The Oliver tractor has a long and chequered history: finding parts can be difficult

The history of the Oliver tractor dates back to the mid-19th century!

In 1844 James Oliver worked at molding, coopering, and farming.

In 1855, while in South Bend, Indiana on business, Oliver met a man who wanted to sell a quarter interest in his foundry for the inventory value ($88.96). Oliver happened to have $100 in his pocket at the time and thus he became an owner in the cast iron plow business.

James Oliver died in 1908 at the age of eighty-five, and Joseph D. Oliver became head of the company. Joseph had tremendous organization and marketing skills, and the company continued to thrive and expand. It was Joseph who led the company into the amalgamation with Hart-Parr and others in 1929, to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Company.

By 1929 the Hart-Parr Tractor Company, the American Seeding Machine Company and the Nichols and Shepard Company were producing machinery that was becoming obsolete; they lacked the capital and expertise to continue further progress. So, on April 1, 1929, these three companies merged with the Oliver Chilled Plow Company to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Corporation. This full line manufacturer shortened its name a few years later to Oliver Corporation.

The Oliver tractor continued to innovate, with diesel engines and, in the 1948 to 1954 period, a new series of Fleetline models.

On November 1, 1960 White Motor Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, a truck manufacturer, acquired Oliver Corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary. White also acquired Cockshutt Farm Equipment of Canada in February, 1962, and it was made a subsidiary of Oliver Corporation.

The Oliver jumped into tractor history in the middle. Up until the 60s, they were simple, reliable, well-thought-of units. Over the years with new owners Oliver tried to re-invent itself again, another one of the many times during the company's history.

Model changes, engine changes, etc. Make finding Oliver Tractor parts difficult. Like many others, Oliver finally expired in 1974.