The Manitoba Agricultural Museum’s artifact collection includes more than equipment. An interesting example of such artifacts is the material donated by Mr. Robert Wilson of Gladstone consisting of a Bill of Sale for a Big Four tractor sold to Magnus Wilson, Robert’s grandfather, plus a photo of the tractor plowing, the tractor’s operating manual and a promotional book on the tractor. Not many Manitobans today realize Big Four Tractors were built in Winnipeg.
The photo, taken in October of 1910, shows the
tractor plowing with an eight bottom Cockshutt engine plow with a set of wooden harrows trailing behind the plow. Magnus Wilson is person standing at the end of the plow and holding a shotgun. He must have combined a bit of shooting with inspection of the plowing. A Mr. W.S. Bailey is standing to the immediate right of Magnus Wilson and has a bicycle with him. Magnus Wilson’s son and Robert Wilson’s father is the lad on the plow. The tractor operator is unknown. Note the operator’s platform on the tractor. Not much in the way of creature comforts there! The device being pushed ahead of the tractor is a self steering mechanism which freed up the tractor operator to also look after the plow. However that raises the question of whether the operator stopped the tractor if a plow needed to be lifted or whether he let the tractor self steer and crossed back to the plow to work the left lever on the offending bottom? If so not much margin for safety.
The Big Four tractor entered production in the US in 1906. If the promotional book is to be believed, the Big Four was the first tractor with a 4 cylinder engine. The Big Four was a sales success with demand outstripping supply. In 1909, the Gas Traction Company of Winnipeg was organized and purchased the Canadian patent rights for the Big Four from the Gas Traction Company of Minneapolis which owned the design and manufactured the tractor in the US. Gas Traction of Winnipeg wasted no time erecting a factory in Elmwood, a suburb of Winnipeg with the first tractor rolling out of the plant in March 1910. In 1912 Emerson-Brantingham purchased the Gas Traction Companies and the Winnipeg plant was closed. Production of the Big Four continued until 1920 however Emerson-Brantingham was also producing smaller and lighter tractors soon after purchasing the Gas Traction Companies. Emerson-Brantingham was sold to J.I. Case in 1928.
The Bill of Sale is
rare in the Museum collection as this sort of paperwork usually was not kept for any length of time. This bill was issued October 10, 1910 to Magnus and shows the cost of the tractor as $2900.00 As well, Magnus purchased from the Gas Traction Company 270 gallons of gasoline ($48.60) 48 gallons of cylinder oil ($24.00) 36 gallons of summer black oil (($6.84), 25 pounds of axle grease ($.75) and 25 pounds of cup grease ($1.75). Most startling line in the receipt is the $90.00 deposit on the steel barrels used to hold the gasoline. But then barrels cost money and, as they were useful for a whole range of activities and products, were prone to “disappearing”. Given gas tractors were an emerging technology in 1910 and large areas of the Prairies would not have had fuel dealers at that point, it makes sense that the Gas Traction Company was also in the business of supplying petroleum products.
The promotional book contains a wealth of information on the Big Four tractors such as features and a history of the design, discussion of the economics of operating horses and steam engines on the farm versus gas tractors and testimonials from satisfied owners of Big Four tractors. The book includes photos of various Big Fours operating in the field. A photo of Magnus Wilson’s tractor is shown plowing. As well there is a letter from Magnus phrasing the tractor. The promotional book is of quite good quality and obviously was meant to convey to the reader that the Gas Traction Company was a quality outfit here to stay.
Magnus Wilson was an early settler in the Gladstone area arriving in 1880. He was a blacksmith by trade and so opened a shop in Gladstone. He also built and repaired carriages and other vehicles. Magnus later branched into brick making and operated a brick works near Gladstone for a number of years. Magnus owned farmland in the area however other people operated these farms for Magnus. Magnus’s son and grandson did go onto to farm in the Gladstone area.
