American Agriculture History Minute: First Mail Order Tractor Parts Business Begins

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute.

In 1938, Charles E. Schmidt began a mail order tractor parts business. The company got its start in Minot, North Dakota in 1938 as a mail order supplier of tractor parts, the first retail store founded in 1939. We know it today as Tractor Supply Company. 

And, in January of 1959, Tractor Supply Company became publicly traded on the over-the-counter market and reached $10 million in sales.

That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute. I’m Mark Oppold. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next time.