Holt vs. Hoyt Tractors (Caterpillar History)

(Update: Gary Yaeger has an album of Holt photos.)

Tod Riebow posted
Old School Heavy Haulers.

I remember from a visit to the Caterpiller Visitor Center in Peoria, IL that the early history included an "H-company" in California. From their exhibits page, I can confirm it was Holt. Unfortunately, it appears I would have to drive to Peoria again and pay the admissions to get the details about how the 1905 Holt company was part of Caterpillar's history. The exhibit also explained why Holt moved from California to the Peoria area, but I can't remember the details. The company is like the Nickel Plate railroad in that its current name, Caterpillar, was suggested by someone else.

Update: Holt also made combines. In fact, John Deere got into the combine business by buying Holt's designs and tooling.

safe_image for Caterpillar Then & Now
Their History Page

 

TractorGuy29 posted
The First Caterpillar Tractor
Twellfedwild posted with the same comment
[There were some comments saying that was a grader instead of a tractor.]

Bob Jeffery: This is how Caterpillar got into graders that is a Russel grader adapted to a 15 Caterpillar I have a 15 that originally had a grader on it.

travis.chumley.75 posted
Holt Tractor, 1915...
Caption: The latest Holt tractor in 1915, built by The Holt Manufacturing Company.  It has an overhead canopy...
Source: Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection
Travis Chumley shared

Caterpillar posted the comment: "These photos of a newly discovered 1911 Holt Manufacturing brochure show some incredible connections to today. About 110 years later, we're still focused on providing customers with the products and services they need to build a better world. See the whole booklet and find out how the brochure was discovered here: https://bit.ly/3bbJEQv"

Brochure, p9

Brochure, p11

Brochure, p13

Brochure, p19

Brochure, p33

Brochure, p41

Brochure, p47

Brochure, p55

Screenshot

Kirk Noteboom posted
ISO
1912 Hoyt-Clagwell tractor

I have no idea what he means by "ISO."

Kirk Noteboom Was built in the Hoyt-Clagwell factory in Fargo, North Dakota. The Hoyt-Clagwell company went out of business 90 years ago, because Mrs. Hoyt and Mrs. Clagwell couldn't get along. Since then, Hoyt went into the wax fruit business, and Clagwell went to the county seat.

Reading more of the comments, Hoyt-Clagwell was a fictional tractor for the Green Acres TV show. They evidently used a John Deere D or GP for the above fake Hoyt-Clagwell in the pilot and then switched to a Fordson for the show because Ford became a sponsor of the show.

I checked the date of the posting, it was not April 1.

StarCars

Big Machine posted

Gwyn Jones: We had 583 and 594 we also had 578 High track Pipelayers. So many models missing from here.

John Cundall: Among other things, there is not a 962 loader shown. I’d really like to see the updated version.

Chris Parker: Think this is 1980, when they launched the D9L. Brings back memories.

Screenshot

Screenshot
[This video also illustrates that square bales on a wagon is an old technology as well. Judging by all of the people standing on the other side, this must have been a demo of something. Can you imagine a show today not putting up a rope to keep the people back at least the distance of a wagon that has tipped over?]

Video of a steam-powered Holt in a pulling contest that keeps on pulling after the weight on the pulling sled has reached its limit. I think he stopped because it could have kept chugging on and there was nothing left to prove.

Video of the history of tracked tractors that features some Holts at the beginning.

I have learned that at least some Facebook video links are not permanent, including the above three  :-( Since Blogspot now supports them, I'll try a Facebook provided embedded video.

(new window)

Screenshot, Holt 120 tractor

(new window)  This video has very informative comments.  The Holt moves again at 3:10.


Science Channel Impossible Engineering, S3 E3, World's Biggest Ship @ 40:35: In 1901,,Alvin Lombard invented a tracked vehicle to pull wagons of logs out of the Maine forests over mud and snow.

Videos about the development of a diesel engine for the D60 tractor: Part 1 (I'm waiting for part 2).

0:36 video of a Holt 60.  Four cylinders with exposed valve gear.

3:04 video of Caterpillar products from 1904 to 2023