Old pull-graders such as this one still are in use here to scrape and smooth dirt and crushed rock lanes and driveways that are damaged by rains and frost heaves. They’re now pulled by tractors or trucks instead of horses or oxen. But, they’re still manipulated by a skilled operator who sits or stands on the grader and uses three wheels to steer and adjust the height and angle of the scraper.
The first road grader of this type reportedly was invented in 1885 by Joseph D. Adams of Indianapolis, Indiana. It had two “leaning wheels” that could be angled to the side. In 1896, his company produced a huge four-wheel pull-grader with an eight-foot adjustable blade. The contraption was designed to be drawn by horses or a steam tractor. It was called “The Road King.”
That invention was still popular in 1911 and was advertised then with a claim that might resonate today with frugal Mainers: “Don’t throw away money by putting more new material on your old macadam or gravel roads, but let the Road King Scarifier simply reshape them. *** The Road King is suitable for either eight horses or engine power.” (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on October 25, 2023.)