Bicycle A bicycle is a vehicle that has two wheels placed one in front of the other and mounted on some type of support frame and powered by the person that is riding it. The first bicycle was similar to a scooter. The inventor, Baron Karl Von Drais built the bicycle without pedals. The bicycle had an unusual name, the draisenne. You could steer the draisienne by a bar connected to the front wheel. Twenty some years later, Kirkpatrick MacMillan added the pedals to the draisenne. This considered the first powered bike. A Frenchman, Pierre Lallement was the first person to take out a patent on a pedal bicycle in United States in 1866. The high-wheeler or penny-farthing bicycle entered the scene around 1870. This bicycle was different in style, having a huge front wheel at least 5 feet high and a small rear wheel. Enjoy Capri's interview with a local resident about his bike collection. From the draisienne to the present, bicycles have changed to be beautiful and convenient inventions. Top
Located in the carriage house at Arbor Lodge	Carriage The carriage dates back as far as the Bronze age, and was used to transport goods. The Chariot was the first passenger vehicle. The carriage was manufactured the until automobile became popular in 1908. The United States had more than 8,000 carriage builders. There were many different types and styles of carriages designed to haul materials, people and racing. The Carriage House has excellent examples of the different types of carriages. Carriage rides are becoming more popular today. Even right here in Nebraska City you can rent a carriage ride at the Lied Convention Center. Top
In the Carriage House at Arbor Lodge	Cider press Cider pressing has been in operation way before the medieval times. The early English settlers introduced cider to America by bringing apple seeds for planting. Cider was a very popular drank in the colonial times. To make cider you have to select the proper apples for crushing. The crushing of the apples creates a plupy mass called pomace. The pomace is wrapped in a pressing cloth which they call the "cheese". The cheese is place on the cider press so the unfermented juice is pressed out. The unfermented juice is called "must". It might take 100 pounds of apples to make 8 gallons of cider. The must is stored to destroy the bacteria or unwanted elements. After that yeast is added and then the must is fermented for 2 to 6 weeks. Cider demonstration are given on weekends during the Living History Days at Arbor Lodge State Park.  Top
This phonograph is at Arbor Lodge.	Phonograph A phonograph is an invention that reproduces sound. It was invented in 1877 by Thomas Alva Edison. Edison's invention was recorded on tinfoil wrapped around a little round cylinder. The cylinder rotated on an axle and was hand cranked to record the sound. Edison's first experiments with sound were with a tuning fork. He worked with ideas to record and play back on the telegraph and telephone. This helped with the invention of the cylinder phonograph. He also invented talking dolls and children's pianos. Edison overcame many failures and used his bright ideas to make the world a better place. Top
This phone is at Arbor Lodge	Telephone Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. This happen because of two major factors in Graham's life. His father and grandfather were speech experts and his mother was deaf. By experimenting with the way sounds of vowels and speech were made, this helped Graham in his discovery of the telephone. He teamed up with Thomas Watson. Their first success was making sounds over a haronic telegraph. Through this wire they first heard recognizable voice sounds not words. After the telephone became more advanced, Alexander Graham Bell did lots for the deaf. Top
	Typewriter A typewriter is a device that prints ink letters and figures on paper. This machine was used by people all over the world. The product was neat and readable. Pellegrino Turri in 1713 built the first workable typerwriter. Typewriters have had several different looks through the years. Hanson's device looked like a pincushion. The earliest keyboards were arranged alphabetically, but this didn't work out because the typist would type to fast and jam the keys. Christopher Latham Sholes solved this problem by a adding the "qwerty" keyboard. This is named so because the Q, W, E, R, T, Y, are arranged by each other in the upper left-hand of the keyboard. The most used letters are for apart on the keyboard. The qwerty format is still used today. The typewriter is being replaced by word processors and computers. Top
This spinning wheel is at Arbor Lodge in Caroline Morton's bedroom.	Spinning Wheel Spinning is the process of taking threads and twisting them together to create flax. Spinning has been dated back to Neolithic times. Most of the spinning was done by a spindle. This was just a smooth stick with a notch on one end for hanging on to the thread and whorl (a stone or a bowl). Two methods are used to make the wool ready for spinning. They are carding and combing. Spinning changed somewhat when the spinning wheel was developed. Two type of wheels were invented. One called the great wheel ( made in India around 500 B.C.) and the other called the Saxony Wheel (invented in Germany). Later came the spinning Jenny invented by James Hargreaves in 1764. The spinning jenny could spin more that one flax at a time. Flax is a plant with strong fibers that makes fabric. Top