The Story Behind the Letters

Many Rusty Iron enthusiasts probably know why most of the part numbers on International Harvester plows begin with the letters “PO.” However, just in case some don’t, here’s the story of the Parlin & Orendorff Co. of Canton, Illinois.

William Parlin was born in 1817, in Acton, Massachusetts, where he apparently learned the blacksmith trade. Typical of many restless young men of the day, Parlin drifted west, ending up in St. Louis. There, he blacksmithed for a year but didn’t seem to do very well. Leaving St. Louis, Parlin traveled by boat up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers