Technology

     Hit-or-miss engines were developed in the mid-1800s and played a vital role in advances in farming, mining, manufacturing, and even household chores, thus increasing the standard of living. Built especially to reduce the back-breaking work on farms, shops, and around the home, hit-or-miss engines were used for many tasks, including pumping water from streams and wells, shelling corn, thrashing and grinding grain, running buzz saws for firewood, making ice cream, running generators, running hay balers, operating a washing machine, turning a butter churn, and running a cream separator, grist mill, cement mixers and shop tools. Often the hit-or-miss engines were placed on wheels or trolleys so a single engine could be moved and used for the various tasks around the farm or
household.