Blog Posts
Undergrad History Nearly History
My time as an undergrad student at UW-Oshkosh is coming to a close. It is hard to believe that in two weeks I will have completed four years of college and be walking across the stage to receive my hard-earned degree in history. This is the brief history of my four-year experience as a history… Continue reading Undergrad History Nearly History
Allis-Chalmers Patent Archive
-New Page - I am starting a BIG project that involves researching, sorting, and cataloging Allis-Chalmers patents. Most of these documents are already online, but it takes some intense searching to find them. It is not as easy as typing in "Roto-Baler" and having all of those patents appear. There are a lot of great… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers Patent Archive
National Beer Day!
Today is National Beer Day celebrating 80 years since the end of an awful beer dry spell. Franklin D. Roosevelt came into office in 1933 trying to break the Great Depression that gripped the nation. FDR pushed through congress and signed the Beer & Wine Revenue Act that made alcohol under 3.2% potency legal. Why did FDR want liquor to flow freely… Continue reading National Beer Day!
Snap-Coupler Hitch System
In the 1940s and 1950s farm equipment manufacturers began designing brand specific hitching systems that allowed implements to be mounted directly to the tractor for transporting. Allis-Chalmers developed a hitching mechanism it trademarked Snap-Coupler. The system was as simple as backing the tractor up to the tongue of the implement until the large hook mounted… Continue reading Snap-Coupler Hitch System
Take Cover Neenah! My First History Exhibit Project
As May approaches the opening day of Take Cover Neenah! exhibit at the Neenah Historical Society gets closer! It has been a great opportunity to work with fellow historians to assemble an amazing exhibit about Cold War history in the United State and in Neenah, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Humanities Council awarded a grant to the historical society to help fund the… Continue reading Take Cover Neenah! My First History Exhibit Project
Pride of Machinery Hall
The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition was a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the New World, and the achievement of a city. Countries all over the world, businesses across the United States, and inventions were among the featured showcases at the exposition. Among the showcased industrial firms was the Edward P. Allis Company of Milwaukee,… Continue reading Pride of Machinery Hall
Roto-Baler Serial Numbers & Production
For those of you who own a Roto-Baler, do you want to know what year your machine was made? First, you need to locate the serial number on your baler. If you have a manual for the machine, it tells you where to find the number. For those of you who don't have the manual,… Continue reading Roto-Baler Serial Numbers & Production
Roto-Baler Safety
The Allis-Chalmers Roto-Baler is arguably one of the most complex farm machines ever devised. The machine was ahead of its time, and the company advertised it as the "turning point in hay history." Although the Roto-Baler was a revolutionary farm machine in its day, there were and still are dangers in operating this baler. I… Continue reading Roto-Baler Safety
Allis-Chalmers: Story of Man and Food #4
No 4. Science Aids the Farmer
The Weekend Historian 