history

The Fond du Lac Threshing Machine Company was organized in 1874 at Fond du Lac Wisconsin. By 1876, the company failed and was reorganized as the McDonald Manufacturing Company. John S. McDonald had invested heavily in the venture and reorganized the firm to protect his investment. One of McDonald’s first moves was to bring out the “Pride of the West” threshing machine. This was replaced in the mid-1800s by the “Victory” vibrator separator. In 1887, McDonald left Fond du Lac and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he organized the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company. McDonald lost control of the company to F. E. Kenaston who assumed the presidency until 1920. The plant of John A. Abell Engine & Machine Works, Ltd. at Toronto, Ontario was acquired in 1902, thus putting Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company (MTM). into the booming Canadian market. Advance Thresher Company, Battle Creek, Michigan joined in the American-Abell venture. The operation was not a total success, and when M. Rumely Company took over Advance in 1911, MTM withdrew from the Abell operation. By some clever dealings, MTM shed themselves of a subsidiary that hadn’t been doing too well anyway. Walter J. McVicker left Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company (builders of the Twin City line) about 1918 and joined the MTM organization. About this time great interest was shown in prairie-type combines McVicker and C. C. Cavanaugh designed such a machine for MTM, and it was first marketed in 1925. On April 18, 1929, Minneapolis-Moline Power Implement Company assumed control of Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company, Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company, and Moline Plow Company.