The merger of E.P. Allis Company, Fraser-Chalmers Works, Dickson Manufacturing Company, and Gates Iron Works formed the Allis-Chalmers Company in 1901. Following subsequently after was the decision to expand the Milwaukee Works. The E.P. Allis Company was operating out of a dated shop near Walkers Point. Location of the E.P. Allis Co. Factory Prior to 1901… Continue reading Construction of the West Allis Works
Tag: Wisconsin
John Deere Letter About Allis-Chalmers
Here is some tractor history that Allis-Chalmers and John Deere enthusiasts can get interested in. The word in the AC world is that John Deere was rather pleased when Allis-Chalmers finally stopped making tractors on December 6, 1985. Rumor has it that John Deere was so thrilled that it (whoever "it" was at Deere & Co.) sent out a letter to the dealers… Continue reading John Deere Letter About Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers Tractor Production Ends
Today is a rather sad milestone in Allis-Chalmers History. On this day back in 1985 the last Allis-Chalmers tractors rolled out of the West Allis Works. The agricultural division had been sold off to Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz (KHD) of West Germany in May of that same year. The tractor plant was not included in the deal. Essentially KHD had bought production… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers Tractor Production Ends
Allis-Chalmers & Civil Defense Part II
As a follow-up to my previous post, I would like to fill you in on some new information that I received from the National Archives. I sent an inquiry to the archives about Allis-Chalmers' involvement with the development of the National Emergency Alarm Repeater system (NEAR). If you haven't read that post yet, click here.… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers & Civil Defense Part II
Allis-Chalmers and Civil Defense
I am beginning to turn up some very interesting material for my History Seminar project. I've gone through boxes upon boxes, folders upon folders. papers upon papers, and I have run into Allis-Chalmers a few times in the old Wisconsin Bureau of Civil Defense information. The company played two interesting roles in Wisconsin Civil Defense. One was devising a CD plan… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers and Civil Defense
City Man on the Farm
I was going through some photos on my computer, and I couldn't resist making a post about this after I found the pictures from last year. Last Summer my soon-to-be in-laws made a trip to our family farm. According to the dates on the picture, it was the last weekend in July 2011. I remember that being a really… Continue reading City Man on the Farm
#5 La Crosse Works
The humble beginning of the La Crosse Plow Company started in 1860, when John M. Barclay and I.S. Bantan started the Barclay and Bantan Implement Works in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In May 1865, Albert Hirschheimer bought the small shop and carried on making horse-drawn farm equipment there, calling it the A. Hirschheimer and Company.* Hirschheimer partnered… Continue reading #5 La Crosse Works
Markesan Washing Machine in Milwaukee
I ran into a rather interesting article in the Milwaukee Journal from October 13, 1919. It relates to my hometown of Markesan and a wash machine that was built there. This Milwaukee paper was advertising a washing machine, but it wasn't just ANY washing machine, it was a "THE MARKESAN" electric wash machine. What most… Continue reading Markesan Washing Machine in Milwaukee
Civil Defense in Wisconsin
I am about a month into my final year of undergraduate college. One of the privileges I have in my history degree program is to conduct some in-depth research on a selected topic. The class is called History Seminar and covers areas in history for students to research and write on. My particular seminar deals with the decade… Continue reading Civil Defense in Wisconsin
Eight Rural Culture Elements
I've been doing a lot of reading on how to kickstart some change in Markesan. I ran into a very interesting article done by the Kansas Sampler Foundation and what they called the eight rural culture elements. What seems to be a problem, which the same problem about 10 years ago when a movement like this was… Continue reading Eight Rural Culture Elements
The Weekend Historian 