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John Deere (February 7, 1804 – May 17, 1886) was an American
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...
and
manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
who founded
Deere & Company Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipmen ...
, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction-equipment manufacturers in the world. Born in
Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont *Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...
, Deere moved to
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
and invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837.


Early life

John Deere was born on February 7, 1804, in Rutland, Vermont. After a brief educational period at
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all 5 ...
, at age 17 in 1821, he began an apprenticeship with Captain Benjamin Lawrence, a successful Middlebury blacksmith, and entered the trade for himself in 1826.John Deere: A Biography
," ''Deere & Company'', official website. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
Leffingwell, Randy.
John Deere: A History of the Tractor
" (
Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...
), motor books/MBI Publishing Company, 2004, pg. 10, (). Retrieved May 21, 2007.
He married Demarius Lamb in 1827 and fathered nine children. Deere worked in Burlington before opening his own shops, first in Vergennes, and then in
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
.


Steel plow

John Deere settled in
Grand Detour, Illinois Grand Detour is an unincorporated census-designated place in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 429. The village is named after an odd turn in the Rock River, which flows north past the village, rather ...
. At the time, Deere had no difficulty finding work due to a lack of blacksmiths working in the area.170 Years of John Deere
" ''The Toy Tractor Times'', January 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
Deere found that cast-iron plows were not working very well in the tough
prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
soil of Illinois and remembered the needles he had previously polished by running them through sand as he grew up in his father's tailor shop in Rutland. Deere came to the conclusion that a plow made out of highly polished steel and a correctly shaped moldboard (the self-scouring steel plow) would be better able to handle the soil conditions of the prairie, especially its sticky clay. Varying versions serve as the inspiration for Deere's famous steel plow. In one version, he recalled the way the polished steel
pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
tines moved through hay and soil and thought that same effect could be obtained for a plow. Another version is that he used an old sawblade that had been polished from years of use. In 1827, Deere developed and manufactured the first commercially successful cast-steel plow. The wrought-iron framed plow had a polished steel share. This made it ideal for the tough soil of the
Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and worked better than other plows. By early 1838, Deere completed his first steel plow and sold it to a local farmer, Lewis Crandall, who quickly spread word of his success with Deere's plow. Subsequently, two neighbors soon placed orders with Deere. By 1841, Deere was manufacturing 75–100 plows per year. In 1843, Deere partnered with Leonard Andrus to produce more plows to keep up with demand, but the partnership became strained due to the two men's stubbornness. While Deere wished to sell to customers outside Grand Detour, Andrus opposed a proposed railroad through Grand Detour – and Deere's distrust of Andrus' accounting practices. In 1848, Deere dissolved the partnership with Andrus and moved to
Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Islan ...
, because the city was a transportation hub on the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
. By 1855, Deere's factory sold more than 10,000 such plows. It became known as "The Plow that Broke the Plains" and is commemorated as such in a historic place marker in Vermont. Deere insisted on making high-quality equipment. He once said, "I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me."Magee, David. ''The John Deere Way: Performance that Endures''
Google Books
, John Wiley and Sons, 2005, p. 36, (), accessed October 21, 2008.
Following the
Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F. Morse in 1844, the Panic of 1857 was ...
, as business improved, Deere left the day-to-day operations to his son
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
.Haycraft, William R. ''Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry'',
Google Books
, University of Illinois Press, 2002, p. 86, (), accessed October 21, 2008.
In 1868, Deere incorporated his business as
Deere & Company Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipmen ...
.


Later life

Later in life, Deere focused most of his attention on civil and political affairs. He served as president of the National Bank of Moline, as a director of the Moline Free Public Library, and was a trustee of the First Congregational Church.John Deere: Founder and President 1837–1886
," ''Deere & Company'', official website. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
Deere also served as Moline's mayor for two years but due to chest pains and
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
Deere refused to run for a second term.Dahlstrom, Neil and Dahlstrom, Jeremy.''The John Deere Story: A Biography of Plowmakers John & Charles Deere.'' Northern Illinois University Press, 2005, pgs. 101–104 He died at home (known as Red Cliff) on May 17, 1886, at the age of 82.John Deere Mansion Moline Il
," ''John Deere Mansion'', official website.


References


Further reading

* Wayne G. Broehl, Jr. ''John Deere's Company'' (1984) * Neil Dahlstrom and Jeremy Dahlstrom. ''The John Deere Story: A Biography of Plowmakers John and Charles Deere'' (Northern Illinois University Press, 2005). 204 pp. * Leslie J. Stegh. "Deere, John"

(subscription required) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deere, John John Deere 1804 births 1886 deaths American blacksmiths American chief executives of manufacturing companies Middlebury College alumni People from Middlebury, Vermont People from Moline, Illinois 19th-century American inventors People from Rutland (town), Vermont Businesspeople from Illinois Mayors of places in Illinois 19th-century American businesspeople