A Timeline Lawn Mower

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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.



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