Books in History

Explore our curated list of books about farming, tractors, and rural life.

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Cover of The International Harvester Co March 3, 1913

The International Harvester Co March 3, 1913

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.<br><br>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.<br><br>As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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Cover of The McCormicks of International Harvester

The McCormicks of International Harvester

This is a story of the McCormick family with its roots on a Virginia plantation in the 1830's. It is the story of Cyrus Hall McCormick and his family which evolved from that plantation to become one of the richest and most influential families in the US. The influence of this family has been felt around the world. The McCormick name can be placed alongside other influential family names such as Carnegie, Ford, Edison, Rockefeller, and J. P. Morgan.Cyrus H McCormick developed the reaper harvester machine which revolutionized farming worldwide. Cyrus, along with his brothers Leander and William established the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. This company rapidly expanded and eventually became the basis for the International Harvesting Co. which at one time was the fourth largest corporation in the United States. While there are many facets of the McCormicks which will be touched upon in this book, it concentrates on the family as it relates to the development, success and demise of the original International Harvester Company. The story of the McCormick family and the story of International Harvester are embedded and cannot be successfully separated. It is the story of the McCormick family members who served as the chief executive managers and chief operations managers of McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. and International Harvester. It also tells of other McCormicks who distinguished themselves through achievements of great wealth and social influence.

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Cover of Tractor Wars John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture

Tractor Wars John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture

<b>"Mr. Dahlstrom...has written a superb history of the tractor and this long-forgotten period of capitalism in U.S. agriculture. We now know the whole story of when farming, business and the free-market economy diverged, divided and conquered." <b>—<i>Wall Street Journal</i><br></b><br><b>Discover the untold story of the “tractor wars,” the twenty-year period that introduced power farming—the most fundamental change in world agriculture in hundreds of years.</b></b><br><br>Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908-1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming. <br><br> By the turn of the twentieth century, four million people had left rural America and moved to cities, leaving the nation’s farms shorthanded for the work of plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and threshing. That’s why the introduction of the tractor is an innovation story as essential as man’s landing on the moon or the advent of the internet—after all, with the tractor, a shrinking farm population could still feed a growing world. But getting the tractor from the boardroom to the drafting table, then from factory and the farm, was a technological and competitive battle that until now, has never been fully told.<br> <br>A researcher, historian, and writer, Neil Dahlstrom has spent decades in the corporate archives at John Deere. In <i>Tractor Wars</i>, Dahlstrom offers an insider’s view of a story that entwines a myriad of brands and characters, stakes and plots: the Reverend Daniel Hartsough, a pastor turned tractor designer; Alexander Legge, the eventual president of International Harvester, a former cowboy who took on Henry Ford; William Butterworth and the oft-at-odds leadership team at John Deere that partnered with the enigmatic Ford but planned for his ultimate failure. <br><br>With all the bitterness and drama of the race between Ford, Dodge, and General Motors, <i>Tractor Wars</i> is the untold story of industry stalwarts and disruptors, inventors, and administrators racing to invent modern agriculture—a power farming revolution that would usher in a whole new world.

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Cover of United States of America, Petitioner, Vs. International Harvester Company, Et Al. , Defendants Transcript of Proceedings

United States of America, Petitioner, Vs. International Harvester Company, Et Al. , Defendants Transcript of Proceedings

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.<br><br>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.<br><br>As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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Cover of Vintage International Harvester Tractors

Vintage International Harvester Tractors

Introduced in 1922, International Harvester's Farmall tractor was an inexpensive, lightweight, general-purpose, row-crop tractor that revolutionized farming around the world. In this tribute, abundant illustrations accompany the text in celebration of the Farmall and other International Harvester tr

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Cover of Vintage International Harvester tractors: the ultimate tribute to International Harvester, Farmall, and McCormick-Deering tractors

Vintage International Harvester tractors: the ultimate tribute to International Harvester, Farmall, and McCormick-Deering tractors

International Harvester's Farmall tractor revolutionised farming around the world. Introduced in 1922, it was an inexpensive, lightweight, general-purpose, row-crop tractor that could literally farm all. Through the years, the Farmall became one of the world's most popular tractors. This book showcases collectible International Harvester tractors from the 1910s to the 1960s, including the famous Farmall, as well as other International Harvester and McCormick-Deering models. Readers will be captivated by Ralph Sander's detailed history and outstanding colour and black-and-white photographs, historical ads, and brochures of what was the world's best-selling tractor as well as a leader in innovation and engineering.

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