The Caterpillar 45 by Holt Mfg Co. - 1915 sales catalog - reprint

Description

The Caterpillar “45”
, originally published by Holt Mfg. Co., Stockton, Calif., 1915. Reproduced by Nation Builder Books, Mebane, NC, 2014. 6¾ x 10 paperback, 32 pages.
Please note that this is a PHOTOCOPIED reproduction of the 1915 original. The accompanying images were scanned from a reprint, not the original.
In 1906, Benjamin Holt, organized the Aurora Engine Company of Stockton, California, to develop a gasoline engine suited to powering a traction engine for  agricultural harvesting. Holt’s idea was to equip the traction engine with tracks, instead of the very wide wheels - nearly 50 feet – which farmers were forced to use by the soft soil of California’s central valley. Benjamin Holt owned a farm on similarly soft soils. In 1908, The Holt Manufacturing Company was incorporated to begin production of gasoline-powered "Caterpillar" tractors. The engines were rated at 40 horsepower, so the tractor was named the “Holt Model 40 Caterpillar.” Only four were produced that year. Within a year, the same tractor had been equipped with a slightly larger engine that provided 45 horsepower, and the "Holt Model 45 Caterpillar" launched Holt to commercial success. The 45 was built in Stockton from 1909 to 1911, and then production was started up in Peoria also. Commercial production ended in 1915, but during World War 1, over 5,000 Holt 45 tractors were built and supplied to the Army for use in Europe, principally for towing artillery.
In 1911, the "Holt Model 60 Caterpillar" was introduced, and became the most famous of the early Holt tractors. The basic difference between the 45 and the 60 were design improvements to the  heads and valves of the engines.
I figured that at least you can get a copy of this wonderful piece of Cat memorabilia, the original of which, as you know, would easily fetch much more than a few hundred dollars. As of the time of this listing in November 2014, there is an original sales catalog for Caterpillar 30 being offered for 0.00. Yes, nine hundred dollars.
Please note that this is a PHOTOCOPIED reproduction of the 1915 original. The accompanying images were scanned from a reprint, not the original.