OUR STORIES
Waverly Tractor Display Honors a Major Breakthrough in Farming
Ed Dubois
August 12, 1998
There was a breakthrough in farming when tractors began to replace horses in the fields. Machinery revolutionized the agriculture industry. A tribute to the early development of the farm tractor – and to those who saw the potential of the machines and decided to invest in them – has been attracting the attention of passersby in Woodland Township just southwest of Waverly. Dan Borrell, who was only about six years old when his father bought a Farmall row-crop tractor in the early 1940s, has set up a display in a field on the north side of his boyhood home.
Steve Henderson's Memories of His Dad's IH Dealership
Stephen C. Henderson
January 31, 2018
As to the history of our IH business, my Dad was an IH dealer, but owned his own his own business rather than being a manager for an IH-owned store. He did start as an IH employee though. He was originally what IH called a “blockman” who travelled from dealership to dealership. His territory was northern Illinois and northern Indiana, which is how he found out the Wabash dealership was for sale. The dealer had died and Dad began by renting the building...
Dealerships of the Past: The Algot Family and Their Three-Generation International Harvester Dealership
Bernie Yakimyshyn
January 01, 2011
The fascinating history of this tri-generation IH dealership began in 1902, when pioneer Gustaf (Gus) J. Algot arrived as a young man in Alberta from his native Sweden, looking for opportunity, and ready to make his mark on the world. His travels took him to Vermilion in 1908, where he took homestead papers on a quarter of land 30 miles to the north, which he named Angle...
Ode to the IH 1420 Combine
Harry Lutz
December 04, 2017
Our 1420 IH Axial Flow combine was manufactured in the East Moline, IL International Harvester plant in the fall of 1982. We are proud to say she became a new member of our IH family in November of 2010. Although we never knew her previous owners; she had been well taken care of and did not need much attention before going to the field. After some minor repairs and a fresh service, she was ready to go. She took good care of us, and we took equally good care of...
IH Previews Iowa’s First Television Show at the 1946 State Fair
Bob Cannon
August 29, 2016
Before any TV stations were on the air in the State of Iowa, radio station KRNT-AM - Des Moines, in cooperation with RCA and International Harvester, gave the 1946 Iowa State Fair visitors a preview of television. The demonstration was staged in the International Harvester tent. Closed circuit TV programs were produced using KRNT-AM personalities & Staff.
Navistar History 1882-1933 — Alexander Legge - Legendary IH President
Tom Clark, Navistar Corporate Historian
August 09, 2016
Written by Tom Clark, Navistar’s Corporate Historian, this story was originally published in Cornbinder Connection Magazine. The image is used with the permission of The Wisconsin Historical Society. Background reference materials include Alexander Legge 1866-1933 by Forrest Crissey, and stories by Sam Moore.
Navistar History — McCormick, IH and Navistar in Australia and New Zealand
Tom Clark, Navistar's Corporate Historian
August 07, 2016
Written by Tom Clark, Navistar’s Corporate Historian, this story was originally published in Cornbinder Connection Magazine. The color image is used with Navistar’s permission. The black and white image was provided by Sarah Tomac.
Navistar History 1881-1915 — Extortion and Binder Twine in the Yucatan
Tom Clark, Navistar's Corporate Historian
August 01, 2016
Written by Tom Clark, Navistar’s Corporate Historian, this story was originally published in Cornbinder Connection Magazine. The images are used with Navistar’s permission. Reference materials include a 2011 article “The Early 20-Peso Notes of the Reguladora: Revolutionary Intrigues and a Major Hoard” by professor Peter S. Dunham, PhD of Cleveland State University, and a 1982 book, “The Revolution from Without” by Gilbert M. Joseph.
Michigan Dealership in Operation Since 1897
Tom Anderson
April 14, 2016
This article is about an IH dealership near Cadillac, Michigan that has been in continual operation in 1897. John T. Mys started selling IH tractors here in 1944. The dealership is now under a second family ownership, and is the only dealership in Northern Michigan. I have been blessed to have grown up just eight miles from this dealership, and our family has a Farmall AV, a Farmall H, a Cub Cadet, and multiple implements from this dealership.
German IH Letters from WWI
Lloyd Viehland
November 18, 2014
Lloyd Viehland’s great uncle was John Dierking, a Missouri IH employee. In the early 1900s, IH sent John to Germany, South America, and many other places. He came home before WWI, but made many friends overseas. After the war, John continued to work for IH until the 1930s. These are letters from European nationals who worked with John prior to WWI. Many are from German IH employees who became friends with John, telling him their stories from WWI.
