Deere, John (1804-1886), was an American inventor and manufacturer. In 1837, he invented the first steel plow that efficiently turned the American prairie sod. He eventually became one of the world’s greatest plow makers.
Deere was born on Feb. 7, 1804, in Rutland, Vermont. He became a blacksmith’s apprentice at the age of 17. In 1836, he opened a blacksmith shop in Grand Detour, Illinois. He soon learned that nearby farmers were dissatisfied with their plows. The heavy, sticky prairie sod stuck to the rough surface of the wood or iron moldboard that was used to turn the soil. In addition, most moldboards could not cut through the roots of the heavy grasses that grew on the prairie.
Deere built a smooth, hard moldboard out of an old circular steel saw in 1837. The new moldboard worked just as he had hoped. The soil fell away cleanly from the surface of the moldboard as it turned. Deere and a partner, Leonard Andrus, then began making steel plows. Within 10 years, they were producing 1,000 plows annually.
In 1847, Deere sold his interests to Andrus and started a new company in Moline, Illinois. To improve the quality of his plows, Deere ordered a special type of hard steel from England. He then had a similar type of steel made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By 1857, Deere was producing 10,000 plows a year. The business was incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868. Today, the company produces a wide range of plows, tractors and lawn mowers. It ranks as one of the largest industrial corporations in the United States. John Deere died on May 17, 1886.
