When James E. Love`s father crossed the plains in a covered wagon back in the 1800`s to ultimately settle on a piece of farmland near what is now the small community of Garfield, in south-eastern Washington, he brought with him a sack of dried peas he had secured from Germany.

Those peas, planted in the rich soil of the region, formed the basis of a profitable farming venture, but even more importantly, eventually led to the establishment of one of Washington`s most stable industries: the J. E. Love Company, manufacturers of specialized farm equipment.

The birth of the firm came about in 1932 when James Love, who had inherited his father`s farm, became dismayed at the quantity of peas left in the fields with the advent of combines. To solve this problem, he designed and built a cutter bar. It not only worked efficiently but it brought a demand from other farmers for the equipment. Soon Love was busy spending virtually all his time making cutter bars, first for dried peas and later for green peas. He took on a partner, Horace D. Hume, and the firm of Hume-Love Company was formed.

1932 - J. E. "Ed" Love and Horace Hume developed the floating cutterbar as an attachment for grain combines being used in the "Palouse Country." This made it possible to harvest the local dry pea and lentil crop directly (a single operation with the combine). Prior to this development peas were mown, windrowed and then hand pitched into the combine for threshing.

The Hume-Love Company was organized to manufacture the flexible floating cutterbar.

1934 - The Hume-Love Company developed and marketed the first tined pick-up real for grain combines. This invention reduced crop losses and increased the cutting efficiency of either the floating cutterbar or the standard rigid cutterbar.

1935 - Green pea processors and growers of the Walla Walla area became interested in applying the floating cutterbar and tined pick-up reel in their harvest. The new equipment was adapted to a pull type grain windrower. The modified unit successfully windrowed green peas combining the cutting and windrowing operations for the first time.

1938 - A new windrower header was designed which could be mounted directly on a wheel tractor forming an integral unit capable of cutting, windrowing peas and powering itself. The new unit received the trademark "Tracto-R-ower."

1939 - The Green Crop Loader was introduced which loaded windrow pea vines onto trucks at rates as high as one ton per minute. This eliminated hand pitching of vines onto trucks.

1940 - A second manufacturing facility was established at Mendota, Illinois.

1945 - The Hume-Love Company divides and becomes the J. E. Love Company of Garfield, Washington and the H. D. Hume Company of Mendota, Illinois.

1957 - The floating cutterbar is used for the first time in soybeans in order to reduce harvest losses. This effort is conducted in the Red River Valley of Minnesota.

1960 - Sales representative hired to develop the soybean market in Minnesota and Iowa.

1962 - The green pea harvest procedure is again revolutionized with the advent of traveling green pea viners which picked up and thrashed the green peas in the field. This created the need for a new type of tractor-mounted windrower. The J. E. Love Company designed and developed equipment which met the new need.

1965 - Love tractor-mounted green pea windrowers are introduced to the Minnesota and Wisconsin markets for the first time.

1969 - Auger type green pea windrowers are introduced. These machines substantially reduce maintenance costs below that of the older draper conveyer type units.

1970 - All-metal G70 model pick-up reel introduced. Extended life and greater strength are the result of the elimination of wood components.

1971 - Tree Seedling Harvester introduced.

1974 - Opens a new manufacturing facility at New Albany, MS.

N-Tine reels first marketed.

1975 - Introduced Till-All line of tillage tools.

Auger Header prototype TR510 introduced.

1978 - Rod Weeders added to product line.

1979 - Plot Seeder added to product line.

1985 - Vacuum Sower added to product line.

1986 - Rod Weeders, Till-All line of products dropped from line.

J.E. Love Company Memberships

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