York
	In 1858, John and George Greenway, English immigrants, established the Greenway Brewery. Greenway brewed English-style ales and became the largest Syracuse brewery of the mid and late 1800's. At its peak, the Greenway Brewery was 6-stories high and occupied an entire city block along the Erie Canal. John Greenway was well-known for his magnanimity and generosity. In 1870 he held a barbecue on Clinton Square (in downtown Syracuse) to feed thousands of local residents who were hard-pressed by the economic depression of that time. Greenway was also famous because he convinced the city of Syracuse to import its water from Lake Skaneateles , one of the Finger Lakes. Greenway even advertised his beer as using Lake Skaneateles water. By 1890, Greenway was the largest brewery outside of New York City and it exported beer to places as far away as Europe, Australia, and Asia. Greenway's brewery no longer exists, but John Greenway's influence remains. Syracuse city water is still piped in from Lake Skaneateles.
	Home Brew Digest