The Evolution of Lawn Mower
Green Pasture From Past to Present
Green Pasture From Past to Present
The Evolution of Lawn Mower Lawns were originally seen as beautiful when they were full of weeds, tall, uncut grass and full of flowers. The first time that lawns started to become trimmed for a purpose was when aristocrats needed the lawn cut short in order to play lawn sports. It was a luxury that only the wealthy aristocrats could afford due to the need for labor and wet scythes to cut the lawn. The development and mass-production of lawn mowers made possible the development of lawns, providing an affordable alternative to a fleet of servants. Edwin Budding developed the first lawnmower in 1830, and by the 1890s, lawn mowers were a fixture of the American landscape. The history of the lawn mower in America has continued to expand since Budding’s invention of the first lawn mower. In the mid-19th century cities grew and became increasingly industrialized, city beautification campaigns became common, and the “park” was born. This term had originally referred to the acres of lawn with carefully tended trees around wealthy English homes. Due to this growth in lawn mower technology, the lawn has developed a new meaning in modern day America and has become a public area characterized by landscaped lawns, trees, shrubbery, and water (fountains, streams, ponds, and lakes). Often, these pieces of lawn are better known as parks, and they still serve the purpose of bringing together the community. Redefined and democratized, the park became ample in North America. Anyone who has driven across the United States or southern Canada knows that even the smallest town has its park: a block or two devoted to grass, trees, a sandbox and swing set, a few benches, a picnic table, and a water fountain. If all of those items were removed save the first, grass, then it would still be recognizable as a community lawn or park. Over the years, the lawn has evolved from an open piece of land with no maintenance to a heavily maintained and manufactured gem. The lawn is currently used as a way to bring individuals together to appreciate each other’s company as well as to visually symbolize their social status.
1500s BCE
1700s CE
1830 CE
Scythes can be
There is historical
The first lawn
traced back in Egyp-
mention to the use
mower is created
tian history to slaves
of scythe by aris-
by Edwin Budding
that were depicted
tocrats to cut their
from Gloucester-
working with scythes
lawn to play sports.
shire, England.
on temple walls.
1841 CE
1859 CE
1870 CE
Horse Drawn Mower
Chain Driven
Elwood McGuire
is created to lessen
Mower is created by
creates Push Mower
the workload by not
Thomas Green.
for public use.
relying on the horse to pull the mower.
1890s CE
1900s CE
1919 CE
James Sumner of
The Ransomes’ lawn
Edwin George cre-
Lancashire patented
mower was based
ates the Gas Mower
the first steam-
upon the powered
for public and non-
powered lawnmower
by an internal com-
commercial use.
in 1893. These were
bustion engine mak-
heavy machines,
ing the steam based
that took several
models obsolete.
hours to warm up to operating pressure.
1950s CE
1960s CE
1963 CE
Lawn mower popu-
The more so modern
The Flymo Hover
larity was starting to
day lawn mowers
Mower was created
grow fast due to the
such as ride ons and
by Karl Dahlman,
cheap price and
robotic lawn mowers
from Sweden. This
vast number avail-
are first created.
lawn mower was
able; thus it could
the first futuristic
easily reach the
looking model.
common man.