International Harvester Portable Engine

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c. 1915

Overview

One cylinder 8HP petrol operated International Harvester portable engine 1915. It has a cooling system which was operated by water continuously running along a pipe from the front barrel (motor) and over wire mesh which cooled the engine. It would have been used to drive / power other machinery through the use of a pulley system and had wheels to allow farmers to tow it around around their farms

Historical information

The roots of International Harvester began in the 1830s, when Virginia inventor Cyrus Hall McCormick built a horse-drawn reaper. In 1847 he moved to Chicago with his brother Leander and they founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company at a time when the development of railroads offered better distribution to distant markets. When Cyrus died in 1884 the company passed to his son, Cyrus McCormick, Jr., whose well-publicized troubles with his labour force were the origin of May Day as a labor holiday. In 1902, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company merged with Deering Harvester Company and some other smaller agricultural equipment manufacturers to create the International Harvester Company.

It is believed that the very first International tractor was built in 1906 but the company's first important tractors were introduced in 1915. These were primarily used as traction engines to pull ploughs and for belt work on threshing machines.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2021.205

Item type

Material

Themes

Inscriptions and markings

Portable Engine
Manufactured by
International Harvester Corp
Chicago USA
Patents Pending
H.P. 8 Speed 375 No. AL749
E

Stamped on the body of the Harvester are the details:
Patents July 18 1905
Patents July 18 1905
Body no. 6092
Wheel no. G387

Contextual Information

Whilst the advent of tractors was a blessing for farmers, they were a sometime dangerous addition. The BHS Newsletter for March 2004 recounted the following story regarding this tractor which led to it being called the Killer Machine.

"A tragic accident occurred at the Westlawn property of H. Brockman property on 8 October 1926 when well-known local identity and employee Mr John Hutchins, died from serious injuries caused by an entanglement of his clothing with farm machinery. Henry Lowe, also employed at the site at the time of the accident witnessed Hutchins fall from the flywheel of the International Harvester and land unconscious with lacerations to the face and side of the neck. Hutchins was transferred by a local doctor to the hospital and later died of lacerations of the brain and from multiple injuries, without ever regaining consciousness. "

This engine was in poor condition when it was donated to the Busselton Museum in the 1970’s and lovingly restored by Museum volunteers over several years.

Keywords

Busselton

Farm Implements

Westlawn

Agriculture-harvesting

Place made

Chicago
Illinois
United States

Year

c. 1915

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Comparative significance criteria