Mills Slot Machines

Mortimer Birdsul Mills is the name of the gentleman who started up the Mills company, he was born way back in 1845 in Ontario, Canada, but soon moved to Chicago in the United States. Here he set up the Mills Novelty Company and set forth designing and patenting all manner of coin operated devices.

His inventions including vending machines, juke boxes and more importantly slot machines, and from a simple start up company he soon found himself one of the pioneers of gambling devices.

He was famed for designing coin operated machines that were completely mechanical, unlike modern day slots that use a myriad of electronic devices all his inventions were built around basic mechanics.

History Of Mills Slot Machines

The very first slot machine he built was made in 1897, this slot machine was called the Mills Owl, and was a completely mechanical slot machine in an upright cabinet. The design was built around a circle of owls perched on a tin wheel.

The machine was an overnight success with many thousands produced, the company then went on to use the owl motif as its own company trade mark.

The company went from strength to strength but then due to the illness and subsequent death of Mortimers' brother who at the time was the President of the company things started to go wrong.

Things became even worse for the company when in 1951 a bill was signed in the state of Chicago that banned all gaming devices, the company began to go under due to this aftermath of this bill and they soon found themselves taken over by another company who saw the potential for not only slot machines but other coin operated equipment and wanted to use the experience and know how the Mills company had acquired over the years.

All Time Classic Mills Slot Machines

Some of the all time classic slot machines this company has made include the Black Cherry slot, the Vest Pocket and the fabulous High Top 7-7-7 slot. If you fancy playing slots online similar to these you should checkout both the Crazy Cherry and the Double Gold slot machines.

Mills Slot Machines Throughout The Years

Soda Machines - The Mills company began to develop and patented one of the first coin operated soda machines

Gum Vendors - Realising that anything that could be purchased in a shop could, in theory be bought from a vending machine the Mills company went on to produce Gum vendors then cigarette vending machines.

Juke Boxes - Mills were also one of the first companies to be awarded a patent for a juke box, which at the time was a very basic record player operated by inserting a coin into the slot.

Slot Machines - Even though the Mills company made a great many different coin operated devices they will go down in history as the company who brought slot machines into the world! In fact many of their early models are still around in slot machine museums across the globe, so if you ever get the chance to see these early slot machines then do try and make the effort, they are amazing to look at and admire!