An important part of American history is the heavy equipment which was used to build this country. It is often difficult for museums to display unless the museum has significant ground space. Shown below is some of the heavy equipment which is displayed at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, Missoula, Montana.
Shown above is a Case steam tractor.
Shown above is a 1932 Autopatrol #9. This was the first motorized grader Caterpillar developed.
Shown above is a 1927 Caterpillar 60. This was the workhorse for logging, mining, and roadbuilding.
Shown above is a 1905 Waddell Fertilizer Spreader. These were built in Philbrook, Montana by Thomas Waddell.
Shown above is a drag chain scarifier used in the Lolo National Forest.
Shown above is a Mountain Logger Skidder which was built in Kalispell, Montana specifically for use in the woods for logging. While many were used across the lower 48 states, 60 were shipped to Africa, 60 to Alaska, and 60 to Canada.
Shown above is a 1947 Caterpillar D2.
Shown above is a 1910 High Wheels (also known as Big Wheels). This is a horse-drawn mechanism for hauling logs.
Shown above is a 1901 Western Wheel Scraper. Many of the early roads and dams in Montana were built using this scraper.
Shown above is a 1918 Holt 75 tractor.
Shown above is an Idaho Jammer. This is a home made rig built on a 1946 Federal truck. It was used primarily by Gypo loggers. This machine was very mobile and could yard logs up to 900 feet to the road. According to the sign: “These machines were not exactly OSHA compliant.”
Shown above is a 1928 Super Reliance Pull Grader. This grader was pulled by a Caterpillar 50 tractor.
Shown above is a horse drawn grader. As tractors became more common in the 1920s and 1930s, many of these were modified to be pulled by tractors rather than teams of horses.
Shown above are some of the heavy equipment machines which are unidentified.