Long before tractors revolutionized American agriculture in the 1930s, a different machine was already transforming the harvest: the threshing machine.
In 1847, Daniel Massey launched the Newcastle Foundry in Ontario, Canada, producing some of the world’s first mechanical threshers. These devices separated grain from stalks—an essential but once backbreaking task.
Above: A vintage threshing machine at work during a historical farming demonstration. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Massey’s innovations would evolve over generations. His son renamed the company Massey Manufacturing, which later merged with A. Harris, Son and Company to become Massey-Harris in 1891—the largest agricultural equipment maker in Canada at the time.
But it wasn’t until the third generation, in 1930, that Massey-Harris released its first tractors. By then, the thresher had already laid the groundwork for mechanized farming across the continent.
“The thresher reduced labor, sped up harvests, and paved the way for modern agricultural equipment,” says Oppold. “Its legacy is foundational to today’s food production.”
Mark Oppold brings us this installment of the American Ag History Minute, celebrating the innovation and legacy of pioneers who shaped modern agriculture.