International Harvester - The innovator of agricultural equipment
International Harvester was an American corporation based in Chicago that produced an abundance of agricultural machinery and vehicles. International Harvester was formed as a result of a 1902 merger between McCormick Machine Company and Deering Company, along with three smaller agricultural equipment firms.
The first major product from International Harvester was the Titan 10-20 and 15-30 tractor. Introduced in 1915, the tractors were primarily used as traction engines to pull large plows and for belt work on threshing machines. In 1924, International Harvester introduced the Farmall tractor, a smaller general-purpose tractor, to compete with the Fordson tractors that were being manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. The Farmall was the first tractor in the United States to incorporate a tricycle-like design which could be used on tall crops such as corn and cotton.
In addition to its line of farm equipment, International Harvester produced plows, construction equipment, household appliances, military rifles, jet engines, trucks, and its highly successful “light” line of vehicles including pickup trucks and wagons, including Travelall, Travelette, and Scout, which was produced in several models. All were available as rugged, four wheel drive, off-road vehicles. The International Harvester Scout was one of the first American civilian off-road sports utility vehicles. The Scout was produced with a convertible hard top or soft top and early models had fold down windshields. All Scouts were two-door models available in full-cab or half-cab cab configurations. It was manufactured from 1961 to 1980 in Indiana. The Scout was originally created as a competitor to the Jeep.
The company also began to manufacture lawn and garden equipment with its Cub Cadet line of lawn mowers and snow blowers, which are still manufactured today.
International Harvester remained in business until 1985. A majority of the company’s assets were purchased by the Case Corporation (now CNH Global), who continued to produce tractors and construction equipment. The truck manufacturing business became Navistar Corporation; the Cub Cadet line of products was purchased by MTD Products.
You can find information about International Harvester and the products they manufactured by searching online. You can also find information about how you can obtain collectibles from the company, parts for Scouts and other vehicles and equipment, and historical information about the company. A great website to check out is the Wisconsin Historical Society’s site which contains a lot information about the company as well as links to more historical information.