In 1935 Harold Pond founded the "POND TRACTOR COMPANY", and built Speedex tractors. ...Some worthy information to note before the Pond Tractor Co. started follows.  Harold Pond was associated with Shaw Mfg. Co. of Galesburg, Kanas. Shaw Mfg. Co. fabricated walk behind tractors and other outdoor power equipment from reclaimed motorcycles and automotive parts. Harold Pond, his brother Elmer Pond, and brother-in-law, Glen Heilman all worked for the Shaw Mfg. Co. at one time. Harold was assigned Ohio and Pennsylvania as his territory for mat'l shipments of steel. Durning that time Harold conceived and  developed the Speedex walkbehind tractor. All three men were very motivated and would eventually create their own companys. Harold's brother Elmer and his son Ceicel were responsible for the developement of the " Wheel Horse " line of tractors in South Bend Ind. Harold's brother-in-law Glen Heilman was responsible for developing the " Garden-All " line of garden tractors in Mishawaka, Indian. These three men would go on to be responsible for many inovations in the history of small  garden tractor production. .... Now for Harold's part. 

In 1938-39 Harold Pond developed the Model B Speedex riding tractor in Ravenna, Ohio. The Speedex Model-B is considered the first four wheel garden tractor in America with an air-cooled engine and pneumatic tires. It had tiller steering, pneumatic tires, Briggs & Stratton Model ZZ air cooled engine, a Ford Model-A transmission, and Ford Model-T rear axle. In 1939 Harold started a national advertising campain to sell the Model-B tractors.  1941 The Model-B was sold with a 6HP Briggs engine. A 1941 Sales Pamplet lists the Co. name as "POND GARDEN TRACTOR CO." the Model-B tractors were built in 1939,1940,1941,1942,1943-48.  During this time he also developed the Model A and C walk-behind Tractors. In 1942 the Model FG ( Farm and Garden )was developed using a Ford Model A 4-cylinder engine, Model-A transmission,and Model-T rear axle. It sported the Model-A radiator and radiator shell. This first FG was a direct evolution of the Model-B having many of the same parts, which also included the 9 inch front tires. Later FG's were a higher designed tractor and did not have the shiney Ford Model-A radiator shell. This later FG  did have larger front wheels ,12 inch, and had a Model-A rear axle.
Some time in 1948 Harold was contacted by the Henry Ford, and was told that he was competing with Ford tractor business and that Ford would no longer be able to sell him components. The call from Henry Ford prompted Harold to develope his own transmission and rear axle design.
In 1949  Harold Pond  changed his company name to the "SPEEDEX TRACTOR COMPANY".

In 1950 Harold developed the M-23 and M 25 which utilized his new differential and transmission design. Several models proceeded from 2 wheel tractors to other 4 wheel tractors, the D-4, M-8, M-12, M-14, M-16, M-23, M-25 and WT two wheel walk behind..

In 1957 Harold Pond sold his company to Maury Foote and Jerry Stowe. Harold and his wife Golda and daughter Marilyn then moved back to his native state and town of Galesburg ,Kansas. Harold continued to tinker with some designs for other small items that did not reach production status. Born April 30th ,1905 Horld E.Pond died on Nov. 18th 1966 at the age of 61. In a recent interview with his daughter she mentioned that her Father would be very proud to know of the present practial use and continued interest in his tractors.

Jerry Stowe was a school teacher and a successful potato farmer, specializing in varieties for the potato chip market. Stowe was incharge of Sales and Design. Maury Foote, a graduate of the Eastman School of music, was a teacher, then a manufacturer of road sign hardware, then a structural engineer, fabricator and salesman. Foot took over purchasing and the production end of business.  Both men were owners, managers, and salesmen totally and  directly active in the further design and promotion of the Speedex line of garden tractors. New changes included adding steering wheel control and the availability of many accessories for each tractor.. In 1959 the S-Series was introduced with the S-14 and S-23. The S-Series Tractors were produced from 1959 thru 1974. The S-Series tractors would be the most produced of all the Speedex tractors and would include the S14,S17,S18,S19,S23,S24, and the S32. In 1960 Speedex  adapted a front mounted mowing deck which was attached to the front axle. This was the first four wheel riding mower in America. They continued improving their design and adding new tools and implements. In 1966  Foot and Stowe introduced the Kohler engine as an option on the S18 tractor. Their production reached the optimum capacity of 1000 units a year and remained stable until they sold the company.

In 1969, General Combustion, who later merged with Mechtron International, boosted production to 1500 units a year and developed the "first full floating mower deck" and later developed the Model 832 which was the "first Diesel powered garden tractor" in America. In approx. March of 1969 Eagle Tractor pruchased the Speedex Co. and produced tractors for a short while introducing the Speedex Falcon ,a large framed steel  fender and hood construction tractor, and Speedex Eagle, a small framed Fiber Glass  hood and fender construction tractor. Both  the Falcon and Eagle tractors were targated at the yard mowing consumer market. In  Feb. of 1992 The Eagle Tractor  Co. was purchased by a partnership called Speedex Tractor Inc. Speedex tractor production was  again targated at both the yard mowing consumer and the small farmer. Speedex Tractor Inc. continued until 1994 at which time the plant in Ravenna, Ohio closed its production facilaity and closed it's doors at the Ravenna locaton forever.....

 Armstrong Tractor Co., a New company,  in Armstrong county Pa. was a combined venture with Speedex for continued tractor production. Some of the most recent Speedex designs were produced for a short time. The new company starting out as a Speedex facility changing names as ownershiip changed. The new tractor would carry the name Strongland. This new company was  interested in the continued production of Speedex Similar tractors having aquired many of the Ravenna plant production equipment and tractor parts inventory. Many redesigns in the structure of current Speedex  tractors were introduced on the Strongland line of tractors, while offering most of the Speedex implements and accessories. Speedex tractors were  the original basic design and philosophy  for the new  tractors,and some prototype tractors were moved from the Ravenna plant to Armstrong Tractor Co.... Only a few  Speedex tractors were  produced at the Armstrong facility. ....

 From 1994/95 thru early 1997 Speedex Tractor Inc. was inactive in the actual production of tractors,however, they sold parts and accessories during that time. ..In 1997, Speedex Tractor Inc.  was aquired by Trans Tech International, Ltd. Trans Tech International was located at a production facility in Bolivar Ohio. The Speedex production at this site was a redesign of the last tractor produced in 1994 at the Ravenna Ohio plant. The new tractors would incorperate a heavier frame, cast front end, and general structure and stylish appearance changes. A new Logo, styled after the original  1960's Speedex Oval and colors (red-yellow-black),was introduced which offered the company an  evolution of reliability and continuity with the S-Series tractors produced in Ranvenna Ohio under these colors.  The new Speedex venture met with many finacial dificulties and set backs which lead to  start up related problems. The economy and the offshore production of small tractors at that time surley made it almost  impossible to compete. The last,... USA Made in Bolivar Ohio..., Speedex model tractor was an impressive 1999 Model-2032 20hp Briggs two cylinder engine. Only a small hand full of tractors were produced. Unfortunatly Speedex Tractor production again stopped in the year 2000. Trans Tech International,Ltd of New Philadelphia, Ohio  still offers parts for many of the Speedex line of garden tractors.