Historical Photos

Snapshot of History! 1940 Farming With Farmall F-20 And Mounted 2 Row Planter

Take a step back in time with these photos dates from May of 1940 in Monona County, Iowa. These photos are part of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-And-White Negatives Collection with the United States Library of Congress. This series of photos show a farmer loading his two row lister with corn and

A Forgotten Classic! The Fairman Tractor Of Davenport, Iowa

Very little is known about this front wheel drive articulated tractor built by the Fairman Motor Implement Company of Davenport, Iowa. In trade news section of the 1913 issue of Farm Implement News shows the Fairman Motor Implement Company had been organized and incorporated “to buy and sell tractors, etc”. There is no mention if

1918 Military Operations With Holt Crawler Tractors

Before Holt and Best merged in 1925 to form Caterpillar, the Holt Company was world known for its crawler tractors. In the early teens of the 20th Century, Holt partnered with several branches of the United States military to deliver crawler tractors for their tactical operations. The photos below were taken in April of 1918

Baling Hay In Dresher, Pennsylvania – July 1944

This series of photos shows the baling of hay in Dresher, Pennsylvania in July of 1944. The photographs are by Pauline Ehrlich and are part of the United States Library of Congress Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black and White Negatives Collection. Click HERE to subscribe to our email list to get all the

What’s A Fowler Gyrotiller?

This Fowler Gyrotiller works ground at a sugar plantation in Puerto Rico. The Gyrotiller was invented by Norman Storey who was a sugar cane plantation manager in Puerto Rico. Charles Henry Fowler licensed the exclusive rights from Storey to built the tractor in 1925. The first machines rolled of the line in October of 1927

What’s A Jayhawk Hay Stacker?

Do recognize this contraption used to move hay? These photos from 1939 show a John Deere tractor using a Jayhawk hay stacker. These stackers were manufactured by The Wyatt Manufacturing Company of Salina, Kansas. Wyatt built and sold its first hay stacker around 1903 which was powered and drove by a team of four horses

Harvesting Guayule In Salinas, California – 1941

You might recognize the Caterpillar Thirty crawler in these photographs, but it’s doubtful you recognize the mechanical contraction it’s pulling. This photo, taken in December 1941, shows the harvesting of guayule in Salinas, California. Guayule is a type of vegetation which grows best in hot, dry climates and used in the production of natural rubber.

1941 – 20 Mules Pull Combine To Harvest Wheat

These photographs were taken in July of 1941 in Walla Wall County, Washington State. They are a great snapshot of the past, giving us a glimpse into the daily lives of these hardworking farmers. The photographers were taken by Russell Lee (1903-1986) and are part of the Library of Congress collection.

1939 – Allis-Chalmers Fleet in Ralls, TX

These photographs from 1939 were taken in Ralls, Texas. They show a small snap shot in the daily lives of the hired day laborers who worked the land. These hired men worked for a landowner who farmed 4,900 acres. The men preform maintenance on several Allis_Chalmers tractors, fixing the plow sheers and and adjusting the

1940 – Ericson Brothers in Box Elder County, Utah

The Three Ericson Brothers purchased an Allis-Chalmers Model M Crawler Tractor with a loan from the Farm Security Administration (FSA). These photographs were taken in August of 1940 by Russel Lee (1903-1986). These photographs are from the Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives Collection.

1939 – Minneapolis Moline Factory, Minneapolis, MN

Photos taken at the Minneapolis Moline Factory in Minneapolis, MN in September 1939. These photos are from the Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black and White Negatives collection. The collection includes about 175,000 black and white film negatives taken from 1935 to 1944. Its an amazing look into our past and

1939 – Picking Cotton in Mississippi

Picking cotton with International Harvester and Oliver equipment on the Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi. (October 1939) These photographs are from the Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives Collection. Photographs by Marion Wolcott Post (1910-1990)

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