De Leon Springs in Volusia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Horse-Drawn Road Graders

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, December 15, 2021

1. Horse-Drawn Road Graders Marker

Inscription.
This road grader, made around 1900, was found in the woods here. It was probably used to construct roads and parking lots around the spring in the early 1900s.

Horse-drawn road graders were the first earth moving machinery produced, starting in the late 1800s. Prior to this, all road construction was done with hand shovels and wheel barrows!

Later, steam, then gasoline and diesel engines were added, and the “motor grader” was created. Starting in the 1920s, other road construction machinery was developed, such as rollers, dozers, and loaders.

[photo caption] Typical grader, Narcoossee, south of Orlando, early 1900s.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.

Location. 29° 7.948′ N, 81° 21.682′ W. Marker is in De Leon Springs, Florida, in Volusia County. It can be reached from Ponce Deleon Boulevard just north of County Road 3N. The marker and horse-drawn road grader are on exhibit on the west side of the De León Springs State Park entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 Ponce Deleon Boulevard, De Leon Springs FL 32130, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s First Coast.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: How Old Are the Live Oak Trees? (approx. 0.2 miles away); De Leon Springs Becomes a State Park

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Sugar Mill Machinery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Who Built the Sugar Mill? (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ponce De Leon Springs (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sugar Mill Wheel (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Fountain of Youth (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Hotel Clubhouse (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in De Leon Springs.

Also see . . . Grader (Wikipedia).

A grader, also commonly referred to as a road grader, motor grader, or simply blade, is a form of heavy equipment with a long blade used to create a flat surface during grading. Although the earliest models were towed behind horses, and later tractors, most modern graders are self-propelled and thus technically "motor graders".

(Submitted on December 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Horse-Drawn Road Grader & Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, December 15, 2021

2. Horse-Drawn Road Grader & Marker

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, December 15, 2021

3. Horse-Drawn Road Grader & Marker

Horse-Drawn Road Grader image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, December 15, 2021

4. Horse-Drawn Road Grader

Credits. This page was last revised on December 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 313 times since then and 82 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.