Food Chopper
date: label: date made
content: 1865 - 1920
name: label: maker
content: Athol Machine Co.
notes: label: Description
content: Large, hand-cranked, mechanical tabletop chopper, designed for cutting or hashing meat and other foods. A cylindrical container and mechanism is secured to a wooden base. Mechanism consists of a crank which sets two gears, fly wheel, chopper and cylinder into motion. Each revolution of the crank produces four revolutions of the fly wheel. A shank is connected to the fly wheel on one end, and to the bottom edge of the cylinder, which moves it in a clockwise direction. As the mechanism is cranked, a 7” blade descends into the cylinder.
label: Description
content: Le Roy S. Starrett of Newburyport, MA, received U.S. Patent No. 47,875 on May 23, 1865 for his "improved meat-cutter". Maker is Athol Machine & Foundry Co. of Athol, MA, who produced Starrett's patent between 1868 and 1920. Also known as a "hasher", it was offered in 7 sizes - this example is probably No. 405 or a "butcher size” suited for use by small butchers, market men, schools, hospitals, etc. It weighs approximately 120 lbs. when crated and retailed for $25.00.
label: Description
content: According to donor, this chopper was used to "prepare food for large groups of pioneers migrating West in covered wagons" at The Warner House, a coach or tavern stop along the Old National Road at Etna, OH, about 18 miles from Columbus.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Athol
label: place used
content: United States: Ohio, Etna
topic: label: Subject
content: Commercial Furnishings
label: Subject
content: Food Processing
label: Subject
content: Patented
label: Subject
content: western expansion
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.66.0192
label: catalog number
content: 66.0192
label: accession number
content: 263869
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Chopper, Food
label: Object Name
content: chopper, food
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: iron (chopper material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (base material)