This is a foot powered lathe. Since electricity nor steam engines had been invented yet, foot power was one of the methods used to turn wood.
Another was done by water power where a water wheel was used to supply the power. I have been in a water powered wood shop before, many years ago but sadly I can offer you no pictures of it. It had a central shaft coming off the water wheel, where many different wooden pullies were mounted. Each pully a different size depending on speed needed for the tool to be used. Each pully system went to a particular tool, had a belt that transferred the power, and an idler wheel to take up the slack when that tool was to be used.
As explained by the sign, this is the Margaret Adams Kimball Museum. I can not show you images of the inside as it was closed when we arrived.
This ends the images I will show you for the Natchez Trace Park.