Horse drawn plows: Just a matter of preference
Someone recently asked me why some horse drawn plows throw the furrow to the left, while others (most in fact) throw them to the...
A look back at early manufacturers of crawler tractors
Crawler tractors have quite the history.
Early 1900s: When the Navy ran a dairy farm
Did you know that for about 80 years, the United States Navy was in the dairy farm business, and for several decades even operated a hog farm?
The 1800s progression of mechanical sewing
Until the 19th century all clothes, hats, shoes, harness and ships sails were sewed by hand.
Horse-powered equipment makes lots of progress
Nancy and I just got back from Lancaster County, Pa., where I attended the 18th annual Horse Progress Days. This was the 16th consecutive...
Caterpillar played pivotal role in World War I
A brief look at the contribution made by Caterpillar tractors to the war efforts, and the development of the military tank.
Of early tractor companies, few survived
In the early days, tractor companies were abundant, but only a few had what it took to survive.
Where exactly did the word ‘tractor’ come from?
In his comprehensive book about building Hart-Parr and Oliver tractors at Charles City, Iowa, John D. Culbertson wrote the following under the heading "1906":...
Hard work helped by early technology
For centuries, grain was threshed by beating the grain with flails, trampling it with horses or oxen, or by pulling stone or wooden rollers and sledges over it.
Who invented the motorcycle? Well, let’s see…
After supper on a recent hot Saturday night, I was sitting on my front porch nursing a cold glass of Pinot Grigio and watching...
