Scope and Contents note
This collection contains 21 photographs as well as the book One man harvester and a manuscript for "Little Idaho." The photographs are of The Idaho Harvester and general farm scenes.
Dates
- Creation: 1900-1910
Creator
- Idaho National Harvester Company (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection is open to the public.
Collection must be used in Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room.
Conditions Governing Use note
Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections & University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Archival material may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws and other regulations.
Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g. a cause of action for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Oregon assumes no responsibility.
If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.
Biographical/Historical note
The manufacturing plant known as Idaho National Harvester Company was founded around 1904 by Gainford Mix and his older brother Ulyssess. Cornelius Quesnell and A.M. Anderson had a dream and a design to make a horse drawn/pushed grain harvester, but they did not have the capital to back the project. The Mix brothers were able to provide the financing of a prototype. Jerome Day (Gainford's brother-in-law) was also called upon for financial backing. This combination of investment and ingenuity lead to the "Little Idaho" being produced. It was called that because it was smaller and lighter than its competition. The harvester cut 4 foot swaths and required 4 horses and 2 men to operate. It was eventually redesigned to cut 8 foot swaths and use 6-8 horses depending on the grade of the land. Demand quickly outpaced production capacity. Eleven factory workers need a week to build the 1909 model. Two years later, interest spread to South America and Russia, but the plant could only produce two harvesters per week. Later, in the aftermath of World War 1, gas powered engines replaced the Little Idaho and production ceased entirely.
Extent
1.5 linear feet (1 container)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Idaho National Harvester Co. was founded in 1904, using money from the Mix brothers and design by Cornelius Quesnell and A.M. Anderson. The "Little Idaho" was a horse-drawn harvesting machine. The collection consists of research images on the Little Idaho, and some Quesnell family images.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Purchased from Tom Robinson in 2004.
General Physical Description note
1 container, including 21 photographic prints
Processing Information note
Collection processed by Megan Dazey.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Title
- Guide to the Idaho National Harvester Company photographs and other material
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Normandy Helmer
- Date
- c2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
