The International Harvester Co. (IHC) was formed in 1902. The company traces back to Cyrus McCormick, who started the McCormick Reaping Company. Although Obed Hussey is credited with the first reaper patent, Cyrus McCormick enhanced it for broad market acceptance.
Farm power at the turn of the century consisted primarily of animals used for drafting equipment. They included oxen, mules and horses. The horse proved to be the most economical, thus performing many farm tasks. However, working with horses was often as backbreaking as doing the jobs by hand, just more efficient.
Early mechanical farm power, such as steam engines, were useful in turning the belt on machinery. It also worked in pulling otherwise immovable objects, but not much more. However, the steam engine was cumbersome and expensive to operate.
Early gas-powered engines were crude and could be temperamental but did have advantages over steam engines. Firing the boiler on a steam engine took 40 minutes to an hour or more. And they required large quantities of combustibles to heat the boiler.
While it may have taken a few minutes to fiddle with a gas-powered engine, it was soon up and running. Fuel was also more accessible and easier to transport.
International had developed quality stationary gasoline engines, but they were often heavy and difficult to move. A desirable solution was a chassis and wheels for mobility. International found the answer in Upper Sandusky, Ohio: the Ohio Manufacturing Co.
Ohio Manufacturing
In 1899, S.S. Morton built a single-cylinder gasoline traction engine. Morton developed a large, horizontal, single-cylinder hopper-cooled engine mounted on a light-weight chassis. This resulted in patents granted for traction-driven trucks.
From his Upper Sandusky, Ohio, base of operation, Morton organized the Morton Manufacturing Co. to build the Morton Traction Truck. In 1904, the firm was renamed the Ohio Manufacturing Co. The machine, which was offered until 1913, was often referred to as the “Ohio Patented Traction Truck.”
In 1905, International learned about Ohio Manufacturing Co.’s arrangement for moving engines and bought several for testing. When the subsequent testing provided satisfactory results, International entered a contractional agreement with Ohio Manufacturing to develop friction drives for their engines.
On a side note, Karl Benz received the first patent for a gas-fueled car powered by an internal combustion engine in 1886. The first recorded use of the word “tractor” was in George H. Edwards’ 1890 patent request for “a tractor to be propelled by steam-engine.” The word “tractor” is from Latin, “trahere,” meaning “to pull.”
However, most historians attribute the origin of the word “tractor” to Hart-Parr sales manager, W.H. Williams. He was struggling to compile an advertisement using “gasoline traction engine.” Not knowing that the term had been used earlier, he combined “traction” and “motor” and wrote “tractor” in the ad. The term tractor took off as a result of that ad.
IHC Friction Drive
Resulting from the Ohio Manufacturing agreement, IHC supplied its time-tested engines built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1906, the first engines were mounted on a modified Morton truck chassis with friction drive to the wheels.
The chassis was made using channel iron. The front axle pivoted off a center post. Chains were attached to the axle inside the front wheels and fastened to a shaft that was turned by a steering rod. The axle could be drawn right or left using a steering wheel connected to the rod.
The cooling system consisted of water that dribbled down screens and caught in a basin for recycling. Due to its large size and awkward features, the machine was used primarily as stationary belt work on equipment, like threshing machines. It was seldom used for field work.
The 20hp, single-cylinder, IHC Friction-Drive Traction Engine shown in the accompanying pictures was produced in 1907. This beast of a machine weighed 10,660 pounds. The engine was engaged by moving it back and forth on rollers. Movement was activated by a 12-inch pulley mounted on the end of the crankshaft and brought in contact with a 50-inch wheel. When the larger wheel turned, it drove the rear wheels through gears and pinions.
The machines spewed exhaust, sand and grit, creating discomfort for the operator. The first few Friction-Drive tractors had tops made of wood slats covered with painted canvas that failed to hold up. As a result, they were nearly impossible to operate. Consequently, corrugated tin roofs were installed with elongated exhaust pipes extended above the roof. These enhancements improved operator conditions.
The friction-drive was replaced by a gear drive in 1909, to be known as the “Type A tractor.” The revision had a gear-driven forward and gear-driven reverse. A later version of the Type A was built with a two-speed transmission utilizing a gear-driven forward and friction-driven reverse. IHC made modifications to the Morton chassis over time, including the introduction of the Type B.
Soon after, the Type C was introduced, utilizing a larger horsepower engine, which carried the IHC Mogul name. In 1910, IHC built a new tractor factory in Chicago, Illinois. This created an internal rivalry between the company’s two branches. Mogul tractors were built in Chicago, whereas the Milwaukee plant developed the new Titan and Type D tractors.
As the result of International’s expanding manufacturing capabilities, Ohio Manufacturing no longer built IHC tractors.
Conclusion
Following the production of the IHC tractor, Ohio Manufacturing continued to build Morton Traction Trucks until about 1918. In addition, the company built a regular wheeled tractor known as the “Whitney.” The Whitney tractor resulted from demand for a smaller, nimbler machine. Little is known about the Whitney tractor, including its length of production.
Ohio Manufacturing Co. eventually merged with the Post Tractor Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, to form the Post-Whitney Co. Reports indicate that the venture failed after a short time.
International tractors experienced great success through many decades. International became known as Farmall and then returned to International. Through each phase, the company offered a variety of tractor sizes and horsepowers. Streamlined designs with advanced technology would lead International to merge with Case to become Case-IH. The ownership of this combined brand is CNH Industrial America, LLC.
Special thanks go to Glenn Wickham of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, for allowing his IHC Friction Drive to be photographed for this story. FC
Freelance writer Fred Hendricks of Mansfield, Ohio, covers a vast array of subjects relating to agriculture. Email Fred at fwhendricks@gmail.com.
