Lawn Mower Sharpening at the Mill

Horse-drawn mowers had a brief period of popularity in the United States. They first appeared around 1845 but only gained widespread use after the Civil War ended in 1865. Improved models continued to come onto the market until the late 1800s, but it wasn't until around 1920 that significant design changes were widely adopted. By then, advancements in mechanical and engine technology, driven by the demands of World War I, were making horse-powered machinery obsolete. The final blow for horse-drawn mowers came after World War II in 1945. The U.S. government, transitioning from wartime production, heavily invested in providing farmers with new tractors, rendering their nearly new mechanical mowers unused.

Oliver E. Collins, who purchased the Mill in 1919, became known as a skilled "country mechanic." He operated a lawn mower sharpening business for local residents, focusing on reel push-type mowers. The service involved meticulous disassembly, sharpening of the reel and bed knife using two specialized grinding machines, and precise reassembly. One spring, a resident returned dissatisfied with the sharpening job, claiming the mower didn't cut well. Mr. Collins, confident in his work, recalled setting up the mower in the Mill and testing its sharpness by cutting a piece of paper. To ensure accuracy, he started having customers test their mowers on a patch of grass before taking them home. A local citizen, Tom McCauley, also reminisces about visiting the Mill with his grandfather and seeing rows of mowers awaiting Mr. Collins' expert sharpening, stretching all the way to the door that faces the springhouse!