Nichols-Shepard

In the twilight of the 19th and dawn of the 20th centuries, Nichols-Shepard stood as a prominent creator of agricultural machinery. Its origins trace back to the humble blacksmith shop of John Nichols, established in Battle Creek, Michigan. The company’s core offerings centered around innovative threshing machines and powerful steam engines. A new chapter began in 1929 when Nichols-Shepard joined forces with Hart-Parr and Oliver Chilled Plow, giving rise to the Oliver Farm Equipment company. Even after this consolidation, the Battle Creek facility continued production of combines and corn pickers for another three decades, until 1962, when White acquired Oliver and ultimately ceased operations at the plant.