Farm Equipment Manufacturers in St. Louis

By Bill Vossler
Published on August 29, 2013
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Fulton Iron Works of St. Louis built diesel engines. 
Fulton Iron Works of St. Louis built diesel engines. 
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This Kardell ad appeared before 1920. 
This Kardell ad appeared before 1920. 
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Whitman Agricultural Co. Sultan engine. 
Whitman Agricultural Co. Sultan engine. 
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Kardell Four-in-One tractor. 
Kardell Four-in-One tractor. 
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The Kardell Utility tractor. 
The Kardell Utility tractor. 
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Though these are poor photos, they give a general idea of what the earliest Zelle tractor looked like. Shown here, a 1914 Zelle Straddle-Row tractor. 
Though these are poor photos, they give a general idea of what the earliest Zelle tractor looked like. Shown here, a 1914 Zelle Straddle-Row tractor. 
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Though these are poor photos, they give a general idea of what the earliest Zelle tractor looked like. Shown here, a 1914 Zelle Straddle-Row tractor. 
Though these are poor photos, they give a general idea of what the earliest Zelle tractor looked like. Shown here, a 1914 Zelle Straddle-Row tractor. 
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In 1945, C.C. Fulton won a patent for this “attachable power driven supporting frame for mowers and other garden implements.” 
In 1945, C.C. Fulton won a patent for this “attachable power driven supporting frame for mowers and other garden implements.” 
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This illustration of the Zelle tractor was shown in all of Zelle Tractor Co.’s literature during its three years of existence. Note the height of the seat. The tractor was designed by engineer William Zelle. 
This illustration of the Zelle tractor was shown in all of Zelle Tractor Co.’s literature during its three years of existence. Note the height of the seat. The tractor was designed by engineer William Zelle. 
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“This is the engine you want,” crows this 1913 ad for the Whitman Agricultural Co. Sultan engine. “This is the saw rig you want,” Whitman Agricultural Co. declares — promoting their Sultan engine, of course. 
“This is the engine you want,” crows this 1913 ad for the Whitman Agricultural Co. Sultan engine. “This is the saw rig you want,” Whitman Agricultural Co. declares — promoting their Sultan engine, of course. 
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This Busch 450 hp diesel engine was a central station providing electric current and electricity for irrigation pumps in and around a New Mexico town. 
This Busch 450 hp diesel engine was a central station providing electric current and electricity for irrigation pumps in and around a New Mexico town. 
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This photo shows what Busch-Sulzer Co. called “The Ideal Installation,” consisting of two Busch 120 hp engines installed in 1907, and a 225 in 1912. 
This photo shows what Busch-Sulzer Co. called “The Ideal Installation,” consisting of two Busch 120 hp engines installed in 1907, and a 225 in 1912. 
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Fulton Diesel Engines
Fulton Diesel Engines
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The first American diesel engine was manufactured by Adolphus Busch in St. Louis on Sept. 19, 1898. The 2-cylinder machine developed 60 hp. It was installed at the Anheuser-Busch brewery and was the first diesel to be placed under operating conditions in the U.S. 
The first American diesel engine was manufactured by Adolphus Busch in St. Louis on Sept. 19, 1898. The 2-cylinder machine developed 60 hp. It was installed at the Anheuser-Busch brewery and was the first diesel to be placed under operating conditions in the U.S. 
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Fulton Iron Works of St. Louis made huge 1-, 2-, and 3-cylinder diesel engines in 1914, featuring an 8-by-9-inch bore and stroke. Fulton eventually shifted into cane mill production. 
Fulton Iron Works of St. Louis made huge 1-, 2-, and 3-cylinder diesel engines in 1914, featuring an 8-by-9-inch bore and stroke. Fulton eventually shifted into cane mill production. 

St. Louis was perhaps the first American city that manufactured farm equipment from A to Z, running the gamut from Alligator Equipment Co. to Zelle Tractor Co. Building on its proud heritage as both a leading port on the Mississippi River and as Gateway to the West, St. Louis proved fertile ground for the explosion of manufacturing that launched the 20th century.

McKinney Traction Cultivator Co.

A July 18, 1911, article in Implement Age magazine, headlined “The McKinney Tractor Cultivator,” announced news of a new company in St. Louis. “The (company) is now located in its new factory and has installed a complete line of high grade machinery for the manufacture of the McKinney tractor cultivator. The company writes that it will make deliveries of its tractor cultivator on or about Nov. 1 of this year.

“The McKinney Tractor Cultivator is one of the latest inventions in power machinery for agricultural purposes. It has been thoroughly tested in field work, and its successful operation proven.” Nothing else is known about the company or the cultivator.

Plantation Equipment Co.

The future of Plantation Equipment Co. was written in the last name of the company owners a trio of men with the last name Zelle: Arthur, William and Henry. It is unclear when Plantation began business, though it produced an enormous, ungainly Straddle-Row tractor as early as 1914.

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