Manuscripts Collection
The Minneapolis-Moline Company (MMC) was a large tractor and machinery producer based in Minnesota. It was the product of a merger among three companies in 1929: Minneapolis Steel & Machinery (MSM), the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company (MTMC), and the Moline Plow Company (MPC). Headquartered in Hopkins, Minnesota, production sites included Minneapolis's Lake Street and Como Avenue plants and Moline, Illinois.
The collection includes correspondence and subject files, printed materials (sales brochures, product catalogs, price lists, and annual reports), clippings, patent information, corporate newsletters, some public relations department files, films, photographs, and tractor schematics. Advertising material includes work produced by Argentine illustrator and painter Florencio Molina Campos. Most of the collection came either from the office of public relations director William W. Lundell or from his personal collection of Minneapolis-Moline materials.
The films in this collection date from the 1950s to around 1966. The bulk of the films are related to farming or feature Minneapolis-Moline farming equipment, but some include footage from banquets, magic shows, and contests.
These documents are organized into the following sections:
The video recordings in copyright in this collection are not available online, but can be accessed upon request for use in the Gale Family Library reading room. Please consult reference staff for more information.
The Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company's steam engine record book (circa 1890-1924) is closed to public use. Researchers are instructed to use the microfilmed version (M393).
Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company's steam engine record book, 1891-1924 (M393): St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society, 1980.
Microfilm is available for sale or interlibrary loan from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Accession numbers: 11,396; 11,456; 11,534; 11,716; 12,258; 12,801; 12,964; 13,233; 15,438; 16,331
Digital masters of films are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and are managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.
Processed by: David B. Peterson, August 1992 and July 1999; Jennifer Huebscher and Christopher G. Welter, September 2009.
Digitization and encoding by Joseph Larsen (July 2019) and April Rodriguez (November 2023).
Digital video transferred from the master film reels by the Minnesota Historical Society for preservation purposes (July 2019, December 2022, and November 2023).
Digitization was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.
Catalog ID number: 990017229480104294
Arthur H. Jensen's Minneapolis-Moline negative collection, also available in the repository at the Minnesota Historical Society, provides an extensive thirty year view of the operations and products of the Minneapolis-Moline Company across the 1930s-1960s. Many images depict Minneapolis-Moline tractors, implements, and power units, both in the factory or dealer showroom and working in farm fields or other outdoor settings. There are also many images from various perspectives of machinery parts, most of which appear to have been created specifically for use in sales brochures, advertising material, and catalogs.
Mostly William "Bill" W. Lundell's public relations department files.
A freelance agricultural journalist for most of his career, Higgins specialized in the history of tractors and combines. His collection is located at the University of California-Davis.
Includes some information on Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company "Twin City" tractors.
Regarding industrial engines and tractors.
Mostly from time of merger with Minneapolis-Moline, in 1951.
Includes Minneapolis Steel and Machinery's Twin City 12-20 tractor.
Newsletter published by the company for dealers and others attending farm shows and implement and hardware association conventions.
Includes 1970s Avco-New Idea "Uni‑System" catalogs.
Includes Twin City product line.
CLOSED TO PUBLIC USE; SEE M393.
This volume of steam/traction engines is divided into nine sections, most of which include manufacture date, engine number, horsepower, "C.B. or S.B.,” cylinder dimensions, parts numbers (but not parts dimensions), and occasional remarks, such as "rebuilt 1907." Each section denotes a range of engine numbers, but each number within that range is not necessarily listed.
1: Size of all engines, engine numbers 1255-6752, manufacture date 1896-1912.
2: Single-cylinder engines on fire-box boilers, engine numbers 4363-8708, manufacture date 1904-1924.
3: Double-cylinder engines on fire-box boilers, engine numbers 3620-6752, manufacture date 1902-1911.
4: Double-cylinder engines of return-flue boilers, engine numbers 3702-4059, manufacture date 1902-1903.
5: Single-cylinder simple and compound engines on return-flue boilers, engine numbers 101-6991, manufacture date 1890-1913.
6: Lutz surface heaters (portable boilers?), engine numbers 12-53, manufacture date 1907-1910.
7: Engines converted from double-cylinder to single-cylinder, engine numbers in random order, manufacture date 1905-1921.
8: Fire-box boilers, engine numbers 3620-8708, manufacture date 1902-1924.
9: Return-flue boilers, engine numbers 101-6991, manufacture date 1890-1913.
May include New Moline Plow Company and Moline Implement Company.
Photocopies of correspondence and articles concerning MPC's product distribution system.
Catalog no. 47.
Includes Flying Dutchman leaflet, song book, and year book (1929).
Includes Universal, orchard, and road tractors.
