Route 4, Huntington, Indiana 46750
For several years now I have toyed with the idea of writing a
history of the Tractor, as I have seen it grow from practically the
beginning. Being at the age of seventy and a life long farmer and
machine man, I have seen it blossom from nothing to its present
high standard. Some might question the high standard, but not the
higher price of the present machines.
The first tractors were cumbersome and noisy pieces of
machinery. In fact they were not called tractors, but gasoline
traction engines, comprised of a large bulky one cylinder gas
engine, mounted on a steam engine chassis and wheels with the
guiding apparatus of a steam engine. The cast iron gears were all
open to the dust and dirt which caused them to wear down quickly.
Grease cups wick filled oilers provided lubrication to main
bearings. Sight drip oilers were used for pistons and connecting
rod bearings. Up to 1910 all of the manufacturers used primarily
the same design, with modifications. Some of these tractors had
rear wheels six feet high, and weighed as much as fifteen tons or
more.
Most historians credit John Froelich of near Waterloo, Iowa, as
building the first successful tractor. That is question-able as
some others were already in the field; but so little is known of
their success and it is impossible to prove anything. It is not
known whether he made any more than the one he made in 1892. He
used a gasoline engine made by the Van Duzen company of Cincinnati,
Ohio, and mounted it on a Robinson steam engine running gear. This
outfit really ran and in that year it is said to have successfully
run a Case 40′ cylinder separator for a full fifty day
threshing run. In the year 1893, he along with others, incorporated
the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Company of Waterloo, Iowa.
They built gasoline engines and experimented with tractors. About
1913 they came out with the Waterloo Boy, which later became the
John Deere as we know it today. They did a lot of experimenting but
it is not known definitely that they made any tractors until the
Waterloo Boy.
1914, 8-16 Mogul Tractor.
In 1889 the Charter Gas Engine Company built six 20 hp. tractors
and they were shipped into the Dakotas for belt work. Nothing is
known or recorded of their success, but they were likely good belt
power. They used their own single cylinder engine and it was
mounted on Rumely wheels and frames — a hugh engine with two large
flywheels.
In 1893 a group of farmers headed by J. A. Hocket of near
Sterling, Kansas, built a large tractor. It is recorded that the
Charter Company built this tractor for them, but it is not known if
more than one was built. Anyway, it appears they did not have
finances to continue it.
The Case Company built a tractor in 1892, about 20 hp. using the
usual design and under the supervision of William Patterson. It was
not successful and no more were manufactured. 1911 saw the 20-40
Case which went over big. There are still a number of them around
yet today.
1892 saw the production of a tractor by the C. H. Dissinger
& Bro. Company of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, using an Otto gas
engine. They made a few in 1899 but really got into manufacturing
in 1904. It was a big one cylinder engine, battery make and break
ignition, sight lubrication and forced water cooling.
The Van Duzen Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, constructed a tractor
in 1894, similar to the Froelich tractor which they had furnished
the engine for building. This is said to be the forerunner of the
Huber Company of Marion, Ohio, who were already in the steam engine
and threshing machine business.
1894 saw the erection of a tractor by the Otto Gas Engine
Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a 15 hp. In 1895 and
1896 they made and sold fourteen tractors. They were already doing
a good business in large gas engines.
The Huber Manufacturing Company of Marion, Ohio, built their
first tractor in 1898. It was a vertical engine, very crude, but
they kept improving it and in later years made many successful
tractors.
Kinnard-Haines of Minneapolis, Minnesota, made their first Flour
City Engine in 1897 but did not go into production until 1901. It
was a large 30 hp. single cylinder horizontal engine, chain driven
from flywheel to a secondary shaft on which was the clutch and
drive sprockets, with bull gear and pinion drive. They continued to
improve their tractor and were very successful later on. They also
made large portable gasoline engines.
The S. S. Morton Company of York, Pennsylvania, erected its
first tractor in 1899. In 1902 and 1903 they developed a traction
frame, wheels and gearing on which anyone could mount a gas engine
of any size and have a tractor. They sold this in the Ohio
Manufacturing Company of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, about 1904. In 1905
the Ohio Company interested the International Harvester Company of
Chicago in it and for two or three years they mounted Inter
national Harvester Famous Engines of 10, 12, and 15 hp. on their
chassis. Int. Har. sold them as their own. Later they bought the
Ohio Mfg. Co. out in 1908 or 1909. The company was moved into
International Harvesters plants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and
Chicago, Illinois. The Milwaukee plant became the Titan works and
the Chicago plant produced Moguls.
1913 Fairbanks-Morse. Picture taken in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada.
1912 Hart-Parr Steel King, 40 hp. Picture taken in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan, Canada.
In 1894 the Lambert Gas Engine Company of Anderson, Indiana,
built their first tractor. It was a large one cylinder, horizontal
engine of their own design, with open crankcase and sight feed
oilers. Later this company got into business in a large way making
traction gas engines of all sizes. They also made the Lambert
automobile.
