Letter: There is interest in Harry Ferguson's tractors in America, so July 4 reminds me of the need for a museum to him

Today as our American cousins celebrate the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July I want to mention why as a proud Ulster-Scot, Northern Ireland needs to also celebrate the historic occasion.

The unique special relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom runs deep and can be seen especially in the ties between the USA and Northern Ireland.

So many of the founding fathers of the United States of America have links back to Ulster and others who built the country into the world's only superpower. Right up to those today like the Vice President JD Vance, the second most powerful man in the world, who proudly tells of his Scotch-Irish roots.

The best way of promoting these links would be in establishing the Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation at the Ulster American Folk Park in Co Tyrone.

2025 is a year of anniversaries with the centenary, including 65 years since the death of Harry Ferguson. And ninety years ago Harry Ferguson’s Ferguson System of farm mechanisation would be perfected in Tyrone in the quiet fields at Tullylagan manor owned by the Chairman of the Ferguson Company Thomas MacGregor Greer.

Greer owned the right to the Ferguson brand name as he put up most of the development costs of £156,000. Harry Ferguson’s long time business ties and friendship with Greer from his first business meant Co Tyrone played a very special and unique role in the Ferguson System's development.

The first Ferguson plough had its testing and some of the parts cast in Co Tyrone from 1917 would be shown to the public for the first time in Tyrone. The world’s first production Ferguson System tractor the 1936 Ferguson-Brown Type A number 1 and plough belonged to Greer. They spent their working lives in Tyrone helping ensure Co Tyrone is known as the home of the Ferguson System.

As the Ulster American Folk Park concentrates on ties between Ulster and America this just fits in so well. Harry Ferguson would make the Gentleman’s Agreement between American industrialist Henry Ford who had Irish family links. Resulting in the production of the world’s first Ferguson System tractor the revolutionary little grey Ford-Ferguson in 1939.

In every area of life those who left Ulster and made a new life for themselves in the ‘New World’ never fails to amaze. Our unique links with the USA is a golden opportunity to boost tourism and trade. So many innovators and achievers with links from this part of the world would play crucial roles in making the USA of today the world’s only superpower. Some of those from County Tyrone that achieved so much in the USA includes:

• John Dunlap a printer from Strabane, printed the first 200 copies of the American Declaration of Independence on the 4th July, 1776.

• The Mellon family who emigrated to the USA from Tyrone and became very rich investing in technology during a period of mass industrialisation and who helped make the USA a powerhouse in so many areas including tractor and implement manufacturing.

• Cyrus Hall McCormick whose family was originally from Ballygawley, and who developed the world’s first successful mechanical reaper

There are many more examples right up to holding the office of President in the last 249 years.

In the US there rightly is great interest in Harry Ferguson as the father of the modern tractor. His invention of the modern tractor with quickly interchangeable implements in 1925 celebrates its centenary this year and Harry Ferguson's name as Northern Ireland's greatest innovator by helping feed the world has global recognition. With the Ulster American Folk Park also on American’s must see tourism lists this will be mutually beneficial to have both museums at the same location.

On the current site is a research and education campus linking the two local universities this can be expanded into innovation on the large Folk Park site to provide resources for industry in developing skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). This will be a useful resource for current and future innovators, creating jobs in the often overlooked west of Northern Ireland.

A new modern state-of-art building to house and show to best effect the static and virtual displays is all that is required. A special gallery called the Northern Ireland hall of innovation and achievement can be included to tell the stories of all those past and present with links to Northern Ireland.

The environmentally friendly building having space for a large lecture theatre and exhibitions to honour innovators and achievers past and present. An outdoor space can be used for special days and events. This will be a joint resource for the Ulster American Folk Park and help National Museums Northern Ireland meet their corporate strategy 2025-2030.

Next year on the 4th of July, it will be 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and in the run up to that very historic date, wouldn’t it be great to have a new world class museum in the Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation to host special events, exhibitions and displays that tell the stories of the many from our shores who actually did make America great.

Stevan Pattersan, Castlederg