The Royal Royce Reaper
The Royal Royce Reaper was one of the most significant agricultural innovations of the 19th century, the first mechanical harvester made specifically for grain. The Green Brothers, who had expanded their thriving foundry into manufacturing farming equipment for this booming agricultural area, first produced the Reaper in Waterford in the 1870s. It soon won awards at fairs and expositions all over the world. At its peak, the Greens were producing 300 Royal Royce Reapers a year, and progressive farmers of the day could own one for just $100! And in related news, Norfolk County experienced a distillery boom right around this time. You can see one of these amazing machines at the fascinating Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum.
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