Includes Mandt and Flying Dutchman.
Historical background materials.
Includes historical background pamphlet.
Universal Tractor?
Includes base price list for unknown manufacturer (1903), Spanish-language catalogs for Guanaco (1908) and Casacarter, and sketch by Jas. A. Smith.
Bill Lundell was public relations director for Minneapolis‑Moline.
Includes postcards and summary financial statement for "gaucho advertising."
Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Minneapolis double cylinder engine (includes sheet nos. 1029, 1031, 1035, 1036, 1041).
Personnel appearing in company magazines.
Unsorted; includes many slides.
Unsorted; includes many slides.
Missing since January 1987.
Mainly farming scenes.
Del Monte? Rochelle, Illinois?
Donald E. Rother (1915-1996) was a plant manager, either at the Hopkins or Minneapolis, Minnesota, site.
Includes personnel, group shots, and company sponsored outings. Explicit references to Twin City tractors, Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company (MSMC), and Minneapolis-Moline.
Appears to be a series whereby MSMC's steel is used in manufacture and construction.
Photographic brochure documenting the Hopkins, Lake Street, and Como plants (Minnesota), Moline plant (Illinois), and Avery plant (Kentucky).
Labeled Book 1 (photographs 488-698), Book 3 (photographs 899-1056), Book 5 (photographs 1237-1405), Book 6 (photographs 1406-[1425].
Four and five star tractors mowing and pulling at a farm show.
Digital version
Hypnotist show.
Digital version
The circus, 602 on stage, 800 power unit in front, 5 stationary engines.
Includes footage from III.52.49.
Digital version
Steam farming equipment and threshers being demonstrated.
Digital version
Tractors plowing, people examining farm equipment at the fair.
Digital version
Horse, steamer, and tractor plows featured, but no Minneapolis-Moline farm equipment.
Digital version
Ski jumping.
Digital version
Park scenes, forest fire in park, swans in lake.
Digital version
Lennox Hotel fire.
Digital version
Glamor girls on the picket line.
Digital version
Magic show in the auditorium and banquet scene.
Digital version
A beauty and skills contest among female workers. Scenes of woman being presented to camera and questioned by judges, and posing with the Mobilift fork lift truck.
Digital version
Scenes of a parade.
Digital version
Scenes from a dog show.
Digital version
Interview with Buryan speaking about Minneapolis-Moline.
Digital version
U.S. Army buys some Mobiltows and a bottle of champagne is broken over the equipment.
Digital version
Aerial and ground views of the G-704 pulling four multiple unit disc plows.
Digital version
Officials sitting around and shuffling paper before signing a contract.
Digital version
Views of a bus crash.
Digital version
Demo of Minneapolis-Moline products such as the G1000 tractor, a uni-combine, and more. Bill Foss is shown at the wheel.
Digital version
A television clip showing Dahl talking with Bill Pringle, the vice president of Minneapolis-Moline about the dealer's show, shots and descriptions of different tractors and equipment.
Digital version
Includes a television interview and action shots of Motec equipment being unveiled.
Digital version
Clip from the national news. Shows the war in Vietnam and its effects on American industry. Includes discussion with those affiliated with the steel, auto, petroleum, and farming industries.
Digital version
Views of a Wheatland plow at work. Film has both positive and negative on one reel.
Digital version
Eight G-VI tractors on rail cars near the Hopkins plant and views inside the warehouse.
Digital version
Scenes in a large banquet hall with various awards being presented.
Digital version
Digital version
Moving farm equipment from the Minneapolis-Moline plant in Hopkins to the State Fair at night, as well as views of a procession with police escort heading down Hennepin Avenue.
Identical to III.52.31 but with a few additional shots.
Digital version
Webb comments on the space race, boosters, rendezvous, parallel research, 10 year program, spin offs from sci-tech, fallout shelters, atmospheric testing, and communications satellites.
Digital version
Businessmen at the Minneapolis-Moline plant being shown Mobilifts, the factory line, and demonstrations of the various types of Mobilifts.
Digital version
Views of the Hopkins plant.
Mostly identical to III.52.28 but missing a few shots.
Digital version
Mr. Foss speaking about the economic forecast at the time of the White takeover.
Digital version
History of farming, Minneapolis-Moline farm machinery shown, views of plants in other countries, and the steps of manufacturing tractors from start to finish. Also includes an interview with MacFarlane, president of Minneapolis-Moline.
Description of countryside and types of farming, concentration on United States farms, particularly as businesses. Discussion of increase in farm sizes, but fewer farmers. Also shows farming methods, conservation, crop rotation, 4-H, hay, and harvesting.
Digital version
Spectators trying out Minneapolis-Moline tractors at an event at the Hopkins plant.
