John Rocke had the idea to build a grain elevator to improve the slow and laborious method of scooping grain and corn into bins. Thus, Meadows Manufacturing was founded by John Rocke in Meadows, McLean County, Illinois. Meadows operated from January 27, 1903 until their sale by auction on November 10, 1955. They manufactured grain elevators, farm scales, washing machines, tractor binder hitches, and pump jacks. During WWII, they suspended manufacturing all of their products to make parts for an anti-aircraft gun.
The collection includes the history of the company, lists of their products and specs, their involvement in WWII manufacturing, newspaper articles and advertising, repair specs, their sale by auction, etc.
