Onion Shovel

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

This shovel was used in the Connecticut River Valley around 1900 when onions became an important crop. The open design of the scoop allows dirt, debris, and very small onions to be sieved out. The design might also have lightened the weight of the shovel, which could make a difference to the laborer shoveling all day. The soil in the Connecticut River Valley, from Wethersfield, Connecticut, to Hadley, Massachusetts, was well suited to the cultivation of onions and the available workforce of Eastern European immigrants in the late 19th century made for heavy production of this root crop.

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Details

Item typeTools & Equipment
Agricultural
CreatorUnidentified
Date1900
PlaceConnecticut River Valley
TopicAgriculture, Farming
Eastern European
EraProgressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
Great Depression and World War II, 1929–1945
MaterialMetal; Wood
Dimension detailsHeight: 41.50 in Width: 13.37 in
Catalog #1978.06
View this item in our curatorial database →
Unidentified. Onion Shovel. 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1978-06/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.

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