Worthington Mower Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Shawnee Mower Factory |
| Founded | January 1, 1920 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Charles Campbell Worthington |
| Defunct | 1959 |
| Fate | Acquired by Jacobsen Manufacturing in 1945; production ceased circa 1959 |
| Headquarters | Stroudsburg , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Lawn mowers, light-duty tractors |
| Parent | Jacobsen Manufacturing (from 1945) |
The Worthington Mower Company, initially known as the Shawnee Mower Factory, was a U.S.-based manufacturer of lawn mowers and light-duty tractors from the early 1920s until approximately 1959. Established as a family enterprise by Charles Campbell Worthington, the company was acquired by Jacobsen Manufacturing in 1945. Manufacturing operations persisted in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania until around 1959.
Background
Charles Campbell Worthington (1854–1944), proprietor of the Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation, redirected his attention to his rural estate in Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania, during the late 1890s. Situated roughly west of New York City, he constructed his initial modest golf course there circa 1898.
Following the sale of his stakes in Worthington Pump amid its 1899 merger into the International Steam Pump Company, Worthington retired from the presidency in 1900 to pursue country living. Despite retirement, he remained engaged as a mechanical engineer, founding the Worthington Automobile Company, which produced steam-powered vehicles based on his designs.
In proximity to Shawnee, he developed the Buckwood Inn resort, which featured an eighteen-hole golf course crafted by A. W. Tillinghast. Completed around 1910, this facility later evolved into the Shawnee Country Club. Worthington’s 1912 invitation to professional golfers to compete at his course played a role in establishing the Professional Golfers' Association of America.
History
After attempts to manage fairways with grazing sheep proved ineffective, Worthington engineered the gang mower featuring three articulated wheels and founded the Shawnee Mower Factory to produce it. This enterprise eventually became the Worthington Mower Company headquartered in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The initial gang mower was a three-wheeled, horse-drawn apparatus with leather coverings on horse hooves to safeguard turf. In 1919, Worthington introduced a gasoline-powered tractor designed to tow these mowers.
Assembly of Worthington tractors took place in Stroudsburg using components sourced from the Model T Ford. Identifying a market for cost-effective tractors suited for light-duty tasks, Worthington manufactured approximately 430 Model T-based tractors until 1930, followed by over 400 Model A tractors utilizing parts from the Ford Model A (1927–31). In 1928, the company launched the triplex Overgreen mower powered by engines from the Indian Motocycle Company, switching in 1929 to powerplants supplied by Harley Davidson Motor Company. By the late 1930s, Worthington introduced the Model C, equipped with a Chrysler six-cylinder engine along with transmission and axles sourced from a Dodge pickup.
The gang mower concept involved linking multiple cutting units within a frame that allowed each unit independent movement to conform to uneven terrain and curves without harming grass surfaces. Through patented enhancements, cutting units expanded from three initially up to five and eventually seven, covering a swath approximately wide at speeds near . In 1935, Worthington successfully defended its patent rights against infringement by a rival firm. These gang mowers gained widespread acceptance among golf courses across the country. In 1930, based on technical advantages, the company secured an Air Corps contract for airfield mowing equipment; however, this contract was later rescinded following an appeal concerning exclusive specifications.
Throughout World War II, production persisted and earned 'E' and 'Star' Army-Navy commendations. The tractors were employed for maintaining airfield turf, towing aircraft and bomb trailers, and pulling sickle-bar mowers along roadside verges. After Worthington’s death in October 1944, ownership transferred in 1945 to Jacobsen Manufacturing.
In the post-war period, certain 1946 Chief models featured enclosed cabs likely intended for airport use involving aircraft towing and runway maintenance. By 1949, Worthington began producing Model G tractors built primarily with Ford components aimed at servicing parks and golf courses. Innovations such as tractor-mounted compressors emerged by 1955. Production of lawn mowers designed for golf course and residential applications continued at Stroudsburg until roughly 1959. The Worthington brand remained in use by Jacobsen into the mid-1960s.