The Townsend Manufacturing Co. of Janesville, Wisconsin took a completely different approach to tractor design from most other manufacturers. In external appearance their tractors resembled steam engines, but what looked like a boiler was actually a fuel tank. The first model, a 10-20 hp machine, was introduced around 1915 and a series of larger models followed. By 1924, the range consisted of five different models, from a 15-30 up to a 30-60. Townsend tractors were also sold by the Canadian Fairbanks-Morse Co. as the "Fair-Mor". In the early 1930s, Townsend was bought out by the LaCrosse Boiler Co., who continued to sell the tractors for a few more years.

(Click on images below to enlarge)

Townsend 12-25 at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, Austin, Manitoba, Canada in 2004.

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Townsend 15-30 (serial no. 1279) at the Vooroorlogse Tractorshow Bergeijk, Netherlands in 2008.

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Townsend 30-60 at WMSTR, Rollag, Minnesota, USA in 2004.