Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - March 13, 1983

By Georgia Jones

Vigo County Historical Society

Plows were made of wood and metal

This week the Historical Treasure of the Week is a furrowing plow used by the Samuel Haas family and now on display in the Guy Stantz Room of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St.

The handles and beams of the plow are made of wood and the part that turns the soil is made of sharpened metal.

Eighteenth century plows, and those of Indiana's earliest pioneers, were primarily constructed of wood, which made the implements move through the soil slowly and wear down rather quickly. They were pulled by mules or oxen, horses and even man.

According to Ormond H. Loomis in his guide, "The Early Indiana Farmer," by the time Indiana was settled, the "improved" cast iron plows were being introduced in the east but were not popular in the midwest. They were heavy. They lacked interchangeable parts, making maintenance a problem.

A more acceptable iron plow known as the "Carey" plow became widely used here and in the south by 1840. It consisted of interchngeable iron parts attached to a wooden moldboard. The point could be removed for sharpening, and all the parts could be replaced locally.

Gradual conversion to total use of steel parts took place during the last half of the century. The decades after the Civil War saw an increase of advertisements for plows with only the beam and handles made of wood. By the end of the century even the wooden beam of the walking plow was being replaced with steel.

Visitors may view many other tools in the Guy Stantz Room in the basement of the museum. Open hours are 1 to 4 p.m. daily, except Saturdays and holidays.