White Farm Equipment in Charles City....

Absent Minded Farmer · May 29, 2021

Anyone know when that factory was closed & what did they make there before closure? Would I be correct in guessing that was an Oliver plant? I was
reading up on Iowa Traction Railroad & noted they served the plant with electric locomotives before the tornado hit town in '68. After that the line
was dieselized. Also wondering where it was. Looks like there was a big something between 11th & 13th Streets, Grand & E Street. Was that it?

Mike

SHALER · May 29, 2021

Yes, it was an Oliver plant. That is where Oliver started I believe. Thats all I can add. But good news, there will be lots of experts here that can answer your other questions.

Timmycornpicker · May 29, 2021

It was originally Hart-Parr's tractor plant. Charles Hart and Charles Parr, therefore Charles City. Oliver built tractors there after the 1929 merger with Hart-Parr, Nichols & Shepherd, and American Seeding Machine. Tractors were built there into the 80s but not sure exactly when it closed. Somebody here has the exact info.

rrlund · May 29, 2021

I hate to say just from memory, but I think they stopped building tractors there in 1991, when they moved production to Coldwater Ohio.

J. Schwiebert · May 29, 2021

Back in the early 60's I was to Charles City several times and the electic railroad was the Charles City Western. Where did you get your information on the railroad? also when White closed the Cleveland Oliver factory product production of the series B Oliver OC 4 & 9 tractors was transferred to Charles City.

MN valley man · May 29, 2021

My brother was an engineer working on the production of the 4-150, especially the transmission. The museum for Oliver is located at Charles City, also.

B A Star · May 29, 2021

   The last green Oliver tractor assembled at the WFE plant in Charles City was a model 2255 Serial Number 266 802 on 2 13 1976.   The last tractor assembled at Charles City was a model 100, Serial Number 401 505 on 3 29 1988.

   Into the 1990s components were produced and shipped to Coldwater, OH for assembly there.  The plant was auctioned in the 1990s.   A Salvage company from Waterloo, IA was a major bidder, salvage steel was hauled to John Deere's Waterloo foundry for JD tractor production, thus some may be driving one of those green tractors with some Hart Parr heritage in it.

centash · May 29, 2021

....that would explain the few JD s that weren't just quite right...lol!

Ben

rrlund · May 29, 2021

Or the few that were. LOL

centash · May 29, 2021

Gosh, never thought of that....Maybe an Oliver/Deere cross is just what we need...!

Ben

rrlund · May 30, 2021

Probably come up with something that would take over the world and replace mankind.

White Farm Equipment in Charles City....

Absent Minded Farmer

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SHALER

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Timmycornpicker

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rrlund

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J. Schwiebert

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MN valley man

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B A Star

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centash

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rrlund

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centash

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rrlund

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