The other day at The Autry National Center of the American West in Los Angeles, I came upon this wonderful International Harvester truck, and I thought it would be fun to post a “then” and “now.”
This particular truck dates to 1912. It was made almost completely of wood; even the wheels were wood with rubber tires. The truck was designed for use on farms, and its top speed was 16 miles per hour. It retailed for about $900.
In checking out the Harvester company, I found it was started by Cyrus McCormick who had developed and patented a horse-drawn reaper. In 1847 he and his brother moved to Chicago and started the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The two brothers hit an opportune time since railroads were opening up new parts of the country, and they were smart businessmen who understood the importance of marketing in more than one area. They set up a network of salesmen throughout the agricultural areas of the country, and sales boomed. Cyrus McCormick died in 1884 and his part of the business passed to his son, Cyrus Jr. In 1902 the company merged with several smaller companies to become the International Harvester Company.
During the 1960s and 70s, International Harvester hit on hard times. A difficult economic climate, expansion into too many areas, and finally a union strike meant drastic action was necessary, and the company sold their name and the agricultural division to Tenneco Co. The truck and engine divisions remained, and in 1986 Harvester changed the corporate name to Navistar International Corporation, which continues to manufacture medium- and heavy-duty trucks, school buses, and engines.
In 2001, Navistar formed a joint venturewith long-time customer Ford Motor Company to manufacture medium-duty trucks and parts including diesel engines for both companies. The new company, Blue Diamond Truck Co. LLC, operates in the Navistar plant in Mexico. Here’s one of their much more recent trucks.
The Wisconsin Historical Society has a really wonderful collection of photos from International Harvester… I highly recommend checking their site.
In 1951 my mother and father purchased an International Harvester Freezer…..it is still running today, still being used on a daily basis. It has never needed a repair except for the handle, which was never fixed, just dealt with on an every use. (The spring broke and now you have to mannually push the handle down to lock it)
We still laugh about how old it is and still running. That is the same year I was born, and I have had a lot more repairs then our freezer has.
I have a International Harvester Freezer, too. I need information. I have a small vacuum line? That broke on the back. I think it is for temp setting. Need to fix it to get the freezer working. It is the best freezer I have ever had