holt

Timeline for Caterpillar tractors is at: www.caterpillar.com/en/company/history.html "Even before the U.S. formally entered WWI, Holt had shipped 1,200 tractors to England, France and Russia for agricultural purposes. These governments, however, sent the tractors directly to the battlefront where the military put them to work hauling artillery and supplies. These tractors also provided members of the British army with the inspiration needed to design the tank. Colonel E. D. Swinton had seen Holt's Caterpillar tractors in action and borrowed their track-laying principle to provide the tank with its form of locomotion. After the U.S. declaration of war, Holt placed its facilities at the disposal of the government. The Holt Manufacturing Company had advantages over other tractor companies due to the relationship it had developed with the U.S. Army Ordnance Department. In fact, bids from the Ordnance department called for specifications of the "Caterpillar type." Holt expanded factories to accommodate production of the large numbers of tractors the government required. Over 5,000 Holt tractors were produced for the U.S. and Allied governments during World War I."

Looks like tractor in photo used in Wikipedia article on Holt Manufacturing Company (later Caterpillar, Inc.) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt_Manufacturing_Company#mediavie...

There are several other photos in the newspapers of 1916 showing this type of tractor used for military purposes, e.g. - The sun., October 22, 1916, SECTION 4 PICTORIAL MAGAZINE, Image 39 - Dakota County herald., August 24, 1916, Image 3 - The Daily Ardmoreite., September 24, 1916, Image 1

The artillery piece is probably a BL 9.2 inch howitzer. Note the barrel wagon in front with the firing platform in the middle and the carriage/cradle assembly following behind all in a sort of road train.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called History of Canadian Science and Technology, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Luther Emmett Holt (1855-1924), American pediatrician: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Emmett_Holt

pennylrichardsca: Thanks for the additional information on Dr. Holt. We will expand the record when we update.