Gray Tractor produced drum-driven tractors in the early 1900s, based on a design acquired from W.C. Knapp, who had been developing tractors since 1908. The company started its production in Minneapolis in 1914 and exported a significant number of tractors to France during World War I. However, Gray Tractor filed for bankruptcy in 1924 and was subsequently sold. Production continued with exports to Canada until the factory ultimately shut down in 1927.