Our Legacy

Mining machines driving on job site
Mining machines driving on job site

Caterpillar Company History

Enjoy the ingenious machines from our rich heritage, and more importantly, the people who founded and built the company one breakthrough at a time. Beginning with Benjamin Holt and C. L. Best, the people of Caterpillar have always been – and continue to be – extraordinary.

Our History

Over the last century we’ve grown with our customers. We’ve changed together as the world has changed: creating, building, problem solving, innovating, testing, servicing and improving. When customers choose our products, services and solutions today, they also gain nearly 100 years of experience and expertise. 

Explore our History
Historic collage with timeline
Historic collage with timeline

A Glimpse into Our Corporate Archives

Our Corporate Archives team has the important role of telling, preserving and showcasing Caterpillar’s history and the role our equipment, customers and people have played in projects around the world.  

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Cases in Caterpillar's Archives Facility
Cases in Caterpillar's Archives Facility

View Our History by the Decades

1800s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s

Featured from our Heritage Collection

Each week we open our vault to share stories of our people and products over the last 95+ years. Check out our most recent features here, or view the collection.

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Engineers Week

1945 – Our engineers have been making history since our beginning. The Archives has many early photographs of engineers, and this one is a favorite. The unknown Caterpillar engineer featured in the photograph is performing an engine endurance breakdown test. 

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Research and development during World War II, 1945.
Research and development during World War II, 1945.

Research

1939 – Caterpillar employees have been at the forefront of innovation since 1925. This Caterpillar employee research lab coat belonged to James McConkey, who worked in the East Peoria, Illinois Plant. The Archives is fortunate to have several artifacts documenting his career in the collection. 

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Caterpillar Employee Research Lab Coat, 1939.
Caterpillar Employee Research Lab Coat, 1939.

ERIE SHOVEL

1925 - The electric rope shovels Caterpillar sells today have been leaders in the industry for almost 140 years. While they haven’t always been Caterpillar yellow, they set the standard for efficiency and reliability in the mining industry. This shovel was manufactured under the Erie brand name.

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Erie shovel, ca. 1925.
Erie shovel, ca. 1925.

ACMOC 

Visit the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club website to learn more about the organization, connect with other members, and find out more about upcoming events and meetings.

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