Thomson Road Steamer
(Page 3 of 3)
Fall 2007
By Jack Alexander
Noted agricultural historian F. Hal Higgins wrote that, “Jones & Hewlett Co., a prominent California pioneer importer of agricultural machinery, with a New York office and 20 years in the farm machinery business was the natural choice to represent the Williamson steamer on the West Coast. H.H. Hewlett was responsible for the Stockton, Calif., end of the business, which was the largest and most extensive in the San Joaquin Valley at this period, according to the editor of California Farmer, who had known Hewlett for 18 years at the Stockton, Calif., location, as importer, merchant, ship owner, real estate dealer, farmer, miner, manufacturer, contractor, banker and insurance broker.”
RELATED CONTENT
A Williamson engine was delivered in 1871 to Jones & Hewlett, which sold and promoted the engine with advertising in the California Farmer and Pacific Rural Press agricultural publications. Plowing demonstrations by the Williamson engine were conducted in June 1871 near Stockton on the ranch of Hiram Fisher. In September 1871, plowing demonstrations were held at the California State Fair in Sacramento, Calif., and at the Stockton County Fair.
Read part two of the history of the “Thomson Road Steamer” in the next issue of Steam Traction.
Jack Alexander is the author of Steam Power on California Roads and Farms, The First American Farm Tractors and The Caterpillar’s Roots, which are available through the Historic Construction Equipment Assn. website (http://www.hcea.net/v02/). Jack can be contacted by e-mail at jacklee@garlic.com
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