The Rollin H. White Legacy

By Landis Zimmerman
Published on February 22, 2012
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Founder of the Cleveland Tractor Co. and the Cletrac line, Rollin H. White was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame specifically for his invention of a flash boiler that generated steam safely and rapidly in steam cars from 1900 to 1910.

1900: Rollin H. White wins a patent for his flash boiler, designed to generate steam safely and rapidly in steam cars. He builds White Steam Touring Cars 1900-’11

1904: White wins gold medal for White Steam Touring Car at Louisiana Purchase Exposition

1909: First White gas car produced

1912: White applies for first agricultural wheel tractor patent (patent awarded 1918)

1916: Cleveland Motor Plow Co. incorporated; name soon changed to Cleveland Tractor Co. and trademarked as Cletrac. Model R crawler production begins

1916: White applies for what would become his most famed invention, controlled differential steering (patent awarded 1918)

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