The Larsen Tractor Museum is a historical facility located on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. The museum was established in 1980 and is dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Nebraska’s tractor test law (dating from 1919) which began as a law to protect others from irresponsible tractor companies failing to keep the best interest of the farmer in mind. Today it remains the only tractor testing museum in the world. It is also still the only complete tractor test laboratory in the world.

The Nebraska tractor testing law had its roots in 1919 when Wilmot Crozier, a farmer, and legislator from Osceola in Polk County, bought a Ford 8-16 tractor. Not made by Henry Ford Co., the Ford 8-16 didn’t live up to its advertised claims. The advertisements claimed it could pull three plows at once. Mr. Crozier could only get it to pull one. He took it back to the dealership and demanded they take it back, but they told him, “You own it, you keep it”.

They did eventually give him a Rumely H tractor The advertisements claimed it could pull three plows at once; Crozier got it to pull five. Wilmot Crozier and State Senator Charles Warner decided to ensure that all farmers would get a fair deal when buying any model of tractor sold in Nebraska. Under their leadership, the Nebraska Tractor Test Law was passed in 1919, House Roll 85.

At the same time, the legislature established a facility for tractor testing on the east campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to ensure those tractor manufacturers met their advertised claims of the tractor’s performance. The Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory is known around the world as the first test lab in the world. And it is the leader in tractor testing and is still the only one of its kind in the world.

The Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum are housed in the original Nebraska Tractor Test facility on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska Lincoln. It is located at 35th and Fair Streets. A newer section was built in 1948. The building was declared a historical landmark by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers in 1980 and dedicated as a museum in 1998.

Friends of the Museum were instrumental in early renovation efforts and continue to raise funds for the museum. The museum is now part of the University of Nebraska State Museum system. The Waterloo Boy tractor was the first to successfully complete the testing process in 1920. Only because of the harsh winter of 1919, they didn’t get the testing finished in time

N 35th St & Fair St
Lincoln, NE 68583
P: 402-472-8389

Larsen Tractor Museum Admission:

$5 donation
Plan: 1hr

Larsen Tractor Museum Hours:

Tuesday – Friday 10am – 4pm

tractormuseum.unl.edu

Image via Ruth Choate

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