Inventing America – Season 4, Episode 4 Hobart I. Nutter – The Self-Propelled Harvester Episode Summary: Before tractors ruled the fields and machines moved on their own, one Ohio farmer imagined a better way to harvest. In this episode, we explore how Hobart I. Nutter turned sweat and soil into a mechanical revolution—by inventing the first commercially successful self-propelled combine harvester. This is the story of how one man’s rural problem became a national solution—and changed farming forever. What You’ll Learn: • Why early 20th-century harvesting was so labor-intensive • How Nutter’s invention replaced multi-step processes with a single, mobile machine • The lasting influence of Nutter’s design on modern farming equipment • How agricultural innovation often starts far from the lab Inventor Spotlight: Hobart I. Nutter • Ohio-based farmer and inventor • Patented the first self-propelled combine harvester in the 1930s • Operated the Nutter Harvester Company before his innovations were absorbed into larger manufacturers • Now largely forgotten, though his invention shaped the modern agricultural landscape Resources & References: • U.S. Patent filings by Hobart I. Nutter (1930–1934) • Agricultural history archives, Ohio Historical Society • University of Nebraska’s digital ag machinery exhibit Join the Conversation: Enjoying Inventing America? Help spread the word: 📱 Share on social media with #InventingAmerica 🌾 Support the show by following, reviewing, and recommending 💬 Got an inventor we should feature? Let us know!