TETONIA — A name can be a curious thing.

Sometimes, all it can be is a designation. Other times, it can be an identity.

In the case of the latter, it can describe an entity’s values, methods and character.

Historic Woodworks, albeit a simple name, contains the two lifelong passions of founder Josh Weltman.

Combining a natural talent for woodworking with a love for history, Weltman has built his business into a Tetonia institution.

Like any institution, there must be a building to house that history. Weltman’s shop checks those boxes — and then some.

The building, located on Central Avenue in Tetonia, has served various and eclectic uses over its history — ranging from a hardware and grocery store, to a Studebaker dealership, to a Prohibition-era speakeasy.

“There are old pictures inside City Hall with dog sleds in front of the building,” said Weltman.

Weltman has had to work hard and dedicate a lot of time to see the building in its current form. He did a major renovation about five years ago, with the mentality of “preservation is a priority.”

“I bought this building over 20 years ago and there’s a ton of history in it,” Weltman said. “It wasn’t always the dream shop for me that it is now.”

During that renovation, he found and collected relics from past tenants such as Studebaker parts and antique signs. 

The hunt

While Weltman doesn’t have to go far to see the history, he still has searched far and wide to find it.

Constantly on the hunt for proper reclaimed lumber and old structures to take down, Weltman’s travels have led him to some fascinating areas throughout the years.

“You have these amazing pieces that you find — the wood itself is amazing, and then you also have these ones that are historically awesome,” Weltman said. “I enjoy the hunt.”

Weltman has taken lumber from massive barns in Nebraska, a decrepit pickle factory in Colorado and back again to Grand Teton National Park’s famous Mormon Row.

“I’ve been all over the region — both coasts,” said Weltman. “Places you would never go or hear of usually.”

Not only has Weltman seen some cool sights, but he has also met some amazing people.

“I worked with Amish guys around the country,” said Weltman. “To meet them and their families and experience their way of life, it’s really cool.”

Weltman has seen a tendency for friendships to develop through a love for the history of the buildings and the wood he takes down.

“You meet these people and a lot of times (you) end up being friends with them," he said. "It’s always the history that connects."

His love for what he can find extends not only into his personality but also into his memory.

“I don’t have the best memory, but with this kind of stuff I think I do,” Weltman said with a laugh. “I can usually look at the stacks of wood and remember exactly where they came from.”

A childhood passion

Weltman has loved woodworking for as long as he can remember, with it playing a central role in his schooling and adolescence.

“People I knew as a kid have told me I was always making sawdust wherever I went,” Weltman said.

Weltman first took woodworking classes in middle school, although he began working on his skills even before that.

“I started pursuing it as early as grade school, and I never really had anyone to teach me until shop class in middle school,” Weltman said. “At one point I had woodshop class twice a day and kept with it all the way through college.”

This love was not exclusive to woodworking — the love of old barns and structures also manifested in those early years.

“Old barns, it was the same thing. I was just fascinated by them and the history,” Weltman said.

Weltman has some sage advice for those wondering what their passions are.

“Some things in life we are good at and like to do, and some things we like to do we’re not that good at,” he said. “It was always there — it was always something I was good at.”

During the first years of Historic Woodworks, Weltman was not immune to the adversity beginning professionals so often have to face.

“It’s some of the most dirty, dangerous work you can find,” said Weltman. “You gotta think about how to take down an old building that’s possibly, probably dangerous and definitely dirty, get the wood out without breaking it and pull the nails out, process it, sort it.”

It was a steep learning curve, but with the help of many like-minded individuals, Weltman found his way.

“When I started meeting other people in the industry and seeing how it was done and all the processes involved, it was a big learning curve,” he said.

He also attributed the lessons learned during those early years to his commitment and ever-growing love for the product.

“I just decided to start taking old barns down and just started doing it,” Weltman said. “I really liked the wood but it took me a while to learn about the industry and all the different products.”

A unique product

Weltman now has many years and experience in the reclaimed lumber industry under his belt, working with contractors, homeowners, architects and designers to make their dreams a reality.

“Fortunately, I’ve been doing this long enough where I have good, reliable sources where I can get pretty much anything in the reclaimed lumber industry,” Weltman said.

No two pieces of wood are the same when they enter the shop.

“It’s just so much rougher and unrefined than a new piece of wood,” Weltman said. “There are no straight edges, and the dimensions are all different.”

Some unique products, such as a set of 60-foot-long old-growth trusses from Oregon, keep Weltman’s eyes keen for new and different products.

“There’s always unusual, amazing, different stuff that you find,” he said. “You’re always thinking that you’re gonna come across some amazing barn full of old wood and that keeps you looking.”

His knowledge stems from large amounts of time dedicated to researching and learning about the products he acquires.

“I did a lot of historic research, talking to all the old homesteaders,” Weitman said. “You’re always seeing fascinating stuff and learning fascinating things. There’s so much history in its first life and first use.”

This research culminates in a truly one-of-a-kind product.

“A lot of it is old-growth trees and the wood is hundreds of years old,” Weltman said. “There’s no duplicating the look and nothing matches it.”

Becoming history

Weltman’s sourcing and woodworking prowess has led Historic Woodworks to long-standing success in Teton Valley.

“I have been lucky to fall into this spot with the way things have worked out,” Weltman said. “This building, this property, this community, it’s all been just great.”

Weltman is working on a handful of projects around the region, with a convenient location in a booming Teton Valley homebuilding market.

“We’re in a good market for this and we’ve been here for so long, it is really convenient for us and the clients to be right here,” Weltman said.

He is currently helping supply projects in Teton Valley and Stanley in central Idaho, as well as the Wyoming towns of Jackson, Alpine and Bondurant.

Interacting with the local communities for so many years has brought Weltman a sense of belonging and commitment to the people he helps.

“To me, it’s living in a community and fitting in a community,” Weltman said. “You have to know the history and respect the history to have this sense of place for where we live.”

He hopes that he will become a part of Teton Valley’s history, just like the craftsmen and homesteaders who originally built there.

“It is a young history — just think that barely a hundred years ago you could still homestead here,” Weltman said. “It’s still going and now I feel like I’m a part of that history, too. It feels good to contribute to the landscape in a positive way.”

Admiration for those early craftsmen is a large motivator for Weltman.

“I feel like I have a deep understanding of the history of what’s happened here and how these people settled and survived and got this wood and where it came from,” Weltman said. “It’s so cool to share the stories.”

A worry for Weltman is that fewer and fewer people will take the time to learn about the local history, which could mean people lose their sense of place and community identity.

“The wealth of history that I’ve experienced and I know, so much of that history to some people might not be that significant, but it is and a lot of it is disappearing,” said Weltman.