Oct 28, 2020
The Oliver Chilled Plow Works exhibit at the South Bend History Museum. The company grew to become one of the largest in Indiana and one of the world's largest producers of farm plows and horse drawn equipment during the late 19th century. The business was a major contributor to growth of South Bend and the surrounding area.
James Oliver was inspired by a Bible verse from Isaiah, “… and they shall beat their swords into plowshares …,” to study Spanish sword-making techniques. This led to his development of the strong and efficient chilled plow.