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That headline didn't pass the smell test for me, so I decided to do some quick research... who did invent the tractor, anyway? http://www.britannica.com/EBche

That headline didn't pass the smell test for me, so I decided to do some quick research... who did invent the tractor, anyway? http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/220609/John-Froehlich http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/220609/John-Froehl... According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it was John Froehlich - an Iowa blacksmith - who invented the first gasoline-powered tractor. Apparently a Frenchman (nicolas cugnot) had a steam-powered tractor in 1769, but apparently this was not used for agriculture. Can't find precisely where he lived, but I imagine that as an Iowan blacksmith he had some experience with the demands and opportunities in farm work.

wglb 17y ago
Any bets that he grew up on a farm? But the blogger's original point is that people with a different point of view make inventions outside their own itch. My contention is really the opposite.
- carbon8 17y ago
  A quick google search indicates that he ran a feed mill and took a threshing crew to ND every year, and the tractor was developed to address problems he encountered doing that work. One of a few rough sources: http://iagenweb.org/boards/clayton/biographies/index.cgi?read=118721 http://iagenweb.org/boards/clayton/biographies/index.cgi?rea... So, yeah, it's actually a perfect example of someone taking his technical skills and using them to come up with an innovative solution to something close to home.
pasbesoin 17y ago
If this page is correct http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/9828/fergy_12.htm http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/9828/fergy_12.htm it was probably somewhere near Waterloo > This was the first tractor built by Froelich who with > others formed the Waterloo GasolineTraction Engine > Company. This company manufactured the Waterloo Boy > tractors starting in 1914. The Waterloo Company was > purchased by John Deere in 1918 and became the John > DeereTractor Company.
embeddedradical 17y ago
As of not too long ago, almost everyone was somehow involved in agriculture, and if they managed not to be, they were surrounded by people that were. this is a link to a good ted talk on how recent it is that we got the luxury not to think about food, and ideas on what that means: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/louise_fresco_on_feeding_the_whole_world.html http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/louise_fresco_on_feeding_...

wglb 17y ago

Any bets that he grew up on a farm? But the blogger's original point is that people with a different point of view make inventions outside their own itch. My contention is really the opposite.

carbon8 17y ago
A quick google search indicates that he ran a feed mill and took a threshing crew to ND every year, and the tractor was developed to address problems he encountered doing that work. One of a few rough sources: http://iagenweb.org/boards/clayton/biographies/index.cgi?read=118721 http://iagenweb.org/boards/clayton/biographies/index.cgi?rea... So, yeah, it's actually a perfect example of someone taking his technical skills and using them to come up with an innovative solution to something close to home.

pasbesoin 17y ago

If this page is correct http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/9828/fergy_12.htm http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/9828/fergy_12.htm it was probably somewhere near Waterloo > This was the first tractor built by Froelich who with > others formed the Waterloo GasolineTraction Engine > Company. This company manufactured the Waterloo Boy > tractors starting in 1914. The Waterloo Company was > purchased by John Deere in 1918 and became the John > DeereTractor Company.

embeddedradical 17y ago

As of not too long ago, almost everyone was somehow involved in agriculture, and if they managed not to be, they were surrounded by people that were. this is a link to a good ted talk on how recent it is that we got the luxury not to think about food, and ideas on what that means: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/louise_fresco_on_feeding_the_whole_world.html http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/louise_fresco_on_feeding_...