Young Boy Standing in Front of Holt Steam Traction Engine, circa 1890

Inventor and entrepreneur Benjamin Holt envisioned a mechanical alternative to horse-drawn machinery. He built an experimental steam traction engine in 1890 (probably the model pictured here), continued to improve his designs, and incorporated the Holt Manufacturing Company two years later. Holt's company became an industry leader and eventually evolved into the hugely successful Caterpillar manufacturing corporation.