Charles City Tractor Plant

Hart-Parr began construction of the Charles City tractor plant on July 5, 1901 when they relocated the company to Iowa.  The original factory built in 1901 consisted of the following: 84' x 220' machine shop, 60' x 70' foundry, a pattern shop, heating plant, and office building. By December 25, 1901, all production and manufacturing had been transferred to Charles City. 

This tractor plant produced the first commercially successful tractor during the winter of 1901-1902 thus giving Hart-Parr the title of "Founders of the Tractor Industry." The factory was almost always undergoing additional expansions for the next 20 years as the company grew very quickly. Beginning in 1905, the Machine Shop was extended 314' to the east and the Foundry Building extended 72' east. Two years later in 1907, an extensive line of line building and extensions at the factory included: 100' x 600' Erecting Shop, Grey Iron Foundry, Steel Foundry, and Power House.

From 1907, a view of the Hart-Parr Co. tractor plant in Charles City, Iowa.

By the 1950's, the plot of land for the plant was 65.9 acres. Plant buildings covered 690,855 square feet​ and an additional 16,811 square feet was offices. 10 miles of railroad track was found within and surrounding the plant. During Oliver's highest level of tractor production, which was 1950 with 21,986 tractors built, the foundry was melting 66 million pounds of metal each year for manufacturing castings! 20 million pounds of sheet metal and bar stock was used annually for stamping and forming tractor parts.

From the mid 1950's, an overhead view of the main plant buildings and route taken during plant tours. The dashed line in the middle is E Street which runs north-south down the middle of the plant's plot of land.
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All Hart-Parr tractors, nearly every Oliver tractor (with the exception of the 99/Super 99, Super 44 tractors, and few early 900 series), and many of the White Field Boss tractors were all built in this same factory. The last fully built and assembled White tractor at the Charles City plant was a White 100 tractor built on March 25, 1988.  After this, the Charles City plant continued foundry and other operations making transmissions and other sub-assemblies that were shipped to Coldwater, Ohio for final assembly. The very last transaxle assembly built in the plant was on July 8, 1993. In all, over 570,000 tractors came out of the facility. By the end of July 1993, the Charles City plant was officially closed ending a 92 year run for the Hart-Parr, Oliver, and White Farm Equipment tractor plant. Following the closure, a massive multi-day auction was held. By 1995, the buildings and entire factory complex were removed and tore down.  All that remains today is the concrete slabs where the buildings once stood and the concrete remnants of the test track as it's slowly consumed by nature!

First and last tractors built

First tractor built at the Charles City plant was Hart Parr #1 in the winter of 1901-1902. It is pictured outside the original tractor plant office building.

Last tractor built at the Charles City plant was a White 100 on March 25, 1988.

plant tour book - 1966

Take a "tour" of the Charles City tractor plant with the Oliver Plant Tour booklet from 1966. This was the booklet used when dealers, customers, and any other visitors went on a plant tour.

video featuring plant & Workers - 1980

Charles City Tractor Plant Managers
1901 - 1917: Charles Hart
1917 - 1919: Walter Dray
1919 - 1929: Melvin Ellis
April-Nov 1929: Rube Rolfing
1929 - 1932: Calvin Sivright
1933 - 1942: Roy Melvin
1942-1944: Oscar Eggen
1944 - 1961: George Bird
1961 - 1966: Frank Pryatel
1966 - 1970: Howard "Mully" Finch
1972: Rober Holzman
1973: Harold Berk
1973 - 1974: David Sadler
1974 - 1977: Robert Fuller
1977 - 1980: Roger Finch
1980 - 1981: Gerald Sinar
1981 - 1993: Raymond Blanchard
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tractor plant photo archives

An example of one of the many additions built at the tractor plant, this image from 1910 shows a crane assisting in the construction. Photo Credit: https://www.shorpy.com/node/25575

From 1911-1912 - A look inside tractor assembly in building 3. Assembly floor tractors in background are 30-60s, 60-100 minus cab in the middle, and 20-40s in front. Engines for 30-60s are in the foreground. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant Archives at Floyd County Museum.

Charles W. Parr (co-founder) standing between a Hart-Parr #3 and Oliver Hart-Parr 18-28 outside the factory. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant archives from the Floyd County Museum

A look down the 550' long assembly line with tractor frames ready to be finished. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant Archives at Floyd County Museum.

A view of the tractor plant from the late 1940's. Picture taken on North Grand Avenue looking east. Eventually, the billboards where replaced with a tractor display building.

The Charles City plant included a large foundry for casting nearly every part needed for the tractors they produced. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant Archives at Floyd County Museum.

Oliver Super 88 Diesel tractors nearing the end of the assembly line at the Charles City tractor plant in 1954. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant Archives at Floyd County Museum.

Super 55 tractors during the assembly process. The Super 55 was built from 1954 - 1958. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant Archives at Floyd County Museum.

The Oliver tractor plant in Charles City from circa 1959 or 1960. In the bottom of a the photo, the Tractor Display building which was completed in October 1958 is shown. Photo Credit: Floyd County Museum in Charles City, IA.

View of the new test track located on the east end of the Charles City plant. Taken by the plant photographer C. J. Gibbs on July 6, 1961. Photo Credit: Floyd County Museum, Charles City, Iowa.

Another early view of the test track. Photo Credit: Floyd County Museum.

One of the few color images of the assembly line, Oliver 1555 tractors are rolling off the line. The 1555 was built from 1969 - 1975. Photo Credit: Oliver Plant Archives at Floyd County Museum.

From 1976 - Ariel view of the Oliver tractor plant in Charles City, Iowa.