953 nut 51,970 #1 Posted January 23 The word ACME is seldom heard today unless you are referring to a North Eastern regional grocery store chain by that name. Acme means the highest point or something that represents perfection. It is little wonder that many manufacturers and businesses used the name ACME to give the consumer the thought that it was a high-quality product or service. While researching tractor manufacturers I found several uses of ACME and some interesting branches of their family trees. We will begin with the Acme Tractor. ACME Tractor The Acme Harvesting Machine Co. was formed in Peoria, Illinois in the late 1800s to build binders and other farm machines. Acme began making their 12-25 tractors around 1918. The half-track crawler was a conversion of the wheel tractor. It was three plow tractor with a 382 cubic inch BEAVER four cylinder overhead valve engine rated at twenty five belt horsepower at 850 RPM operating on kerosene. The tractor had a two-speed transmission and could be outfitted with fifty-four inch high twelve-inch-wide steel wheels or could be fitted with twelve-inch-wide tracks. The tractor weighed in at six thoued pounds at a cost of $ 1,650, $ 33,335 in today’s money. 6 1 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 7,384 #2 Posted January 23 33 minutes ago, 953 nut said: The word ACME is seldom heard today Unless you are watching the Roadrunner & Coyote cartoons on Saturday mornings! Ol' Wile got all his toys from ACME ( which I swear was later bought out by McMaster-Carr!!!) They had everything!!! 1 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailman 1,134 #3 Posted January 23 Great information on the "Acme" name. I had also heard many years ago that companies used the Acme name (Acme Plumbing, etc.) so they would be placed at the beginning of the yellow pages (A) and have a better chance of getting business than companies with the following letters. Yellow pages.....shows how old I am.... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 7,384 #4 Posted January 23 45 minutes ago, Sailman said: Great information on the "Acme" name. I had also heard many years ago that companies used the Acme name (Acme Plumbing, etc.) so they would be placed at the beginning of the yellow pages (A) and have a better chance of getting business than companies with the following letters. Yellow pages.....shows how old I am.... We had a couple of infamous cases of vying for the top slot here in RI.... One was a local politician running for Mayor in one of the cities. His name was Ralph aRusso, his opponent was Angelo aRusso, who would get the top listing on the fall ballot. Ralphie boy gets his last name legally changed to aaRusso, and gets the top listing.... Newport (aka Zooport) is a hot summer vacation spot,and a local Dentist there got a bit too creative in going to the top of the Phone book listing. I do not recall his last name, but it was way down the alphabetical listing. So, one fake Diploma on the wall and a second phone line later, he had a ficticious "Business Associate" named DR. Aaron A. Aaron, DDS... Seems whenever someone called that number, the receptionist would reply "Answering for Dr Aaron..." who was NEVER available and then calls got forwarded to the real Dentist. Scam worked for about 5 years - seems there was a REAL Dentist named Aaron A, Aaron, and the patient questioned why her Dentist had a diploma from XXX School, where he had a different one back home where she came from!! OOPS 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 7,384 #5 Posted January 23 And now back to our original program......... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 51,970 #6 Posted January 24 11 hours ago, ri702bill said: Unless you are watching the Roadrunner & Coyote cartoons on Saturday mornings! Ol' Wile got all his toys from ACME 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davem1111 1,934 #7 Posted January 24 @953 nut -I'm really enjoying the tractor trivia threads. Keep 'em coming, please! 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
