The Brands
HIstory
The Hart-Parr Company of Charles City, Iowa was incorporated on June 12, 1901 by Charles W. Hart and Charles H. Parr. Previously, they had built stationary engines in Madison, Wisconsin beginning in 1896. They had borrowed $3,000 and purchased a half acre of land in Madison on Murray Street erecting a 31' x 56' two-story building. Their first business partner was J.H. Bowman who put $3,000 into the business. On April 29, 1897, they organized the business as Hart-Parr Company in the state of Wisconsin with capital stock of $24,000. During their first year of operation, 1897, the business lost $353.89. In 1898, the business still operated at a loss in the amount of $491.17. 1899 was the first profitable year show with a net gain of $454.33. In April 1900, they built a foundry building at the back end of their lot. The business was growing and profited $1,564.16 for the year.
Early in 1901, Hart-Parr's business was continuing to grow, but they had very little land to expand on and Madison was not supportive of manufacturing. On May 14, 1901, a resolution was adopted by the Hart-Parr Company to move to Charles City, Iowa. Ground was broken on July 5, 1901 in Charles City for the first building of their factory for production of "gasoline traction engines" or what would become the tractor. By Christmas day 1901, the whole manufacturing plant had been transferred from Madison to Charles City and was in full operation. The first Hart-Parr traction engine was assembled during the winter of 1901-1902. It had a type L 9-inch bore stationary engine making 30 horsepower was mounted on a pipe frame chassis using steam engine wheels. It was sold to David Jennings of Clear Lake, Iowa, and was delivered on July 19-26, 1902. This first tractor was still in operation in 1917 as a power unit for a repair shop. In 1903, the company built and sold 15 tractors. Hart-Parr continued to grow rapidly and expand building tractors until the start of World War 1 in 1914. By the end of 1915, Hart-Parr had built over 4,900 tractors since their first in 1902.
After financial troubles as a result of the wartime economy, Charles Hart was removed as General Manager in May 1917. He remained on the Board of Directors until December 1919 when he resigned and sold off his interest in Hart-Parr. Charles Parr resigned his position as Secretary of the company on May 31, 1917 but remained on staff as head of the Engineering Department. C.H. Parr did leave Oliver for about 8 months in 1924 working for Elgin Street Sweeper Co. in Illinois. He returned to Charles City in July 1924 where we worked in the Engineering Department until his death in 1941.
In 1929, Hart-Parr merged with four additional companies forming the Oliver Farm Equipment Sales Company. Tractor production continued in Charles City and the Hart-Parr name was gradually phased out. The corporate offices for Oliver were established in Chicago and the company continued to grow and expand as a full-line farm and industrial machinery manufacturer. In 1944, Oliver Farm Equipment Company changed its name to Oliver Corporation. Oliver reached its peak of tractor production with the Fleetline series (66, 77, 88) from 1948 - 1952 making about 20,000 tractors annually during this time span.
On November 1, 1960, Oliver Corporation was purchased by White Motor Corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Oliver continued its operations and White Motor expanded by purchasing the Cockshutt and Minneapolis Moline farm equipment lines. White continued selling all three brands of tractors for a few years. In 1969, they combined the Oliver, Cockshutt, and Minneapolis Moline brands to become White Farm Equipment Company. On September 17, 1969, the decision was made to close the Chicago headquarters and relocate the corporate offices to the Minneapolis Moline facility in Hopkins, Minnesota. Additionally, Minneapolis Moline executives gained control of WFE operations. Over the next few years, a power struggle between Oliver and Minneapolis Moline plagued the organization. During all of this in November 1969, the Oliver 1755, 1855, and 1955 were released. These tractors had an additional WHITE decal added next to the Oliver badge on the tractors. By May 1970, brochures used the name "WHITE OLIVER" with White Farm Equipment headquarters located in Hopkins, Minnesota. By the end of 1970, the combination and relocation of corporate offices to Hopkins was not working. So in 1971, they split Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline back into two seperate sales organizations. At this time, Oliver brochures listed "Oliver Farm Equipment Company" as a subsidiary White Motor Corporation with Charles City, Iowa listed as headquarters. In 1972, it was announced that Oliver would be the tractor brand moving forward and production would continue in Charles City along with the elimination of the Minneapolis Moline brand and Hopkins plant. Enough of the Minneapolis-Moline dealers were vocally against this plan so a compromise was reached where Minneapolis-Moline tractors would still be produced, but this would take place at the Charles City Oliver tractor plant. On June 30, 1972, the former Minneapolis-Moline plant in Hopkins was closed and tractor production along with the farm equipment division headquarters for White was transferred to Charles City. This move essentially reverted everything back to the late 1969 status with a consolidation of Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline into a single entity. In 1973, the name White Farm Equipment was primary used, but both Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline tractors were advertised and their respective logos used. In 1974, the first tractor bearing the White Field Boss brand was released, the White Field Boss 4-150. The last Oliver branded green tractor ever built was a model Oliver 2255 with the serial number 266 782-705. It rolled off the assembly line on February 13, 1976. (Checkout this article for more information on the Oliver 2255). By 1976, the Oliver and Minneapolis Moline brands where phased out becoming White Farm Equipment. Tractor production of Whites continued in Charles City. White Motor Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1980 and was purchased TIC Corp. of Dallas, TX. In the fall of 1983, the Experimental Engineering department returned back to Charles City from Libertyville, IL where it had been previously moved to by White Farm Equipment.
