[1] Roop was born in Texas in 1895 and had initially trained as a vehicle mechanic after leaving high school.
In June 1917 Roop enlisted in the army and was Chief Mechanic in the Truck Train of the Motor Transport Corp, rising to the position of Commanding Officer of the 15th Division's Truck Train based at San Antonio, Houston, and the Mexican border.
Harrell established Prairie Queen Tractors office at 19 West Avenue A, Temple.
Roop and Payne's work with a wide variety of makes and models of tractor had led to their development of The Tom Cat.
Its office, by May 1920, was given as the Brady and Black Hardware building, which was on the corner of East Central Avenue and South Second Street.
[3][4] There is a post card of the Brady and Black building in the early 1920s showing a car with rows of tractors either side.
[7] It was first publicly demonstrated at the Woodlawn Flying Field west of Bird's Creek on the Temple-Belton Pike on May 29, 1920.
The location is now the intersection of Interstate 35 and South West H K Dodgen Loop, and marked by a commemorative plaque for the Texas Aero Corporation hangar.
According to a newspaper article when it was first mooted, the tractor was to be assembled by sourcing parts from a number of specialized manufacturers.
The company moved its manufacturing from the old Fundary Building between the MK and T railway and Santa Fe railway crossing to the Jenkins building at 209 West Central Avenue in August and began to undertake general repair work on tractors and motor vehicles to supplement its income.