Collection Guide
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Higgins (Floyd Halleck)
Collection
D-056
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library,
Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Floyd Halleck Higgins Collection
Creator:
Higgins,
Floyd Halleck, 1886-1975
Identifier/Call Number: D-056
Physical Description:
565.4 linear
feet
Date (inclusive):
1790-1982
Abstract: News
editor for Caterpillar Tractor Company (1927-1933); freelance
agricultural journalist (1933-1971). Brochures, correspondence,
manuscripts, clippings, serials, photographs, and posters
relating to the development of agricultural machinery in the
United States, Canada, and Europe, particularly the history of
tractors and combines.
Physical Location: Researchers
should contact Archives and Special Collections to request
collections, as many are stored offsite.
Floyd Halleck Higgins was born on May 15, 1886, in Keokuk,
Iowa. After graduating from Iowa State College in Ames, he moved
to Chicago and western Canada to work in a variety of public
relations positions including Director of Public Relations,
National Association of Farm Equipment Manufacturers (1922-1926).
Higgins moved to California in 1927 where he became the News
Editor for Caterpillar Tractor Company. He immediately found that
farm machinery history "was gathered by each company's ad men
when they needed to get up something for a 'special number' of
some publication in which its ads appeared." In self defense,
Higgins began collecting materials relating to the origins of
combines and tractors but his interests expanded to include all
forms of farm mechanization.
In 1933, Caterpillar moved its corporate headquarters to
Peoria, Illinois. Higgins chose to stay in California where he
worked as a free-lance writer. His articles appeared in
Pacific Rural Press,
Farm Implement News,
Diesel Progress,
Rice Journal, and other agricultural
journals. He used every opportunity to interview "the men who
were there" and create an historical record supported by material
in his ever-growing collection.
In 1959, Higgins sold his collection of more than ninety file
cabinet drawers of research materials, to the University of
California, Davis. The University Library hired him to remain the
curator of the collection, a position he held until 1972 when ill
health forced him to retire. He died on February 28, 1975.
This finding aid is for the portion of the collection that is
primarily brochures and other printed material relating to the
development of agricultural machinery in the United States
particularly the history of tractors and combines. Manuals,
catalogs, clippings and photographs have been treated separately.
Higgins' personal correspondence and manuscripts are now the F.
Hal Higgins Papers.
O-005, Agricultural Technology Brochures Collection
O-012, Agricultural Technology Catalogs Collection
O-011, Agricultrual Technology Manuals Collection
D-004, Anthony W. Bakken Collection
D-308, Caterpillar 20 Collection
D-267, Terry Galloway Collection
MC213, Walter H. Gardner Collection
MC135, Harris Manufacturing Company Collection
D-116, F. Hal Higgins Papers
MC173, Hoke Tractor Affadavit Collection
MC194, Lawrence and Maxine Mapes Collection
MC014, Howard Steiner Collection
D-173, E. J. Stirniman Collection
MC149, John Talbert Papers
Collection is open for research.
Acquired from F. Hal Higgins with generous assistance from the
International Harvester Company, Deere & Company, and
Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, 1959.
[Identification of item], Floyd Halleck Higgins Collection,
D-056, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library,
University of California, Davis.
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected
under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted
in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for
publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University
of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder,
which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Agricultural machinery --Design and
construction--Sources.
Tractors--Design and
construction--Sources.
Combines (Agricultural machinery)--Design
and construction--Sources
Higgins, Floyd Halleck,
1886-1975--Archives. -- Archives