For decades, William Butterworth, John Deere's third president, has been the scapegoat, the person to blame for Deere's “late” entrance into the tractor business. I think it’s time to let him off the hook. Deere's tractor development program began in 1912. The industry at that time was nascent. There were thirty-one manufacturers with industry sales … Continue reading Did William Butterworth Oppose John Deere’s First Tractor?
Category: Bull
Selling the Bull Tractor
Pastor Hartsough. D.M. Hartsough. Daniel Hartsough. D. Maurice Hartsough. Tracking him down in newspapers, trade journals and archives has been as difficult as finding a photo (which I still have not), or piecing together the tractors he designed and launched. Or the trail of partners left in his wake. Throughout my research, I keep getting … Continue reading Selling the Bull Tractor