“Compliments of J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co. Racine Wis. Send for Catalogue.”

Two travelers crossing a stone bridge in wintertime. The lithography company is Bufford, whose name shows halfway cutoff at the bottom left. This trade card is probably from the 1880s or ’90s. This is one of those posts that, in particular, could lead to hours of fascinating reading, if one has the time. According to the company’s ad in the 1929 city directory, the J. I. Case T. M. Co. was founded in 1842. It continued through many incarnations till the 1990s when it merged with CNH Global.

Founder Jerome Increase Case (1819 – 1891)

A full page ad from the 1929 Racine, Wisconsin city directory. There’s Old Abe’s likeness in the center; she was the famous eagle from the Wisconsin 8th Volunteer Infantry.

The real Old Abe with her color guard in Vicksburg, 1863.

Our trade card at top, though not in the best of shape is, at the time this post was put up, the only one in it’s particular style, showing online. Although there are a few others that can be found, that are even more to the point, as they advertise some of the J. I. Case farm equipment being sold at the time. The “stone bridge” is a pretty common fixture in old trade cards, postcards and other ephemera. Our card was likely one of a set of winter scenes.

Trade card, J. I. Case Threshing Co. Circa 1880s – 1890s.

Price:  $25.00              Size:  3 x 4 and 1/4″

Sources:  Case Corporation. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Corporation (accessed February 4, 2016).

John Henry Bufford. n.d https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Bufford (accessed February 4, 2016).

CNH Industrial. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNH_Industrial (accessed February 4, 2016).

Jerome Case. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Case (accessed February 4, 2016).

Wright’s Racine (Wisconsin) City Directory, 1929, Vol. XXXI. p. 3. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Old Abe. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Abe (accessed February 4, 2016).