100 years of Caterpillar history
From the first tractors produced by Benjamin Holt and C.L. Best used to moved artillery during WWI to completely autonomous machines used on job sites today
Caterpillar Inc. has been a staple in the construction industry for the past 100 years, and in celebration of its centennial, the company has released a series of archival footage to look back on advancements through the decades and changes to iconic machines.
Modern advancements that we see today on construction sites can be traced back to the late 1800s when innovator Benjamin Holt and C.L. Best were unknowingly working separately on improving the track-type tractor for farm work in Southern California.
This year, the company celebrates its centennial and looks back on the history and innovations during the past hundred years.
Holt played a pivotal role in World War I
Despite being designed for the sole purpose of farming, the machines were briefly used to move artillery in World War I.
Holt was invited to demonstrate the capabilities of his machinery. He showed the ability of the tractor to pull heavy loads of artillery through mud and difficult terrain. After selling thousands of machines to European allies, one engineering colonel in the British Army named Ernest D. Swinton told a friend that he had seen "a Yankee machine they call a Holt Caterpillar Tractor," and that, "This machine climbs like hell."
The success of the machines used to aid soldiers abroad was a mark of success for the company to expand the versatility of the machines.
Caterpillar introduced a new way to farm
In the late 1800s, agriculture, farming, and mining industries were booming in California. Farmers still used horses for their projects, but Holt thought of a better way to complete the job.
In 1890, Holt produced the steam-powered tractor, a much more efficient machine with a lower cost to operate than horses. Holt was inspired by the innovations that he saw in transportation, like trains and cars. Customer challenges soon became the company's first priority, innovating, building, and changing the trusty tractor until a better option emerged.
As a testament to his machines, the new company regularly sent his mechanics out to his customers to tune up the farm equipment and fix any issues. One of the most innovative tactics he used was flying in equipment and tools on early propeller planes to some of the most remote farms. His dedication to creative problem solving was a testament to the functionality of current machines and the possibilities of future advancements.
Although the Holt Manufacturing Company was making a name for itself in the advancements of commercially successful track-type machines, his rival at the C.L. Best Tractor Company was busy focusing on customer needs through early gasoline technology. Technological improvements and the design of the undercarriage were ahead of its time.
In 1925 the two companies merged into a new business. The knowledge and extensive inventory were brought together to create the Caterpillar Tractor Company as it's known today.
The Caterpillar tractor that changed agriculture
Before tracks were put on farm equipment, steam-powered tractors were outfitted with wheels. Although these machines were already faster and more efficient than using horses for the same job, the farming land in the San Joaquin River Valley in Northern California was often soft and rich in nutrients which caused the wheels to become gummed up with mud and needing constant maintenance.
To fix this issue, Holt instructed his mechanics to strap a pair of tracks that he designed onto the rear wheel bed. On Thanksgiving day in 1904, the first tracked piece of equipment, called the No. 77, was field tested and almost soon became the new standard for farming and earthmoving equipment.
After improving the No. 77 through rigorous testing, Holt and his nephew, Pliny Holt, took the company photographer, Charlie Clements, to the field to take photos of the new machine. Clements was confused at first at how the tractor could move without wheels, and soon made the connection to the crawling motion of the humble caterpillar when he saw the "undulating movement as it creeps along."
Formation of assembly lines
Best is often referred to as the "Henry Ford of the track-type tractor." Although it was still a new company at the time, Best used his knowledge to establish assembly lines to build his gasoline-powered tractors.
After the Best and Holt merged their technology and created a new company, the Caterpillar machines were converted to gasoline engines and were built using Best's assembly line know-how.
The classic Caterpillar yellow design emerges
In the early days of the company, tractors were painted in the iconic battleship grey. Even the logo was completely different, it was hand-painted in wavy, red letters. During this time, most of the assembly work, including the fine details on machines, was painstakingly drawn on by skilled workers.
Although the battleship grey colour was unmistakable on the tractors, in 1931 the company unveiled the Hi-Way Yellow which became the slightly more subdued Caterpillar Yellow colour in 1979 that we know and recognize today.
Building a brand with Caterpillar engines
Over the next several decades, as technology advanced and the needs of construction professionals evolved, the company made changes to its lineup, introducing bigger and more powerful earthmovers to its lineup of machines.
Today, you'd be hard-pressed not to find the Cat Modern Hex logo on a construction site. The brand went from engineering revolutionary machinery like the track that seems so simple today to building the Cat 777, a completely autonomous off-highway truck for the mining and aggregates industry.
The autonomous machines are used at some of the largest mines on the planet and have collectively moved 8.62 billion tonnes of material and have traveled more than 325 million kilometres across three continents.
Caterpillar machines are paving the way forward
This year, Cat is celebrating its centennial with a series of events, limited edition machines, and special product launches. Although the company has worked tirelessly for more than a hundred years to make a name for itself, it continues to put its best foot forward in the way of advancements in automated technology, better working conditions, and staying true to the original mission of making hard work easier.
