Deere, John

1804 - Born on February 7th in  in Rutland, Vermont. John Deere was an Illinois blacksmith and manufacturer.

1821 - John turned seventeen and he was asked to become an apprentice blacksmith.


1837 - John Deere designed the first cast steel plow that greatly assisted the Great Plains farmers.

         - He moved to Grand Detour, Illinois.

1838 - Alleviate the problem, Deere and a partner, Major Leonard Andrus, designed three new plows.

1846 - The plow was so successful that Deere and his partner were selling a thousand a year. Deere then sold his interest in the Grand Detour enterprise to Andrus and organized a plow company in Moline, Illinois. After experimenting with imported English steel, he had a cast steel plow made for him in Pittsburgh.

1855 - He was selling more than 13,000 such plows a year.

1868 - His business was incorporated as Deere & Company, which is still in existence today.

1886 - Died on May 17th.