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Date: | Sat, 13 Sep 2003 21:41:36 -0400 |
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Today the one volunteer I've got excavated a nice cast iron plow share from
the debris layer of a brick building. We are presently figuring (always
due to change with the latest find) that the site was a 1777-built debtor's
prison that was knocked down in 1842 when a new series of buildings was
built. The debris is the junk brick left behind after the "robbers" got
done taking away the good brick. Other artifacts in the deposit indicate
the first quarter of the 19th century.
Charles Newbold patented the first all iron cast plow in 1797 (if it broke,
you couldn't fix it, though)
Jethro Wood, a dang Yankee, invented the cast plow share in 1819
http://lsb.syr.edu/projects/wpafolder/moravia.html
and John Deere became famous for making the first self-polishing cast steel
plow in 1837
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/deere.html
and my research back home in NY has found several local foundries making
cast plows in the late 1820s and on.
Are there any experts out there on the list who could lead me to more
specific sources - preferably on the web at the moment!!
This is in Chesterfield, just between Richmond and Petersburg, VA, the big
manufacturing centers, so if anyone know the history of Central Virginia
plow-makers, I'd love that!
Dan W.
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