AC factory, Pics added

Cedar Rapids, Iowa built certain models of construction equipment up until late 1960's ??

I believe "most" if not all Dozers came from Springfield Ill. Plant..... Ceder Rapids was were they built several models of Scrapers.... Possibly "some" dozers were built there  very early on.

Established in 1911 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, LaPlant-Choate originally got its start in the construction industry by building house moving equipment. This expanded to the manufacture of rudimentary bulldozer blades by 1927 and then on to towed scrapers, compaction equipment and rippers.

By 1939 LaPlant-Choate was a thriving concern and a major supplier of equipment to Caterpillar, both cable and hydraulically operated. LaPlant-Choate’s hydraulic pumps were one of the most simple and therefore reliable of all the early hydraulic units available and employed gears rather than vanes to pump the oil under pressure through the system. Critically, they were equipped with a filter in the return line to the tank.

Rivalry exisited between LaPlant-Choate and LeTourneau as both companies had preferred supplier agreements with Caterpillar who sold both of their products through Cat’s extensive worldwide dealer network.

LaPlant-Choate, just like LeTourneau, was a victim of Caterpillar’s decision to develop and manufacture its own attachments. In 1944 Cat pulled the plug on both companies, collapsing LaPlant’s distributor network.

However, this setback did not deter the company from developing and marketing it’s first motor scraper, the 18 cubic yard Model TS-300 in 1946 followed in 1950 by the 13 cubic yard TS-200.

It should be noted here that LaPlant-Choate coined the trademark “Moto-Scraper”, later expanding it to “Motor Scraper” which has now become a generic term for all machines of this type!

Both the TS-300 and TS-200 were well accepted by contractors but sufficient operating capital was still a problem for the company. LaPlant-Choate also tried building a rubber tyred push tractor, the Model TD-300, but only manufactured a few before the type was withdrawn.

Finally, in September 1952, LaPlant-Choate ceased to exist when Allis-Chalmers bought the entire company, its manufacturing plant & tooling, patent rights, trademarks and unsold equipment. Allis-Chalmers had been investigating scraper manufacturers that could round out its own equipment line and LaPlant-Choate filled the bill nicely. From then on all former LaPlant-Choate products were painted Persian Orange and branded as Allis-Chalmers.

Edited by steve(ill) - 24 Apr 2021 at 9:02pm

Thanks for all the replies, gentlemen!  If i can figure out how to post pics I will, perhaps someone can give me an education on how to do that?

DCAC, I send you a PM

Pictures for DCAC

Thanks Mike, I do too.  Probably no way to prove if it did come from the Cedar Rapids factory for sure.  I've been chatting with Kenny L. today, he's seen some of the chairs from the main plant in Milwaukee, and those had a brass tag on them, and were not painted.  I see no evidence on this chair of a brass tag, but I suppose it's possible the ones in Cedar Rapids didn't have tags.  This one has been painted, though probably quite awhile ago, but is still worth saving, even if it's not legit from the CR plant.  Oh if only this chair, and all our other old iron could talk...

Hello ACDC  We have a large assortment of chairs tables and all kinds of STUFFF that came from the Allis Chalmers plant West Allis. Big Things like over head bridge Crain  AC made welders drafting table.  All had have brass inventory /asset  tags.

Hello Allen, would you happen to have any pics of the office furniture, and/or the brass tags?  Does this chair look similar to anything you have?