John Deere: His Invention Helped Meet the Growing Demand for Food Around the World

John Deere was an inventor and industrialist who developed the first self-scouring steel plow which became commercially successful. The invention came at a time when development was on the way in the settlement in the mid-western US.

Deere was born on February 7, 1804 in Rutland, Vermont. His family transferred to Middlebury in 1805 where his father, William, entered the merchant tailoring business. William sailed to England in 1808 but never came back. He was presumed to have died during the trip. Deere was raised by his mother. But because the family income was difficult, Deere‘s schooling was rudimentary. At 17, he became an apprentice in a local blacksmith.

When the business climate in Vermont failed in 1836, Deere was forced to move to Grand Detour, Illinois. Using his resourcefulness and with much hard work, Deere established a blacksmith which became in demand. Using a broken saw blade, Deere developed a properly shaped and highly polished plow to help the struggling farmers of New England turn their heavy sticky soil into a light and sandy one.

Deere was producing 100 plows each year by 1841. Because the demand for his plow kept increasing, Deere partnered with Leonard Andrus to produce more plows. Deere dissolved the partnership in 1848 and moved his business to Moline Illinois in favor of a good supply of coal and power and cheaper transportation. By 1850, Deere produced close to 1,600 plows and began developing other agricultural tools to complement his plows.

In 1858, Deere’s son Charles, who was the company’s vice president at that time, became the captain of the company, although Deere retained the presidency. He involved himself in political and civic affairs. He established the National Bank of Moline. He was actively involved with the First Congregational Church. He served as Moline mayor for two years.

Deere died in his Moline home on May 17, 1886.

His company, Deere & Company, became the world leader in providing products and services to people working with the land – those involved in cultivating, harvesting, transforming, enriching and building lands to help meet the increasing food demand of the world.