Waterloo Manufacturing Company steam tractor, with thresher and horse team on dirt road
“The history of the Waterloo Manufacturing Company reaches back to the days before Confederation, into the agricultural roots of the nation. It is the story of a company at the physical and economic heart of the City of Waterloo: a company that closely mirrored the social and political fortunes of Canada.” Waterloo Manufacturing Company, Waterloo's Heritage Preserved, Heather Rand, City of Waterloo, 1992
“The Waterloo Manufacturing Company, formed in 1888 by Absalom Merner and Elias E. B. Snider, quickly became a leader on Canada’s agricultural scene. Products such as the “Champion,” a wooden thresher operated by a system of gears and levers turned by horses or oxen, made farming both easier and more productive. However, with the arrival of gasoline powered tractors and combines in the mid 1920’s, along with the stock market crash of 1929, the Waterloo Manufacturing Company found itself in extreme financial trouble.”
... from Industry in Waterloo Region
Above, detail of thresher
Below, medallion on the front of steam tractor:
Waterloo Mfg. Co. Limited
Waterloo, Ont.
