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International Harvester Farm Equipment Product History, 1831-1985, by Ralph Baumheckel and Kent Borghoff, published by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, Mich., 1997. 8½ x 11 hardcover, viii + 280 pages, ISBN 0929355865. Please note this book is new, not used, with a new dust jacket. Cyrus McCormick invented the first practical reaper in 1831. No one at the first public demonstration in July of that year could have imagined the impact his machine would have on the future of agriculture. That is where this book begins. In the years that followed, an entire industry emerged that was devoted solely to making agricultural production more efficient and easing many of the farmer's burdens. The invention and the industry forever changed the world. The International Harvester Company was officially formed in 1902 with the consolidation of five companies. These five companies, once fierce rivals, finally agreed to work together in cooperation ... the harvester war was over. The company made a major direction change in 1906 with the sale of its first gasoline traction engine. The company's focus had changed forever as tractors became the emphasis. This book tells the entire IH tractor history - from the first traction engine in 1906 until the last 5488 all-wheel-drive tractor rolled off the line on May 14, 1985. The book includes more than tractors; the implements and combines that made International Harvester a full line farm machinery company are also covered. Included are: tillage and seedbed preparation implements; planters and grain drills; cultivators and tillage tools; hay and forage harvesting machinery; combines (including the Axial-Flow) and cotton pickers; cotton harvesters; industrial equipment; and the Cub Cadet. The entire IH panorama of products is provided in this one volume. Incredible never-before published photos and a detailed appendix help to complete this work. This book is unlike anything available on International Harvester, it is more than a great collection of product photos - it is a unique insight into IH products and their development and how the company evolved. In short, a true treasure for any IH enthusiast. Senior Author, Ralph Baumheckel is the retired manager of International Harvester’s Product Planning Research group. He was born on the family farm at Connersville, Indiana, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Following graduation from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, he began his career as a New Product Development Engineer with the Link Belt Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. From there he returned to Connersville, Indiana, to manage the family farm and Hybrid Seed Corn business. He sold the seed business in 1963 and joined the Farm Equipment Product Planning Group of International Harvester, Chicago, Illinois, as Eastern Region Research Representative. In 1972, he became Product Research Manger, Agricultural Equipment Division and in 1979, Manager of Research, Corporate Advanced Harvesting Systems. Baumheckel is a past Administrative Vice President of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and in 1983 was elected a Fellow of that organization. Kent Borghoff’s interest in International Harvester began at an early age. The son of William Borghoff, a longtime IH engineer, Kent grew up in the company environment. IH family friends, company picnics, and childhood visits to the Engineering Center and Farmall Works helped produce his lasting impressions of a proud company. Kent became interested in research and writing as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Upon receiving his bachelor's degree in history, Kent began his career as a high school teacher at John Hershey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. In addition to teaching, Kent is currently pursuing a master's degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. His work on this book represents a culmination of interests in history, writing, and most importantly, the company itself. Cover Note: The cover photo was taken on the International Harvester Farm, Hinsdale, Illinois. The tractor operator is Kile 1 Martin who managed farming operations. He and his family lived in a two-story white house on the farm; the house is shown at the left of the photo. * The Origins of the Reaper - The Formative Years * Harvest Mechanization Takes Hold - The Evolution of an Industry * Challenges in a New Era - The Search for Strength and Supremacy * Competitors Unite - The International Harvester Company * The International Harvester Company - A New Direction * The First Farmall - An Unlikely Beginning for a Tractor Farming Revolution * The Second Generation Farmall Family - Four New Farmalls Lead the Way * International Harvester Tractors - Wide Front Axles Begin to Dominate * International Harvester Tractors - A Size for Every Need * Tillage and Seedbed Preparation - Ancient Art Becomes Modern Science * Planters and Grain Drills - From Broadcast to Precision * Cultivation and Weed Control - From Horse Power to Tractor Power * Hay and Forage Harvesting - Mechanizing Ancient Drudgery * Harvest Mechanization - The Challenge of the Centuries * IH Axial-Flow Combines - The Long Road to Success * Mechanical Cotton Harvest - International Harvester Makes it a Reality * CUB-ETTE - An Industry First * Industrial Equipment - The Other Yellow * Appendix: Production Dates and Serial Numbers * Appendix: Tractor Production 1918-1929 * Appendix: First 200 Farmalls, 1924 * U.S. media (book rate) mail is $4.50. PLEASE NOTE that our experience over the 2004-5 holiday season was that an alarming number of books took over four weeks to be delivered to states west of the Mississippi River. We think—and hope—this probably has something to do with homeland security rather than any sudden deterioration of postal service, but we really do not know. All we know for certain is that we do NOT want to deal with a number of inquires and complaints about “Where’s my books?†when there is NOTHING we can do after we hand the package to the postal clerk and have the receipt in hand. If you want to use media (book rate) mail please wait at least four weeks before you contact us to inquire about the whereabouts of your book. And note that all we’ll be able to tell you is the date we mailed it from the Post Office. We will NOT be able to tell you where the book is, or when the Post Office is going to deliver it. 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