The Smithsonian’s National Museum
of American History recently acquired 56 cubic feet of records from Bobcat Co.,
manufacturer of compact construction and agricultural equipment. This donation
includes corporate records relating to American manufacturing and marketing, as
well as business development. Housed in the museum’s Archives Center,
these papers join the museum’s extensive collection of agricultural, industrial
and business papers. A selection of these records is scheduled to be on view
from Nov. 30 through Jan.
17, 2010.
Bobcat Co. originated
as Melroe Mfg Co., a Gwinner, N.D., family-owned agricultural equipment maker
founded in 1947. The original compact loader was invented byLouisandCyril Keller, who operated a small family blacksmith
shop in Rothsay, Minn. Based on a request from a local turkey farmer, the
brothers set out to develop a small loader that was lighter and more maneuverable.
After a few prototypes, a move to North
Dakota and an acquisition by Melroe Manufacturing Co.,
the three-wheeled Keller loader went into production in 1958 as the “Melroe
self-propelled loader.” In 1962, as a four-wheeled model, it was branded the
“Bobcat” skid-steer loader. This single product became so successful that the
company later took the Bobcat name, while adding several other machines to its product
line.
“Bobcat Co. of
North Dakota represents the ingenuity and innovation of American business,” saidBrent D. Glass, director of the museum. “These records
contribute to the better understanding of American entrepreneurship.”
The Bobcat Co. records span a
period from the 1940s to the present and illustrate the progression of a once-small,
family-owned company that emerged as an industry leader. The donation includes
photographs, product literature, advertisements, employee newsletters,
drawings, scrapbooks and audiovisual materials. The collection also contains notes
on a 1985 trip to Japan
where employees learned about Japanese manufacturing and engineering
techniques, some of which were implemented in Bobcat factories.
These
papers are available for research and complement the Archives Center’s
agricultural holdings, which include the Everett Bickley Collection, the
William C. Kost Farm Records and the Southern Agricultural Oral History Project.
“Equipment
industry experts have called Bobcat a national treasure, and we are pleased the
Smithsonian archivists agreed that our materials should be preserved for future
generations,” saidLeroy Anderson, marketing communication
manager and Bobcat historian.
The National
Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage
in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history.
After a two-year renovation and a dramatic transformation, the museum shines
new light on American history, both in Washington
and online. To learn more about the museum, check outAmericanHistory.si.edu.
Source:
Smithsonian National Museum of American History