Froelich Tractor Museum

[Abby Brown] Did you know that the first successful gasoline powered tractor was invented right here in Iowa? Let's go learn more.

(Map marking Clayton County in the northeastern corner of the state.)

(A black and white photograph of several barns and chickens on an Iowa farmstead from the 19th century.)

(A black and white photograph of men working together to remove equipment from a trailer with high wood-slatted sides.)

The tools and methods that farmers use and how they've changed throughout time tell us a lot about the history of agriculture.

Animals were used to help till the land and then steam engines were added to the mix.

In the late 19th century, John Froelich, who lived in the village of Froelich in northeast Iowa, used steam-powered machinery to thresh wheat.

(A black and white photograph of John Froelich. John Froelich has a strong jawline, prominent nose, piercing eyes and short hair. He has a bushy beard and trimmed mustache. He is wearing a dark suit jacket, white shirt and a puff tie.)

He was frustrated with how heavy steam engines were and how hard they were to maneuver. There was also a danger that they could set crops on fire.

Froelich worked with his blacksmith to invent something that he thought would be better than steam-powered machinery. Something that would pave the way for the future of modern agriculture. The first gasoline-powered tractor. Froelich’s tractor could go forwards and backwards. It was a stepping stone to what the John Deere Company would create many years later. And at the time, it was considered a great success. At the Froelich Tractor Museum near McGregor, Iowa, you can celebrate Froelich's invention by exploring his story and checking out this half-size model. It was built from the original blueprints Froelich created way back in 1892.

(A green box sits on a flat, wooden, rectangular plank. On either side of the green box are two large spoked tractor wheels with treads like a modern day military tank. In front of the box is a gray, vertical cylinder. In front of the vertical cylinder is a smaller horizontal wooden rectangle like a seat and a primitive steering wheel with a handle for turning like on a go-cart.)

You can also investigate the village of Froelich, which gives the vibe of what life was like here in the 1890s.

Every county in Iowa has an ingenious story to tell. I hope you enjoyed the clever ag history on display here in Clayton County.

Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by The Coons Foundation, Pella and the Gilchrist Foundation.