George Logue became one of the happiest men in America when his
1929 ‘Cat Ten’ tractor went on display at the Smithsonian
Institution last November 24.
This is a very special 50-year-old tractor. It went on display
to mark the 75th anniversary of the first time a crawler-type
tractor was demonstrated successfully. Benjamin Holt conducted the
test at Stockton, California, on November 24, 1904.
The tractor is the smallest ever built by the Caterpillar
Tractor Company. The firm turned out about 5,000 ‘Cat Tens’
for small farmers between 1928 and 1931.
With this addition, the Smithsonian’s excellent collection
of tractors is now considered complete. Before this machine was
given by Logue, a crawler was the only type the Smithsonian lacked.
The tractor can be seen by the public in the Museum of History and
Technology.
Logue, a contractor living in Trout Run, Pennsylvania, has
collected 50 pieces of Caterpillar equipment. He was present when
the ceremony opening the exhibit was held.
Benjamin Holt was a grain harvester manufacturer when he
conducted his first successful test of a vehicle that could crawl
over earth which was too soft to provide support for either horses
or wheeled equipment. Caterpillar Tractor Company was formed in
1925 through merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and Best
Tractor Company.