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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

M. Rumely Company Traction Engines & Tractors at Antique Powerland

IMG_7970 M. Rumely Company Traction Engine at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 4, 2007
Rumely Traction Engine at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Meinrad Rumely came from Germany to America in 1848 along with his brother Jacob. One of Meinrad's first jobs in America was with Russell& Company. He later opened a blacksmith shop in LaPorte, Indiana and founded the M & J Rumely Company with his brother in 1853. They started producing threshing machines and moved into portable steam engines and later traction engines. Meinrad bought out his brother in 1882 and renamed the company as the M. Rumely Company.

IMG_7971 M. Rumely Company Traction Engine at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 4, 2007
Rumely Traction Engine at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Meinrad passed away in 1904, leaving the company to his sons, William and Joseph. Joseph's son Edward, who had spent a lot of his youth with Meinrad and later studied at Oxford and Heidelberg, where he met Rudolf Diesel and became interesting in the internal combustion engine, returned to LaPorte in 1907 and took a job with the company, eventually gaining control of it. Under Edward, Rumely introduced the OilPull tractor in 1910.

IMG_8033 1910 M. Rumely Company OilPull Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 4, 2007
1910 Rumely OilPull at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

The OilPull was powered by kerosene, which was known as coal oil at the time and was less expensive than gasoline. The OilPull used one of the first kerosene engines, and was very successful.

IMG_8032 M. Rumely Company OilPull Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 4, 2007
Rumely OilPull Tractor at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Rumely purchased the Advance Thresher Company in 1911 and Aultman-Taylor in 1923, before merging with Allis-Chalmers in 1931. All Rumely products were discontinued by 1935.

For more information about the M. Rumely Company, visit Rumely Collector's News.

Continue to Aultman & Taylor Machinery Company Traction Engines & Tractors

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