It was an invention. I'm into historic tractors, there are a number of interesting steering controls that companies played with in the 1800s. I've seen a tractor that you controlled with reigns (like a horse). I've seen tractors where there was levers not a wheel. The wheel quickly won out (AFAIK the wheel predates the ones I listed).
Today steering seems obvious, but only because a lot of inventors tried a lot of things some of which were bad ideas.
Today steering seems obvious, but only because a lot of inventors tried a lot of things some of which were bad ideas.