TD24 Resurrection
Tim Tipton
May 20, 2013
The centerpiece of all the displays at TEC's 70th anniversary event was a mammoth-size, neon-tube International sign that has been in restoration for seven months at Tractor & Equipment Company. The sign measures approximately20' x 14', with all-new, hand-blown neon tubes. Originally from North Carolina Equipment Company, the sign was in rough shape when TEC purchased it. It went straight into restoration at the TEC shopin Birmingham and is about 90-percent completed.
How Relationships & Experiences Formed & Enabled this Ag Engineer
Gary L. Wells
September 17, 2010
Professor for a Day Presentation for Celebrate ABE@Illinois
Worldwide Tractor Test & Development History
William Schubert
December 12, 2015
I was appointed Product Test & Development Engineer in 1967 to lead the development and test group for the Worldwide tractor program at the International Harvester Engineering Center located at 7 South 600, County Line Rd, Hinsdale, IL (the address is now Burr Ridge, IL). I have a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering (1960) with emphasis on Power and Machinery from the University of Illinois. I also completed all the course work for a MS degree in Ag Engineering, but unfortunately I never did complete my thesis. I grew up on a farm located near Trenton, Illinois which is about 30 miles east of St. Louis, and had always liked working with agricultural machinery, especially tractors. I started with International Harvester in Dec 1961. The Worldwide Test & Development Group consisted of four to ten employees that varied as the program progressed. Several had Engineering degrees, but most had learned their trade working on other tractor projects through the years.
IH Farm Equipment Training Center, Tifton, GA
Wiley Johnson
December 12, 2015
The Tifton F E Training Center opened in 1961, approximately fifteen miles north of Tifton, Georgia near the community of Waterloo. The main farm and building were located on approximately 1,300 to 1,400 acres leased from P.D. Fullwood Plant Co. It is located on the west Irwin, east Turner, and north Tift county lines. This included about 450 acres of coastal hay, some 700 acres of open farm land, and some wooded acres. The hay acres were in a government set-aside program, and could be used for demo, but not for production or harvest for sell. It was headed up by Lamar Hartzog as supervisor, with William (Bill) Fessler and Jim Brosnahan as instructors. There were several reasons why South Georgia was chosen: availably of land at a reasonable rent, the long season for outdoor activity, and the sandy loam soil. In later years, additional acres were rented from neighboring farmers. The mail came to P.O. Box H, Tifton, GA 31794.
Developing the Pro-Harvest Support Program: My Most Exciting & Challenging Assignment at IHC
Dan Kennedy
December 10, 2015
“Failure is NOT an option,” said Wells, “the Axial Flow must fly!”
In 1977, 300 of the new Axial Flow combines were released to the field. By 1979 it became clear that we needed to rapidly initiate focused critical customer and dealer support action, as most IH dealers and customers in the field, being unfamiliar with the new rotary technology, were apprehensive. In addition, the competition became very aggressive in their focused effort to discredit the Axial Flow rotary threshing principle.
Frank G. Hough Company Plant in Libertyville
Jack Murrie
May 12, 2015
This story was in the local newspaper, and shares some IH history surrounding The Frank G. Hough Company in Libertyville, Illinois. Perhaps a lot of IH collectors don’t know about this plant.
I worked at this plant from 1964 until I retired in late 1991. Mr. Hough (pronounced Huff) was a people person. He really cared about his help. When IH took over, you became just a number.
Have You Seen the Five Millionth IH Tractor? If Not, Now's Your Chance
Joe Neville
November 29, 2008
Thirty-five years ago, IH was busy planning for a one in five million event. This had never been accomplished by any company before and it would happen at the Farmall Plant in early 1974. Many ideas were considered to commemorate the event, but it was finally decided that since there could only be one five millionth tractor—only one would be produced. And what a tractor it was.
My First Set of Wheels was an IH Tractor
Jet Kaehn
November 27, 2015
The summer before I turned two, my parents took me to the Iowa State Fair where I watched my dad, an IH employee, participate in a “Tractor Square Dance.” The tractors went back and forth, and around each other, and did all kinds of fun movements. My mom and I both loved it, and she tells me I sat riveted through the whole thing, wanting to see it again.