HANDPOWER TO HORSEPOWER
TO MACHINE POWER
From about 1860 to 1920 these machines
were the norm on farms across Cheshire County.
Several local companies produced farm equipment
for sale locally and nationally. The Lufkin Plow
Company in Alstead, the Granite State Mowing
Labor saving inventions changed the life of
the farmer and the entire history of agriculture.
The introduction of the steel plow in the 1830s
began a revolution in the development of modern
farm equipment.
It was soon followed by the
Machine Company in Hinsdale and Keene’s
Clipper Mower and Reaper Company are just a
few examples. The introduction of the motorized
tractor revolutionized the agricultural sphere once
again.
larger sulky plow that allowed the farmer to ride
on the plow itself while multiple horses pulled it.
Johnson's potato farm, Walpole, NH, c.1950
The first production model wheel-type tractor
hit the market in 1902. Rubber tired tractors were
introduced in 1932 and widespread horse farming
Clipper Machine Works mower, made in Keene, NH, c.1880
essentially came to an end. The introduction and
The introduction of numerous horse-drawn
rapid improvement of the tractor meant that one
wheeled machines increased the efficiency of the
farmer could now farm much more land than
farmer and increased the production of the farm.
before. Farms grew in size and produced much
Mowing machines and hay rakes made it much
more than the colonial farmer could have dreamed
easier for farmers to harvest sufficient hay for their
possible. Huge farms were developed far to the
livestock.
Harrows, cultivators and seed drills
west of Cheshire County to meet the food
aided with the preparation and planting of the soil,
requirements for the nation’s, and the world’s,
while threshers, binders and combines greatly
exploding population. Many local family farms
improved the methods of harvest.
These tools
simply could not compete economically with the
increased the amount of land that one farm could
corporate farms of the Midwest. The local farms
work or the amount of livestock that it could
that remained in business generally did so by
support.
specializing production.