3420 Birdie Street NE Fargo, North Dakota 58102
The city of Minneapolis, Minnesota was known as the leader in
the manufacture of agricultural implements in the late 1800’s
and early 1900’s. Its location at the ‘frontier’ of
agricultural expansion and its network of rail transportation
available into the West made it an ideal location for the companies
local press and in such publications as Farm Implement News showed
entire trainloads of steam engines and separators on flatcars
headed for the western dealers in preparation for the rich harvests
being experienced in those times.
In 1887 a group of local investors formed an organization named
The Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company and bought out the
McDonald Manufacturing Company of Fondulac, Wisconsin and moved
that company to Hopkins. The company continued their output of
threshing machines and soon decided to begin a line of steam
traction and portable engines to accompany their growing line of
separators. This company continued in the steam engine business
through 1924 and in 1912 brought out the first of their line of
internal combustion powered farm tractors that would become the
Minneapolis Moline line in 1929 and would cease to exist after
take-over by the White Corporation in the 1960’s.
The Western Minnesota Steam Threshers is sponsoring the largest
and most complete display of a single company’s line with its
MTM Centennial Exposition to be featured at its 1987 Labor Day
Reunion. Planning is already underway for this 1987 Exposition and
the WMSTR wishes to have everyone cognizant of this event so that
plans can be made for attendance. The Exposition will include steam
engines, separators, and tractors made by MTM and related
companies. A special area of the Rollag show grounds will be
populated with these exhibits and there will be a building in this
area that will be devoted to literature and memorabilia of MTM and
related companies including photographic reproductions of MTM
advertising art, material describing each engine displayed, an MTM
belt buckle, catalogue reprints, and a newly published book on MTM
and its output of steam engines. On display will be engines
representative of most sizes and types made by the company (both
single and double cylinder) and several examples of the threshing
machines made by MTM. All of the engines able to be licensed in
Minnesota will be operating as will the threshing machines.
If you have equipment made by MTM, Moline Plow, B. F. Avery,
Minneapolis Steel and Machinery (Twin City), or Minneapolis Moline
that you would like to display at the 1987 Exposition please
contact the author of this article for more information. This is
going to be THE BIG ONE as far as the MTM conglomerate is concerned
and will be serving as a model for others who wish to feature some
of the other fine companies at other shows. Do yourself a favor and
make plans now to attend!
