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, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

, businessman, inventor and politician. He founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction-equipment manufacturers in the world. Born in Rutland, Vermont, Deere moved to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

and invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837.

Early life

John Deere was born on February 7, 1804, in Rutland, Vermont, the third son of William Rinold Deere, a merchant tailor, and Sarah Yeats. After a brief educational period at Middlebury College, 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
" (

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), Motor Books/MBI Publishing Company, 2004, p. 10, (). Retrieved May 21, 2007. He married Demarius Lamb in 1827 and fathered nine children. Their daughter Alice Maria married Merton Yale Cady, grandson of Linus Yale Sr. of the Yale Lock Company, and was the proprietor of Alderney Hill Farm, formerly Mr. John Deere's blooded-stock farm. They were the grandparents of Jane Mabel Skinner, wife of Warren Crandall Giles, president of the National League and Cincinnati Reds, and parents of William Yale Giles, co-proprietor of the Philadelphia Phillies. 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 area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

. In 1836, Deere left Vermont due to hard times and followed Leonard Andrus, a business associate, to Illinois.

Steel plow

John Deere settled in Grand Detour, Illinois. 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 or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

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 1837, 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, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

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. Also, there was Deere's distrust of Andrus' accounting practices. In 1848, Deere dissolved the partnership with Andrus and moved to

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in the 2020 census, it is the largest city in Rock Island County and the List of municipalities in Illinois, ninth-most populous in Illinois outside ...

, because the city was a transportation hub on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. 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, as business improved, Deere left the day-to-day operations to his son

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

.Haycraft, William R. ''Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry'',
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, University of Illinois Press, 2002, p. 86, (), accessed October 21, 2008. In 1868, Deere incorporated his business as Deere & Company.

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

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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 In 1875, he acquired, expanded and modernized the house now known as John Deere House. He died at home, named by him Red Cliff, on May 17, 1886, at the age of 82.John Deere Mansion Moline Il
," ''John Deere'', official website. File:Ogle County-Ashton-Gr Detour 027.jpg, The John Deere House in Grand Detour, Illinois, built 1836 File:MiddleburyJohnDeereMonument.jpg, A monument in Middlebury, Vermont marking the shop in the town where John Deere learned the blacksmith trade File:John Deere grave.JPG, John Deere grave in Riverside Cemetery, Moline

Early life

Steel plow

Later life

References

Further reading