Goodison Connection

This section of www.olivertractors.ca is comprised of Oliver tractors owned by Jim Gibbons of Petrolia, Ontario.

From the 1920’s through the 1950’s due to Canadian Custom’s rules a tractor manufactured only in the United States had to have some Canadian assembly content to be sold in Canada.

In 1920 the John Goodison Threshing Company entered into an agreement with the Hart-Parr Company to distribute tractors in Ontario. (May not have been in the rest of Canada). In 1929 with the merger to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Company the agreement continued. The Oliver Corporation of Charles City Iowa sent tractors to be sold in Ontario, Canada to the Goodison Threshing Company in Sarnia Ontario and later in the late 40’s to Toronto, Ontario. Around 1947 Goodison discontinued the production of threshing machines. Company name changed after this period.  Possibly the only assembly done was to install a Goodison decal or metal plate on the tractor. Oliver made Cockshutt tractors did not need this distributor as the Cockshutt Company was a Canadian manufacturer.

The tractors were in most cases shipped to an Oliver Dealer for sale to local farms. Goodison also sold some Oliver tractors.

More information: MORE DETAILED GOODISON THRESHING COMPANY AND GOODISON CONNECTION HISTORY prepared by Jim Gibbons of Petrolia, Ontario.

The following brass plate was found on a 1944 Oliver 60 Row Crop

The shifter plate was found on a 1953 Oliver 77 Row Crop  (Name changed on shifter to Goodison Industries)

The decal was on a 1948 Oliver 70 Row Crop    

If you disagree with this history, or have any further information to add, please click here to send us an e-mail.  More history on the Oliver Goodison Connection would be of interest to others.