Making Tracks - C.L. Best and the Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Ed Claessen; Sue Claessen

ISBN 10: 1592984274 / ISBN 13: 9781592984275

Published by Beaver's Pond Press, 2011

About this Item

Near fine book and jacket. Seller Inventory # 096830

Bibliographic Details

Title: Making Tracks - C.L. Best and the ...

Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press

Publication Date: 2011

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Near Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

Ford is to automobile what Best is to tractors. Making Tracks: C.L. Best and the Caterpillar Tractor Co. is a complete picture of Clarence Leo Best and why he was driven to live up to his name Best. Read about the little-known history of the name behind the success of the historical California company, the Caterpillar Tractor Co. Best's life was varied and intriguing; designing and building tractors, raising cattle, fistfights in the boardroom, lawsuits and hostile takeovers, and mining gold were a few of the experiences that punctuate the chapters of this brilliant life. Ultimately, Best's improvements to the track-type tractor concept allowed the Caterpillar Tractor Co. to become the world's road builder and so much more. This story follows Best through his life, from working for his father through starting and operating his own company to being chairman of the board for the Caterpillar Tractor Co. for twenty six years. To complete the profile of the man as well as the entrepreneur, the authors interviewed Best's only son and were granted access to countless family photos and records.

About the Author:

Ed Claessen was always intrigued by mechanical things. From steam locomotives on the Great Northern Railway to Caterpillar equipment and building roads, he never missed an opportunity to watch the action. So in 1973, when the State of Minnesota offered a bonus to Vietnam veterans, Ed spent his money on a Caterpillar Sixty tractor. That purchase has lead to nearly forty years of research and tractor restorations. It is from those projects that Making Tracks has emerged. Sue Claessen is a self-named read-a-holic who will start a novel at 10 p.m., finish it at 2 a.m., and be up for her job with the U.S. Postal Service at 5:30 a.m. Sue has dabbled with writing short stories while also penning newsletters for some hometown organizations. Making Tracks is her first published book. Both native Minnesotans, Ed and Sue have one grown son, Dan, and still live on the same land in rural Waverly that they moved to when they were married in 1974.