[AT] SC Case with Hopto backhoe

[James Peck]

The location at the intersection of Coolidge and 14 mile on the west side of the former Grand Trunk, now CN, tracks is occupied by a manufacturing company. The building is single story so obviously no overhead cranes. A former Sherman manufacturing site was there. I would have to look at a map to see if it is in Birmingham, Royal Oak, or Troy, Michigan. Ford Tractor got started in the backhoe business by buying Sherman. The backhoes were sold aftermarket but those mounted to the tractor. 

Coolidge continues north of 14 mile on the East side of the GT tracks. The former Ford test farm and offices were on the East side of the GT tracks between 14 mile and 15 mile. I think there is a Whole Foods about where the Ford offices were. The whole stretch is strip mall now. The GT tracks run from Detroit to Pontiac.

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/a-look-at-the-history-of-the-backhoe-loader/25186

The article does not have much to say about Hopto.

Francis Robinson aka "farmer" Central Indiana USA AT List Member (mailto:robinson46176 at gmail.com); My folks bought this farm in the spring of 1951 and we lived here maybe 2 years with only hand pumps on the wells. We had quite a bit of livestock and pumped A LOT of water until we got the place plumbed. The guy that dug in the lines to the first two barns used a Hopto hoe and it was PTO driven. He was pulling it with a "Custom" tractor made here in Shelbyville Indiana which had no hydraulics at all let alone enough to power that hoe. I saw one of those old Hopto diggers maybe a year or so ago sitting for sale at the intersection of Indiana St. Rd. 9 and US - 52. I never stopped and looked  at it, I was afraid it might be affordable.  :-) 
The next guy that dug a ditch here later had an old army truck with a hoe attached to the back of it. The guy after that had a trencher and a front blade mounted on an old jeep.
Those old original lines have been abandoned for some time now, too rusty to repair. I've replaced them with plastic. Even the plastic that went in in the mid 1950's is still like new.