Huntley in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Hoover Potato Digger

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

1. Hoover Potato Digger Marker

Inscription.
Before the advent of mechanized diggers, a farmer could only harvest as many potatoes that he could dig by hand. This mechanized digger, invented by Isaac Hoover, could harvest hundreds of bushels a day. It could dig the potatoes, sift and separate stones, weeds, stalks and potatoes, and deliver the potatoes to one side and the debris to the other. The digger was pulled by a team of horses and could dig up to 500 bushels or a full 8 acres per day.

Donated by the John Hardt Family

Erected by Huntley Project Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Agriculture.

Location. 45° 55.529′ N, 108° 14.493′ W. Marker is in Huntley, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It can be reached from Railroad Highway 0.2 miles west of South 8th Road, on the left when traveling west. The Hoover Potato Digger and marker are on the Huntley Project Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 770 Railroad Highway, Huntley MT 59037, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Yellowstone Country

and in Greater

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Billings.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Osborn Schoolhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); William Fricke's Carpenter Shop (within shouting distance of this marker); The Ruth Dredger (within shouting distance of this marker); Little Yankee Road Grader (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to the Huntley Project Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); 1910 Homestead House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Volga Germans on the Huntley Project (about 500 feet away); Russian Style Barn (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntley.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Hoover Potato Digger

Also see . . . Isaac Hoover’s Popular Potato Digger (FarmCollector.com).

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

2. Hoover Potato Digger Marker

(By Lisa Yako) Excerpt: Hoover’s wasn’t the first mechanized potato harvester (that invention dates to the late 1860s) but it was one of the most popular early units. Isaac Woolverton Hoover was born in 1845 in Groton Township, Erie County, Ohio, the eldest son of John and Elizabeth Hoover. In 1851, following John Hoover’s return from the California gold rush, the Hoover family settled on a 115-acre farm in Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio.
After years of tediously harvesting potatoes by hand, Hoover began to envision a mechanical potato digger. During the winter of 1884-1885, he designed and constructed his first digger and used it to harvest his 1885 crop. Foreseeing the potential of his invention, he submitted a patent application in March 1885. The patent (No. 318,254) was granted May 19, 1885.

(Submitted on August 25, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Hoover Potato Digger image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

3. Hoover Potato Digger

Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 25, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.