Chronology of Oliver Tractor Co.

It goes as fallows.

1855; James Oliver buys a foundry in South Bend, Indiana and founds the

South Bend Iron works,

1892; Charle Hart transfers to the University of Wisconsin and meets Charles

Parr,

1897; The first Hart-Parr Company is incorporated in Madison, Wisconsin,

1901; The Har-Parr Tractor Co. opens in Charles City, Iowa,

1902; The first advertisement for Hart-Parr appears in The American

Thresherman and the first Hart-Parr tractor is delivered to the first buyer,

David Jennings, after a little mishap with a bridge,

1903; Hart-Parr produces 15 gasoline tractors,

1904; The kerosene motor is perfected and patented by Charles Parr,

1910; Hart designs a railroad to serve his plant.(The Charles City and

Western Railroad),

1918; Hart-Par develops its lightweight tractor line by introducing the

Hart-Parr 30,

1929; The Oliver Chilled Plow Works acquires the Hart-Parr Company, and the

Oliver Farm Equipment Co. is formed,

1935; Oliver introduce the 70 Row Crop. Operations are affected by a 25-day

strike at one of the plants,

1937; Oliver sales increase by 39% over previous year due to popularity of

the Oliver 70 row crop (prettiest tractor ever built),

1938; Oliver Corp. is out of debt for the first time since 1929,

1940; Oliver 60 and line of implements comes onto the market,

1941; The company builds bomb crates as well as shells, signal guns, and

tank transmissions for the war effort,

1944; The Clevland Tractor Co. is acquired. (Cletrac),

1945; War contracts cnaceled. The HGR Cletrac is introduced,

1947; Model 88 is introduced with the 70-styled sheet metal,

1948; Models 66,77, and 88 replace the oler tractor lines,

1952; Oliver acquires the Farquhar Col a builder of farm implements,

1952; Korean war has Oliver in the defense business again,

1953; Oliver buys the Be-Ge Co. of Gilroy, California, which makes

industrial equipment and earth movers.

1955; Six brand-new wheeled tractors with 6 speed trnsmissions, available

with diesel or gas engines,

1960; White Motor Co. acquires The Oliver Corporation,

1980; White Farm Equip. Co. is purchased by Texas Investment Corp. which

them becomes prt of Allied Products Corp in 1985;

1987; Allied reorganizes its subsidiaries and forms the White-New Idea Farm

Equipment Co. This is the last manufacturing group to work in the Charles

City plant.

1992; The White Tractor Division becomes part of AGCO; tractor manufacturing

is moved to Independance, Missouri,

1995 The hart-Parr manufacturing plant in Charles City is demolished.

All information is from "Oliver Photographic History" by April Halberstadt

published by Motorbooks International.

: It goes as fallows.

: 1855; James Oliver buys a foundry in South Bend, Indiana and founds the

: South Bend Iron works,

: 1892; Charle Hart transfers to the University of Wisconsin and meets Charles

: Parr,

: 1897; The first Hart-Parr Company is incorporated in Madison, Wisconsin,

: 1901; The Har-Parr Tractor Co. opens in Charles City, Iowa,

: 1902; The first advertisement for Hart-Parr appears in The American

: Thresherman and the first Hart-Parr tractor is delivered to the first buyer,

: David Jennings, after a little mishap with a bridge,

: 1903; Hart-Parr produces 15 gasoline tractors,

: 1904; The kerosene motor is perfected and patented by Charles Parr,

: 1910; Hart designs a railroad to serve his plant.(The Charles City and

: Western Railroad),

: 1918; Hart-Par develops its lightweight tractor line by introducing the

: Hart-Parr 30,

: 1929; The Oliver Chilled Plow Works acquires the Hart-Parr Company, and the

: Oliver Farm Equipment Co. is formed,

: 1935; Oliver introduce the 70 Row Crop. Operations are affected by a 25-day

: strike at one of the plants,

: 1937; Oliver sales increase by 39% over previous year due to popularity of

: the Oliver 70 row crop (prettiest tractor ever built),

: 1938; Oliver Corp. is out of debt for the first time since 1929,

: 1940; Oliver 60 and line of implements comes onto the market,

: 1941; The company builds bomb crates as well as shells, signal guns, and

: tank transmissions for the war effort,

: 1944; The Clevland Tractor Co. is acquired. (Cletrac),

: 1945; War contracts cnaceled. The HGR Cletrac is introduced,

: 1947; Model 88 is introduced with the 70-styled sheet metal,

: 1948; Models 66,77, and 88 replace the oler tractor lines,

: 1952; Oliver acquires the Farquhar Col a builder of farm implements,

: 1952; Korean war has Oliver in the defense business again,

: 1953; Oliver buys the Be-Ge Co. of Gilroy, California, which makes

: industrial equipment and earth movers.

: 1955; Six brand-new wheeled tractors with 6 speed trnsmissions, available

: with diesel or gas engines,

: 1960; White Motor Co. acquires The Oliver Corporation,

: 1980; White Farm Equip. Co. is purchased by Texas Investment Corp. which

: them becomes prt of Allied Products Corp in 1985;

: 1987; Allied reorganizes its subsidiaries and forms the White-New Idea Farm

: Equipment Co. This is the last manufacturing group to work in the Charles

: City plant.

: 1992; The White Tractor Division becomes part of AGCO; tractor manufacturing

: is moved to Independance, Missouri,

: 1995 The hart-Parr manufacturing plant in Charles City is demolished.

: All information is from "Oliver Photographic History" by April Halberstadt

: published by Motorbooks International.

This is all very interesting, but no mention is made of Oliver's link to Fiat. I have an Oliver Model 1250, which was made by Fiat (Fix It Another Time) in Italy.