Happy BIrthday, John Deere!!
I always kind of celebrate the birthday of John Deere. Yes, John Deere the man. The history of my beloved John Deere company traces its way back to the American Revolution. John Deere was born on February 7, 1804, in Vermont(Happy BIrthday!). His father was William Rinold Deere, who was an English immigrant. His mother, Sarah Yates Deere, was the daughter of a British soldier who had stayed in America after the Revolutionary War.
Johnʼs father died when he was young and after a short try at Middlebury College John decided to become a blacksmithʼs apprentice. In 1827 he was married to Demarius Lamb and continued his blacksmith trade in Vermont. Due to a depressed farm economy in Vermont, he decided to move to Illinois where farmers were beginning to break the vast prairie. He settled in Grand Detour, Illinois about 100 miles west of Chicago.
Farmers on the prairie of Illinois were having problems with the wooden and iron plows of the day. Wooden plows were not strong enough and iron plows would not scour. Legend has it that in 1837, while working in his shop, John Deere saw an old steal saw blade in his shop and got the idea to fashion it into a plow bottom. The smooth shiny steel cut through the sod and the gummy soil slid off the bottom without sticking. The new steel plow was a success and John Deere was busy making more plows! John Deere went from that first plow in 1837 to 100 plows in 1842. Seeing the need for a better distribution center John Deere moved the operation to Moline, Illinois. In 1849 over 1,200 plows were produced! The company continues to grow.
On May 17, 1886, John Deere died at the age of 82. He was described as an energetic and purposeful man, though a man of few words! Although not always a good money manager he was a leader who passed many of his leadership skills to his successor and son, Charles Deere.
Once the company was in the hands of his son, Deere focused his attention on civic responsibilities!. He was elected as Mayor of Moline and also served as the president to the National Bank of Moline. He was also director of the Moline Public Library. His involvement in the community and his influential work as an inventor cemented Deere’s reputation as a respected and reliable businessman and a person the American farmer could trust.. His devotion in all areas of his life, including to his wife and nine children, shaped the John Deere Company into the dependable brand it is known as today.
Much of John Deereʼs involvement with his company was centered around plows and eventually other tillage implements and wagons. John Deere left this world long before any tractor would bear his name. But, Iʼm sure he would have been proud of the companyʼs long line of two-cylinder and modern farm tractors. Happy BIrthday John Deere and thanks for the legacy!!.......oh and Happy BIrthday also to Allis Chalmers man, Bruce Bjerklie, along with one of my favorite authors Laura Ingalls Wilder.!!
1. On March 14, 1918 Deere & Company bought what tractor company?
A. The Dain B. The Waterloo Gasoline Tractor C. The Big Four
2. In 1923 the John Deere introduced the ____________________.
A. Model A B. Model B C. Model D
3. During the depression exports of the John Deere Model D saved tractor sales for the company. What 2 countries received most of these exports?
A. Canada and Mexico B. England and France C. Argentina and Russia
4. After the success of the Model D, John Deere introduced a smaller model originally called the _____________________.
A. Model A B. Model B C. Model C
5. John Deere changed the name of its Model C to the __________________.
A. 10-20 B. Model GP C. Model F
Answers: 1. B. Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company 2. C. Model D, It is 100 years old! 3. C. Argentina/ Russia 4. C. Model C 5. B. Model GP, It was changed to GP because of trouble distinguishing between the model D and “C” on the telephone!
Eric Mickelson
Green Magazine
RIchard's Publishing
Oklee, MN 56742
218-791-9157