The Watkins Woolen Mill is among the best preserved examples of a Midwest woolen mill in nineteenth-century United States. Its machinery for preparing, spinning, and weaving wool reflects the existence of well-established textile industry in the country. It was designed and built by Waltus L. Watkins (1806-1884), a machinist and master weaver from Frankfort, Kentucky, who began operating his mill in 1861 in Clay County.
Industry
![Watkins Woolen Mill](/sites/default/files/styles/landmark_node_/public/landmarks/images/Watkins_Woolen_Mill.jpg?itok=40e7cidW)
![Newell Shredder](/sites/default/files/styles/landmark_node_/public/2018-03/Newell-Shredder.jpg?itok=LRccZO7c)
This machine, designed by Alton S. Newell, efficiently reduced automobile bodies into scrap metal for recycling. A body was fed into the shredder at a controlled rate, and rotating hammers, driven by a 500-hp motor, shredded it into small pieces that were easily shipped. The process took about 10 minutes a car and used less energy than other shredding and crushing machines.
![Joshua Hendy Iron Works](/sites/default/files/styles/landmark_node_/public/landmarks/images/Joshua_Hendy_Iron_Works.jpg?itok=iJCNtrh7)
This ironworks exemplified the adaptability required for industrial survival in a dynamic technical environment. It was a major western producer of mechanical equipment used in mining (especially large hydraulic machines), ship propulsion, irrigation, power generation, optical telescope mounts, and nuclear research.
Innovations
![Joshua Hendy Iron Works](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/landmarks/images/Joshua_Hendy_Iron_Works.jpg?itok=0UVDMt2o)
This ironworks exemplified the adaptability required for industrial survival in a dynamic technical environment. It was a major western producer of mechanical equipment used in mining (especially large hydraulic machines), ship propulsion, irrigation, power generation, optical telescope mounts,…
Read More![Newell Shredder](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2018-03/Newell-Shredder.jpg?itok=jtv-LDo8)
This machine, designed by Alton S. Newell, efficiently reduced automobile bodies into scrap metal for recycling. A body was fed into the shredder at a controlled rate, and rotating hammers, driven by a 500-hp motor, shredded it into small pieces that were easily shipped. The process took about…
Read More![Watkins Woolen Mill](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/landmarks/images/Watkins_Woolen_Mill.jpg?itok=dYMnLH7h)
The Watkins Woolen Mill is among the best preserved examples of a Midwest woolen mill in nineteenth-century United States. Its machinery for preparing, spinning, and weaving wool reflects the existence of well-established textile industry in the country. It was designed and built by Waltus L.…
Read More