Case IH®: A History
For nearly 200 years, Case IH has been a world leader in the manufacturing of agricultural and construction equipment. Their commitment to constant innovation has resulted in the development of precision farming equipment that helps to improve yields and lessen work for farmers around the world.
High Plains Equipment, with locations in Devils Lake and Harvey, ND, is your Peace Garden State Case IH dealer. Below, we’ve taken the time to elaborate the history of Case IH so you know more about the company behind some of your most-used pieces of farm equipment.
Founding Years
Jerome Increase Case was inspired by reading he had done on the topic of farm machines that cut wheat, which avoided hand-labor on the part of workers. This machinery inspired Case to go into agriculture, manufacturing hand-powered threshers in Wisconsin. He founded the Racine Threshing Machine Works in 1842, which was later renamed to the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company. The company grew steadily and partnered with other businesses to constantly improve their product offerings.
In 1869, Case built his very first portable steam engine, which he used to power wheat threshers. This eventually would lead to the development of the modern tractor, although draft animals were still needed to pull the machines at this juncture. Nonetheless, the new development won Case a great deal of accolades as he was able to send his first threshers into foreign markets. He also worked on developing the first self-propelled traction engine, yet another innovation in farm equipment.
Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which resulted in economic difficulties even in southern Wisconsin, Jerome Case offered to assist the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company after their Chicago factory burned down, but the company refused and built another factory instead. This began the Harvester Wars that defined the entire industry for years.
Case was undeterred and continued developing new products, releasing his first self-propelled traction steam engine in 1876, which was pulled by horses. By 1886, only a decade later, this novel development led Case to be the top steam-engine manufacturer in the world. This initial period of the company’s history ended with Case’s death in 1891.
Into the 20th Century
The Case Company continued to manufacture farm machines into the beginning of the 20th century, expanding into both the Russian and South American markets. The first all-steel threshing machine rolled off their assembly lines in 1904, along with their first gasoline tractor. The Case catalog was expanded to include graders, water tanks, buggies, plows, binders and even cars.
A group of farm manufacturers came together in 1902 to consolidate their businesses into one entity, the International Harvester Company, or IH. McCormick was one of these. The company developed several successful agricultural products.
When World War I erupted in 1914, Case’s sales exploded. Farmers needed to be productive and produce food, but so many workers were enlisted that they made use of farm machinery to fill in the gaps. But following the war’s end in 1918, the market was flooded with farm equipment and suffered from a downturn. Case stopped producing their steam engines in 1927 because they were ready to focus on modern gasoline and diesel fueled engines.
World War II led to Csae manufacturing shells, airplane parts, bombs and tank doors for the United States and Allied forces. They were able to open three new manufacturing plants in 1942 to address their increased production needs, and continued to develop new agricultural equipment as the war went on.
A New Company
Case purchased several companies and was itself purchased a few times, finally ending up in the hands of Texas’s Tenneco Company. Tenneco bought assets from International Harvester in 1984 and merged them with the J.I. Case Company to form Case International, which was soon rechristened to Case IH. The first Case IH branded tractor, the Magnum™, was released in 1985.
At the tail-end of the 20th century, Case IH joined up with New Holland and became CNH Global, but still operated under the Case IH name. The company produces tractors, harvesters and other farm machinery for a new generation of farmers, while continuing to develop and hone their tractor technology.
Want to take home your own piece of Case IH equipment? Visit our website or come to one of our locations in Harvey or Devils Lake, ND, to check out our full stock of new and used Case IH farm equipment. We also have a finance department to help you fund your purchase, and we do trade-ins. High Plains Equipment proudly serves the cities of Minot and Grand Forks, North Dakota.