Photo Caption: The New Idea Company manufactured

April 18, 2013
Photo Caption: The New Idea Company manufactured Model No. 7, for one year, 1924, which
makes this New Idea Spreader extremely rare in the world of Farm Equipment Collectors.
OUR OLD BOOK CASE
By Joyce L. Alig, President, Mercer County Historical Society
For each one of you, who ever called the New Idea Historic Preservation Committee of the Mercer
County Historical Society, and asked the date of your vintage horse-drawn New Idea Manure Spreader,
this reference is for you! For those of you, who knew the Model Number of your NI Spreader and asked
the dates that particular Model Number was made, this reference is for you!
New Idea Horse Drawn Manure Spreaders were first made at Maria Stein from 1899 until 1912, when the
last of the NI machinery was moved to Coldwater. In 1907, the Village of Coldwater made an agreement
with the NI Spreader Works to move from Maria Stein to Coldwater, and production began at Coldwater
in August 1907. Thus, between 1907 and 1911, spreaders were manufactured at both plants.
In 1957, this Coldwater plant produced an in-house history of 58 years of progress for New Idea, but
apparently, the history was not published. I found this among the papers, which AGCO gave to the
Mercer County Historical Society, when it closed as of December 8, 1999. This history included the
following data, which dates the time period for specific numbers of spreaders being manufactured.
The original NI spreader was produced between 1899 and 1903 at Maria Stein. Next, the 70 bushel
spreader was produced 1904-1909. The Acme Spreader was built for a distributor in the mid-west, only
in 1906. The 75 bushel was manufactured 1909-1912. The 100 bushel was produced for one year, 1912.
Next, became the “numbered models.” Spreader No. 2, (50 bu.); No. 3, (60 bu.); No. 4, (75 bu.), and No.
5, (100 bu.) were all built between 1912 and 1914. One spreader was assigned the name of “Coldwater
Spreader No. 9” and was produced for one year, 1914. That same year, 1914, the “Lowest Low Down
Spreader, No. 12” was also produced. (However, do not confuse the 1914 spreader No. 12, with the later
Model No. 12, produced 1939 -1948, or the Model No. 12A, which was produced 1948-1955.)
Model C came next during the years 1914-1917. Model C2 was produced 1918-1923. The Numbered
Models, No. 15 (50 bu.); No. 16, (70 Bu.) and No. 17, (90 bu.) were produced 1914-1917, under the
NISCO name. The Junior (50 bu.) was manufactured 1917-1918. The two spreaders, B-2, (60 bu.) and
B-3, (70 bu.), followed in 1919-1924. Model No. 6 was produced one year, 1926, only for New Nisco.
During the Silver Anniversary of its 25th Year, The Company produced No. 7 for one year, 1924.
Spreader No. 8, was also initiated in 1924 and was in production through the year 1939. In 1930, the
New Idea Company purchased Sandwich Mfg. Co. In 1935, the Company became New Idea, Inc.
After World War II, in 1945, the Company was purchased by Avco Mfg. World War II influenced
production and sales. No. 9 was produced 1939-1941. No. 10 was produced through World War II and
afterward, 1939-1948. No. 10A was only produced for one year, 1948. No. 11 was only produced in the
early years of the War, 1941-1942.
Tractor Drawn Spreaders followed as No. 12 was a tractor drawn spreader in 1941-42. No. 12-A was
produced 1938-1948. In spite of the tractor drawn spreaders being in production, not everyone had a
tractor, so horse drawn spreaders were still in production. Whatever happened about the horse drawn
spreaders, and the Numbered tractors after No. 12A, will make another story for you and your tractor
collecting buddies! Many of these early spreaders will be on exhibit at Coldwater Park on August 2-4.
[The Mercer County Historical Society President Joyce Alig, may be contacted at 3054 Burk-St. Henry
Road, Saint Henry, OH 45883, or [email protected] or 419-678-2614.]