On November 15, 1985, Allied Products Corp. acquired White Farm Equipment Co. They operated as White-New Idea and built tractors in Charles City until 1988 when tractor production was moved to Coldwater, Ohio. Foundry and sub-assembly operations continued in Charles City until July 1993. By 1993, AGCO had purchased the entire White-New Idea farm equipment line and the Charles City plant was closed by Allied Products.
Early in 1901, Hart-Parr's business was continuing to grow, but they had very little land to expand on and Madison was not supportive of manufacturing. On May 14, 1901, a resolution was adopted by the Hart-Parr Company to move to Charles City, Iowa. Ground was broken on July 5, 1901 in Charles City for the first building of their factory for production of "gasoline traction engines" or what would become the tractor. By Christmas day 1901, the whole manufacturing plant had been transferred from Madison to Charles City and was in full operation. The first Hart-Parr traction engine was assembled during the winter of 1901-1902. It had a type L 9-inch bore stationary engine making 30 horsepower was mounted on a pipe frame chassis using steam engine wheels. It was sold to David Jennings of Clear Lake, Iowa, and was delivered on July 19-26, 1902. This first tractor was still in operation in 1917 as a power unit for a repair shop. In 1903, the company built and sold 15 tractors. Hart-Parr continued to grow rapidly and expand building tractors until the start of World War 1 in 1914. By the end of 1915, Hart-Parr had built over 4,900 tractors since their first in 1902.
After financial troubles as a result of the wartime economy, Charles Hart was removed as General Manager in May 1917. He remained on the Board of Directors until December 1919 when he resigned and sold off his interest in Hart-Parr. Charles Parr resigned his position as Secretary of the company on May 31, 1917 but remained on staff as head of the Engineering Department. C.H. Parr did leave Oliver for about 8 months in 1924 working for Elgin Street Sweeper Co. in Illinois. He returned to Charles City in July 1924 where we worked in the Engineering Department until his death in 1941.
In 1929, Hart-Parr merged with four additional companies forming the Oliver Farm Equipment Sales Company. Tractor production continued in Charles City and the Hart-Parr name was gradually phased out. The corporate offices for Oliver were established in Chicago and the company continued to grow and expand as a full-line farm and industrial machinery manufacturer. In 1944, Oliver Farm Equipment Company changed its name to Oliver Corporation. Oliver reached its peak of tractor production with the Fleetline series (66, 77, 88) from 1948 - 1952 making about 20,000 tractors annually during this time span.
On November 1, 1960, Oliver Corporation was purchased by White Motor Corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Oliver continued its operations and White Motor expanded by purchasing the Cockshutt and Minneapolis Moline farm equipment lines. White continued selling all three brands of tractors for a few years. In 1969, they combined the Oliver, Cockshutt, and Minneapolis Moline brands to become White Farm Equipment Company. On September 17, 1969, the decision was made to close the Chicago headquarters and relocate the corporate offices to the Minneapolis Moline facility in Hopkins, Minnesota. Additionally, Minneapolis Moline executives gained control of WFE operations. Over the next few years, a power struggle between Oliver and Minneapolis Moline plagued the organization. During all of this in November 1969, the Oliver 1755, 1855, and 1955 were released. These tractors had an additional WHITE decal added next to the Oliver badge on the tractors. By May 1970, brochures used the name "WHITE OLIVER" with White Farm Equipment headquarters located in Hopkins, Minnesota. By the end of 1970, the combination and relocation of corporate offices to Hopkins was not working. So in 1971, they split Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline back into two seperate sales organizations. At this time, Oliver brochures listed "Oliver Farm Equipment Company" as a subsidiary White Motor Corporation with Charles City, Iowa listed as headquarters. In 1972, it was announced that Oliver would be the tractor brand moving forward and production would continue in Charles City along with the elimination of the Minneapolis Moline brand and Hopkins plant. Enough of the Minneapolis-Moline dealers were vocally against this plan so a compromise was reached where Minneapolis-Moline tractors would still be produced, but this would take place at the Charles City Oliver tractor plant. On June 30, 1972, the former Minneapolis-Moline plant in Hopkins was closed and tractor production along with the farm equipment division headquarters for White was transferred to Charles City. This move essentially reverted everything back to the late 1969 status with a consolidation of Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline into a single entity. In 1973, the name White Farm Equipment was primary used, but both Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline tractors were advertised and their respective logos used. In 1974, the first tractor bearing the White Field Boss brand was released, the White Field Boss 4-150. The last Oliver branded green tractor ever built was a model Oliver 2255 with the serial number 266 782-705. It rolled off the assembly line on February 13, 1976. (Checkout this article for more information on the Oliver 2255). By 1976, the Oliver and Minneapolis Moline brands where phased out becoming White Farm Equipment. Tractor production of Whites continued in Charles City. White Motor Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1980 and was purchased TIC Corp. of Dallas, TX. In the fall of 1983, the Experimental Engineering department returned back to Charles City from Libertyville, IL where it had been previously moved to by White Farm Equipment.
On November 15, 1985, Allied Products Corp. acquired White Farm Equipment Co. They operated as White-New Idea and built tractors in Charles City until 1988 when tractor production was moved to Coldwater, Ohio. Foundry and sub-assembly operations continued in Charles City until July 1993. By 1993, AGCO had purchased the entire White-New Idea farm equipment line and the Charles City plant was closed by Allied Products.
More History of the Oliver and White Brand
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