The name Ferguson has become synonymous to tractors used for agriculture. Harry Ferguson was the engineer from Ireland who revolutionized the field of farm machinery. He was born in Growell near Belfast, Ireland.

He joined his brother Joe's repair workshop as an automobile apprentice after quitting his farm work. He attended evening classes at Belfast Technical College. His interest in motorcycles and aeroplanes grew. He built his own aeroplane in 1909 and he was the first to fly in Ireland and the first Briton to design, build and fly his own machine.

In 1911, the Ferguson Company was established as a sales and repair outlet for American tractors. The machines were difficult to handle and caused accidents. When the plough happened to hit the obstacle, the front end of the tractor rose up throwing the driver out of the seat. Ferguson redesigned the plough such that it was coupled to the tractor in a three point linkage, making them form a single unit. When the plough hit an obstacle, it could be raised easily using a lever beside the driver. The idea of directly mounted tractor ploughs meant business.

In 1939, a deal was signed with Henry Ford in Michigan to manufacture Ferguson's equipments. But the deal did not hold for long. Ferguson's company later merged with the Canadian company Massey-Harris to form Massey-Ferguson, the name so well known to farmers.