ur gy , ▁design , ▁and ▁testing ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁work able ▁track - lay ing ▁system . ▁He ▁replaced ▁the ▁whe els ▁on ▁a ▁ ▁Hol t ▁ste amer , ▁No . ▁ 7 7 , ▁with ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁wooden ▁tracks ▁bol ted ▁to ▁ch ains . ▁On ▁Thanks g iving ▁Day , ▁November ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁he ▁successfully ▁tested ▁the ▁updated ▁machine ▁p low ing ▁the ▁sog gy ▁delta ▁land ▁of ▁Roberts ▁Island . ▁Company ▁photograph er ▁Charles ▁Clement s ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁observed ▁that ▁the ▁tra ctor ▁craw led ▁like ▁a ▁c ater p ill ar , ▁and ▁Hol t ▁seized ▁on ▁the ▁met ap hor . ▁" C ater p ill ar ▁it ▁is . ▁That ' s ▁the ▁name ▁for ▁it !" ▁O thers ▁reported ▁that ▁Hol t ▁got ▁the ▁name ▁from ▁British ▁troops ▁who ▁witness ed ▁a ▁working ▁prototype ▁of ▁Horn s by ' s ▁track - type ▁vehicle ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁Cont inu ous ▁tracks ▁allowed ▁practical ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁the ▁rich ▁far ml and ▁on ▁an ▁industrial ▁scale . ▁The ▁in vention ▁also ▁allowed ▁plan ters ▁to ▁rec laim ▁thousands ▁of ▁acres ▁of ▁delta ▁land ▁previously ▁unus able ▁for ▁far ming . ▁ ▁Hol t ▁began ▁producing ▁models ▁under ▁the ▁C ater p ill ar ▁brand . ▁His ▁first ▁production ▁model ▁had ▁a ▁dual - track ▁frame ▁ ▁high ▁by ▁ ▁wide ▁by ▁ ▁long . ▁Its ▁tracks ▁used ▁ ▁sl