Hiram Moore collection

Collection

Identifier: c-00285

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of letters, articles, newspaper clippings, and biographical notes of Hiram Moore (1801-1875), one of the first to invent a wheat thresher.

The letters, articles, and newspaper clippings discuss the origin of the combine, which is mired in controversy, as well as its history and mechanical makeup. Also included is a letter extending Moore's patent.

Dates

Creation: 1836 - 1931

Creator

Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society (Organization)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Born in Shirley, Massachusetts, Hiram Moore moved west with his brother Levell, in 1830, to Michigan. A friend, John Hascall, encouraged him to build a machine that would harvest wheat. By harvest time, 1835, at Flowerfield, Michigan, Moore had completed a temporary machine.

The biographical sketch of Hiram Moore is taken from a thesis written in the early 1940s by Lucille Wilcox.