Francis Mecum 1891 Walking Plow Salesman Sample with Museum Display

Exceptionally detailed scale salesman's model of Francis L. Mecum's innovative 1891 walking plow, accompanied by a professionally framed museum display featuring The Chico Enterprise-Record article dated August 28, 1956, period photographs, and documentation relating to the implement. Constructed of wood with both cast and wrought iron components, the model faithfully reproduces the original horse-drawn sulky plow, including its spoked wheels, adjustable seat, operating clutch mechanism, rack-and-pinion depth adjustment, steering linkage, and dual moldboards. The museum display documents Mecum's revolutionary bolted steel plow, which helped replace earlier cast-iron designs and reflects the agricultural innovation that earned his design recognition. The model exhibits remarkable craftsmanship and mechanical complexity, making it both an educational display and an impressive example of agricultural engineering in miniature.

Francis L. Mecum developed his bolted steel walking plow in 1891 while living in Chico, California. His design represented an important advancement in late nineteenth-century agricultural equipment by replacing heavier cast-iron construction with bolted steel components, resulting in a stronger and more practical implement. The accompanying Chico Enterprise-Record article chronicles the history of the invention and the survival of this scale model decades after its creation.

Both pieces remain in very good condition. The museum frame is structurally sound, and the photographs and newspaper article remain securely mounted behind museum glass. Some photographic images exhibit expected fading with age, while the frame shows light edge wear and minor paint loss along the exterior edges. The plow model retains its original wood, cast iron, and wrought iron construction with scattered oxidation throughout the metal surfaces and splintering at the end of the wooden tongue. The clutch levers engage properly, allowing movement of the primary operating levers; however, neither lever achieves its full range of travel. The longer lever stops approximately four notches short of its forward-most position, while the smaller lever stops approximately two notches short of full forward travel and one notch short of full rearward travel. Several wheel spokes are not perfectly flush with the rims but remain secure without evidence of separation. Overall, the model demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship and mechanical detail.

Dimensions:
Model: 25" L x 13" W x 16.75" H (lever fully extended); Seat Height: 10" H
Frame: 21.75" W x 24.5" H

MM - 21708 - 071026

For information regarding shipping, please visit our Terms & Conditions page here.