WHEN MAYTAG MEANT QUALITY FARM PRODUCTS
(Page 2 of 2)
September/October 1976
Charles W. Jensen
The Inventive Mr. Snyder
RELATED CONTENT
A young man in the growing organization, Howard Snyder, drew Mr.
Maytag's attention because of his unusual aptitude in servicing
feeders and his ideas about the operation of the machine.
In the years that followed, Howard Snyder's inventive
ability resulted in many 'firsts' in the Maytag line. One
of his early inventions was a corn husker and shredder, called the
Success. It was the first such machine to have combination husking
and snapping rolls and it handled dry, wet or frozen corn stalks,
thus eliminating the need to wait for favorable weather to perform
this chore.
Other farm equipment was developed as the company progressed and
its leadership was not challenged for 10 years. Then an opponent,
the Ruth Self Feeder, appeared on the market. After thorough
investigation, Mr. Maytag purchased the machinery and rights from
the Halstead, Kansas, company and incorporated the feeder into the
Maytag line. For years it was marketed as the Maytag Ruth Self
Feeder.
Consolidation and Expansion
The Parsons Band Cutter and Self Feeder Company built the Ruth
Feeder, the Parsons Feeder and the Parsons 'White Wings'
Swinging Elevator Feeder and other farm accessories. Mr. Parsons
developed another company - the Parsons Hawkeye Manufacturing
Company - to manufacture another feeder, the Parsons Hawkeye, and
other products.
In 1909 an announcement was made. The original company and the
Hawkeye firm had consolidated and the new concern was to bear the
name of the man who headed it- The Maytag Company.
Several years prior to the combination of the companies, Maytag
ingenuity had been put to work on a project to make washday easier
for the farm housewife and homemakers everywhere.
The rub-a-dub-dub laundry tune was on its way out and the
washboard was about to be relegated to a role as a musical
instrument. Sweeter washday music was to be provided by a wooden
tub and hand crank on the first Maytag washer introduced in
1907.
Here are a couple of pictures of a four-wheel drive that I built
in 1949 from two Plymouth rear ends and a 1946 Ford engine and
transmission. It is a 5 x 5 x ? angle iron frame. The front axle
was of the oscillating type so all four wheels would always be on
the ground even though it was on rough ground. Steering was with
hydraulic brakes, one master cylinder for each side. It handled so
well that it was a pleasure to operate.
It pulled two 16' plow bottoms, 7' deep, with ease.
When I sold out due to health reasons, I sold it to a man in
Lakeville where it was used to clean off snow around town. The last
time I saw it, it was being used to pull a drag to smooth out a ski
slope called Buck Hill, just north of town. I wish I had it
back.
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