Case #1 Portable Steam Engine
date: label: Date made
content: 1869
name: label: maker
content: J. I. Case Company
notes: label: Description
content: The first steam engine produced by the J.I. Case Company in 1869, "Old Number One," produced eight horsepower and was used primarily to run threshing machines and sawmills. Its boiler produced 80 pounds of steam per square inch, and ran more quietly than most automobiles. The Case #1 Portable Steam Engine was designed to be horse-drawn. When moved from place to place by a team of horses, its stack folded down, providing a seat for the driver and allowing him access to the rear brakes.
label: Description
content: The Case Company discovered this engine on a Minnesota farm in 1925. It was featured in a plethora of farming exhibitions before being donated to the Smithsonian in 1962. "Old Number One" represents a wave of steam-powered agricultural machines that replaced operations formerly powered by horse, wind, or man. Steam engines were enormously popular-hitting a sales peak in 1912-before effective, accessible, and affordable gasoline engines became popular.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: Minnesota
label: Place Made
content: United States: Wisconsin, Racine
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Agriculture
label: See more items in
content: Agriculture
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of J.I. Case Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AG.62A10
label: catalog number
content: 62A10
label: accession number
content: 246139
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Engine, Steam, Portable