Skip to main content

Agriculture

The Red Wing Project on Utilization of Electricity
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1920sDateCreated: 1923Goodhue County Historical SocietyRed WingState: MNZip: 55066Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/the-red-wing-project-on-utilization-of-electricity-in-agriculture-53.aspx

The object of the Red Wing project was "To determine the optimum economic uses of electricity in agriculture and to study the value of electricity in improved living conditions on the farm." Although not the first service to farms in the U.S., it was likely the first built as an experiment specifically for collecting and publishing engineering and economic data.

YearAdded:
2009
Skid Steer Loader
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1950-1959DateCreated: 1957Bonanzaville Historic MuseumWest FargoState: NDZip: 58078Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/skid-steer-loader-43.aspxCreator: Keller, Cyril and Louis

Brothers Cyril and Louis Keller designed and built the first small, lightweight, three-wheel, front-end loader in their machinist-blacksmith shop in Rothsay, Minnesota. A local farmer wanted to mechanize cleaning manure from his obstacle-filled, two-story turkey barn. The machine, first used in 1957, was able to turn completely around within its own length. Melroe Manufacturing Company, Gwinner, ND purchased the rights to the Keller loader and hired the Kellers to continue development of the loader in 1958.

YearAdded:
2004
Image Credit: Courtesy WikiCommons/Tennen-Gas (CC BY-SA 3.0)Image Caption: A modern skid steer loader, Toyota Jobsun 4SDK6 model
Corn Silage Harvester
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: Equipment, Harvesting and BalingEra: 1890-1899DateCreated: 1892Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering BuildingFalcon HeightsState: MNZip: 55108Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/corn-silage-harvester-26.aspx

Charles C. Fenno Of Grinnell, Ia, Patented The First Field Corn Silage Harvester On April 19, 1892. His Ground-Powered Machine Cut The Corn Plant And Fed The Tassel End First To A Rotary Cutter. Joseph Weigel Of Flandreau, Sd, Improved Fenno's Harvester In 1912 By Adding An Engine To Power The Cutter And By Feeding The Stalks Butt End First. Andrean And Adolph Ronning, Farmers Of Boyd, Mn Patented Further Improvements In 1915. In 1918 The American Harvester Co. Of Minneapolis, Mn, Began Manufacturing The Horse-Drawn Ronning Harvester Using Weigel's Patent Too.

YearAdded:
1992
Holt Caterpillar Tractor
Society: ASMEMain Category: Mechanical, RoadSub Category: Agricultural, Road TransportationEra: 1910-1919DateCreated: 19181201 N Pershing AveStocktonState: CAZip: 95203Country: USAWebsite: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/road-and-off-road-transportation/-60-holt-caterpillar-tractor-%281918%29Creator: Holt, Benjamin

The first practical demonstration of this tractor took place in a peat field on Roberts Island on November 24, 1904, and was patented and in production by December of 1907. The existing machine represents the earliest gasoline-powered track-type tractors that were to help revolutionize agriculture, logging, construction, road building, and transportation around the world. Its design and development is credited to Benjamin Holt (1849-1920), president of the Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton.

YearAdded:
1981
Image Credit: Public Domain (Copyright Expired)Image Caption: The Holt 75 model gasoline-powered Caterpillar tractor used early in World War I as an artillery tractor. Later models were produced without the front "tiller wheel."Era_date_from: 1918
Subscribe to Agriculture

Innovations

Holt Caterpillar Tractor

The first practical demonstration of this tractor took place in a peat field on Roberts Island on November 24, 1904, and was patented and in production by December of 1907. The existing machine represents the earliest gasoline-powered track-type tractors that were to help revolutionize…

Read More
Corn Silage Harvester

Charles C. Fenno Of Grinnell, Ia, Patented The First Field Corn Silage Harvester On April 19, 1892. His Ground-Powered Machine Cut The Corn Plant And Fed The Tassel End First To A Rotary Cutter. Joseph Weigel Of Flandreau, Sd, Improved Fenno's Harvester In 1912 By Adding An Engine To…

Read More
Skid Steer Loader

Brothers Cyril and Louis Keller designed and built the first small, lightweight, three-wheel, front-end loader in their machinist-blacksmith shop in Rothsay, Minnesota. A local farmer wanted to mechanize cleaning manure from his obstacle-filled, two-story turkey barn. The machine, first…

Read More
The Red Wing Project on Utilization of Electricity

The object of the Red Wing project was "To determine the optimum economic uses of electricity in agriculture and to study the value of electricity in improved living conditions on the farm." Although not the first service to farms in the U.S., it was likely the first built as an…

Read More

We hope you enjoyed this essay.

Please support America's only magazine of the history of engineering and innovation, and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to Invention & Technology.

Donate

Stay informed - subscribe to our newsletter.
The subscriber's email address.