Dedication Year: 1998
Location: Floyd County Museum, Charles City, IA
Plaque Wording: Internal Combustion Tractor - An Historic Landmark of Agricultural Engineering. In 1892, John H. Froehlich, Froehlich, IA, Mounted A Gasoline Fueled Internal Combustion Engine On A Traction Geared Frame And Used It To Power A Threshing Machine. A Change In Power Source Had Begun On North American Farms. In 1892, The Case Co., Racine, Wi, Built An Experimental Gas Traction Engine. In 1898 A Patent Was Issued To The Van Duzen Co. Cincinnati, OH, For A Gasoline Traction Engine. Huber Mnfg., Marion, Oh, Bought This Patent In 1898 And Produced 30 Prototype Units. In 1902, Hart-Parr, Founded By Charles W. Hart And Charles H. Parr, Produced And Sold The Hart-Parr No. 1 In July, 1902. Hart-Parr Had Moved From Madison, Wi, To Charles City, Ia. In 1901. They Were The First To Use The Term "Tractor" In Their Advertising. Hart-Parr Commercially Produced Internal Combustion Tractors In 1903. This Commercial Production Of Tractors Revolutionized Agricultural Field Production, And Is Hereby Dedicated By The ASAE 1998.