From the Archives: U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt Poses with a Steam Shovel

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sits on a Bucyrus steam shovel during his visit to the Panama Canal build site in 1906. Bucyrus supplied 77 of the 102 shovels purchased to dig the Panama Canal.

During the ten years it took to build the Panama Canal, the Isthmain Canal Commission bought 77 large steam shovels from The Bucyrus Company. When U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the construction site in 1906, he posed on one of the Bucyrus steam shovels for a photo.

The Panama Canal officially opened on August 15, 1914. It spanned 51 miles and allowed passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in half the time previously required to sail around the tip of South America.

Over 100 years later, with the recent acquisition of Bucyrus, Caterpillar Global Mining is achieving similar feats around the world. From “Day One,” the two best teams in the mining industry now offer an unparalleled range of equipment and services as one company. Learn more about the integration efforts that took place from the beginning to ensure success.