Samuel Hewitt
19th-century Indiana inventor
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Samuel Hewitt was a small-town inventor from Allensville, Indiana. He invented the "Mormon haypress", which was patented in 1843.[1][2][3] The hay press revolutionized the industry, and the county's economy began to focus on hay production. 200 machines were made, but only 4 remain.[4][1] One of these haypresses resides in a museum in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.[5]
 Samuel Hewitt's schematics for the haypress he invented, from the patent he submitted on December 30, 1843. |
Thiebaud Farm in Switzerland County, Indiana was a site that shipped out hundreds of haybales to the rest of the country along Ohio and Mississippi rivers. For this reason, Samuel Hewitt came up with a faster way to cut and package haybales in the Mormon Haypress.[1] The haypress was 3 stories tall, and was powered usually by farm animals, such as horses or mules.[6] The haypresses themselves also were used in other states, most notably in Kentucky.[2] Hewitt submitted the patent on December 30, 1843, along with a detailed image of the build and function of the machine.[5]