100 Years of JOHN BEAN SPRAY PUMP COMPANY

As the firm was expanding into other fields, the name was changed to The John Bean Manufacturing Company and after a few years, it became the Food Machinery Corporation.

It has been most interesting to follow the growth of this company which started in a little shed with the help of a local plumber in a small town and grew to an international, world-wide corporation.

To help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of this Company, the major emphasis of the members of Branch 3, Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association was on the many products which were produced locally. We had an entire section at the Santa Clara County Fair devoted to Bean products, including the following; A Bean hand-powered sprayer, built in Los Gatos and dated 1886, two complete spray rigs, many models of Bean Spray Pumps, including the famous 'Magic' model, Bean engines from the very earliest to the latest models, a Bean 'TrackPull' tractor and a 'Huski Ridemaster'. Many other engines specially built for Bean including the Novo, Witte, Cushman Cub Bean Special and others were also in the display.

The picture shown above is an Ostenberg engine, 1912 opposed, two-cylinder, 10 HP built by the Bean Spray Pump Co. See other Bean pictures on the back cover of this issue.

1917 'TracPull' tractor built by John Bean Spray Pump Co., San Jose, California. Owner is Tom Sharpsteen of Orland, CA

We would like to express our thanks to the FMC Corporation which is the outgrowth of the little one-man project that started it all.

FMC provided the transportation for the tractor, special colorful buttons for all exhibitors, as well as certificates of participation, posters, exhibit bulletin boards and many other helpful items.

Many spectators came to visit the exhibit, among them many old-timers who had stories to tell of using those old spray rigs and tractors when the Valley was all covered with orchards.