Digital version
Views of the Turkish plant and its workers making Minneapolis-Moline products, as well as factory goods on display.
Digital version
A four star tractor pulling a four bottom plow.
Digital version
Farm equipment demo featuring Mobilift Lev-R-Matic forklifts.
Digital version
Minneapolis-Moline SK corn harvester attached to a four star tractor.
Digital version
Scenes of a marching band on a football field and a navy float with a submarine.
Digital version
Views of paintings of farm scenes, harvest equipment, history of farming, modern-day farming featuring self propelled combines and corn pickers.
Digital version
Farm forum discussion, theme for annual forum "marketing" discussed, also a schedule of events and speaker announced. Interview by Don Dahl with Bill Foss, Minneapolis-Moline president, and Paul Lindholm, Northwest Bank.
Footage of Minneapolis-Moline tractor pulling a tumble bug plow.
Digital version
Harry Seils, WCCO-TV reporter interviews Martin Ronning, engineer, and David Weishart, general services manager, about the uni tractor, a self propelled combine. Also shows the uni tractor being operated in different modes, and shows audience where to get the uni tractor.
Filmed at the Lake Street office. Shows the burning of the mortgage and the resulting ashes.
Digital version
Street scene in winter in downtown Minneapolis.
Digital version
Includes a factory loading scene and the shuttleshift merry go round.
Digital version
Television films showing presentation of manta by Juan Boehm to Mr. Mac. with Mr. Mortimer present.
Big Minneapolis-Moline Show of the Century includes scenes of equipment on exhibit and of spectators.
Footage also included in III.52.3.
Views of MY60s at trade show, demonstration of various lifts, and a floor cleaner that follows guide tape on the floor.
Digital version
Minneapolis-Moline six cylinder power units pumping water.
Digital version
Line up of twenty Minneapolis-Moline tractors with snow plows attached to the front at the Department of Sanitation in New York. Film positive for III.52.67.
Digital version
In an interview, Duncan describes new star Minneapolis-Moline tractors in Winnipeg and discusses the increase in investment and sizes of farm machinery, dealer incentives, and safety features.
Digital version
McCormick looking into a forest and cutting down trees with chain saws. Also includes views of a ladies social.
Digital version
Views of Russians tending to fields with horses and plows and then cuts to a Minneapolis-Moline tractor pulling four multiple disc plows.
Digital version
Views of the Minneapolis-Moline uni-combine harvesting grain. Film negative for III.52.57.
Digital version
Views of the Minneapolis-Moline uni-combine harvesting grain. Film positive for III.52.56.
Digital version
A man discusses the Minnesota driving manual.
Digital version
Television advertisement for the G1000 four wheel drive tractor pulling under adverse conditions.
Digital version
Survey of G1000 Vista with plow, grain drill planter, cultivator, disk, and mower.
Digital version
Survey of G1000 Vista plowing, G900 tandem disk, views of an early G1000 four wheel drive Wheatland in the mud.
Digital version
Television advertisement of the G1000 Vista plowing with a seven bottom plow disk and planter.
Digital version
Views of the 4296 combine harvesting corn with a 6 row corn head.
Digital version
G900 plowing five bottom planter, 4 bottom roll over plow.
Digital version
Television advertisement of the G900 tractor plowing.
Digital version
Two women demonstrate furniture at a game show. A Moline mini is given away as a prize on the show hosted by Jack Bailey.
Line up of twenty Minneapolis-Moline tractors with snow plows attached to the front at the Department of Sanitation in New York. Film negative for III.52.52.
Digital version
Frank Blair introduces a magician who proceeds to saw a girl in half with a Minneapolis-Moline chainsaw.
Describes the changes that machines have made in food production and how this is reflected in other activities. Provides a comprehensive overview of the various makes and models of Minneapolis-Moline farm. equipment.
Digital version
Comparison of the Minneapolis-Moline G900 tractor with John Deere and Farmall tractors in weight, RPM, torque, and turnaround tests.
Digital version
Demonstration of Minneapolis-Moline's G1000 Vista tractor including deck adjustments, controls, tractor pulling, and pulling. Shows the tractor working on a field in Texas.
Digital version
A story where a soldier returns from Europe to the family farm and tells of farming techniques he witnessed in Switzerland, as well as descriptions of farming methods used around the world in the 1940s and 1950s.
Explanation of what is required of farming depending on the season. Various scenes of Minneapolis-Moline farm machinery working on Minnesota farms.
Digital version
Importance of weather to a farmer and how areas of weather technology are helpful to farmers. Discusses how to cope with soil problems by using Minneapolis-Moline farm machinery.
Digital version