They say necessity is the mother of invention—but during the day, it was usually a combination of imagination, thriftiness, and an old copy of Popular Mechanics magazine. One of the best examples is the Model T axle clothes line. A goal post was on the top. The mounted clothes line was a bolt-on and unique installation. Some folks are still digging it up in their yards.
A rusty shaft in dirt and grass with a gear on one end might look like a piece of old machinery part. More likely than not, it is a Model T rear axle shaft. Someone has creatively turned it into a rotary clothesline. There are still Model T rear axles that served their life in a car, but are now ready to face a new direction with a different life.
In magazines, such as Popular Mechanics, you could read about converting the rear axles into rotary clothes lines. Pull the axle out of the ground vertically; put on some wooden arms; and voila! With built-in roller bearings, your clothes line will spin around; allowing you to reach your line from one stop.
Although there was a fair amount of DIY work to do to complete these projects, people had a reason to do them as they worked with materials they had lying around. The axle was made of steel and was strong enough for repurposing. It also did not cost you to run the mechanism. The likeness was relatively simple to plan and construct.