A quick google search indicates that he ran a feed mill and took a threshing crew to ND every year, and the tractor was developed to address problems he encountered doing that work.

One of a few rough sources: http://iagenweb.org/boards/clayton/biographies/index.cgi?rea...

So, yeah, it's actually a perfect example of someone taking his technical skills and using them to come up with an innovative solution to something close to home.