Early Power Lawnmower in Dodge City, Kansas
/My grandfather, Fred Kirkpatrick Sr. was fortunate to have had one of the first power lawnmowers in Dodge City, Kansas. It was quite a treat to have those then as they cost money and there never was enough of that back in the day to go around so it seems. He was City and County Engineer and my Grandmother Eva was a milner which is someone who made hats. Every woman wore a fancy hat back then so they both had jobs very early in the day when women often stayed home all the time.
So anyway, this would have been probably a reel mower like the old push mowers but with a side drive gasoline engine mounted on it. I had one for mowing a golf green my son used at our house growing up so know the type. Hope to post a pic here for you to see also.
SO as with the story about the Mafia, my dad had to stay home with his younger brother and keep tabs on him. Ken may have been onery and they say I am just like him so probably so.
My grandfather came home from work one day to find Ken and his buddy tooling around the farm on a go cart they built from the engine off the lawnmower. Now grandpa was old for a dad, probably about 60 by this time and a 11 year old boy to test his mettle.
My dad said he bout blew a cork. And the go cart disappeared back into a lawnmower. What a great story and remembrance.
kk
Early Power Lawnmower