The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-03-07
JOHN DEERE,
The Inventor of the Steel PIow.

CIll.) Press, will be found of interest:
The subject of this sketch, John Deere,
was born at Rutland, VT, February Z,
1904. His family moved to Middlebury
in 1904, where he entered upon the &C
tive business of life in 1921 as a black
smiths apprentice to Captain Benjamin.
At the end of his apprenticeship he be-
came iourneyman of acknowledged abil-
ity, and in 1927 started shop of his own
and continued in the general blacksmith
ing business until 1887, when he removed
to Grand Dctour, Ogle county, III.
A good mechanic is always an import
ant accession to a new country, and his
arrival was particularly opportunc for this
little settlement, and his mechanical abil-
ity was Immediately brought into requisi-
ton to put in repair saw mill which was
standing idle from the breaking of a pit
man shaft. There was no forge in readi-
ness, but he at once set to work, and with
stone from neighboring hill constructed
a rude forge and chimney, by digging II
hole in clay soil and making the mortar
of the clay, and within two days after his
arrival the mill was running, thus saving
to the owners and customers many days
that otherwise would have been occupied
in procuring the work from far distant
shops.
This incident, with its evidence of ener-
gy and ability, gave John Deere favora-
BILE introduction to his new home, and his
circle of friends and his influence contin-
ually widcned until now it is as broad as
the continent.
At Grand Detour shop was started for
general work, and the building of plows
was added.
Mr.. Deere soon began to sec that the
iron pillow with wooden mold board could
not be made to do good service in the
prairie soil. They entered the ground
with difficulty, clogged up and failed to
scour. Then began the series of expert
ments and improvements which finally
resulted in the present perfect steel pillow.
With Characteristic energy and will the
battle was pushed until success came.
There was demand for a good pillow, and
the good pow must be made. The first
one that did satisfactory work was made
in this way Wrought-iron Landslide and
Standard steel share and mold board cut
from a saw mill saw and bent over n log
shaped Tor the purpose, and beam and
- handles of white oak rails. In 1883 two
of these Dlows were made with which the
farmers were well pleased, doing unus-
ually good work for those days. And af-
ter these first plows he had great deal
of trouble experimenting, in getting a
pillow to scour satisfactorily, in ground
that had been plowcd four or five times,
especially on the bottom, black, sticky
soil. He went to different farms to try
his plows, in Oglc, Lee, Whiteside and
other counties, where farmers had never
been able to make plows scour.
During this year Mr.. Deere built a
dwelling house, 1SX24 feet, and brought
his wife and five children from the East
1t was not then Il few hours ride in
moving parlor as now, but weary Jour
ncy of six weeks by stage coach and lum-
Der wagon.
Settled in his little home, often shak.
ing with the ague, the work was pushed,
and in 1889 ten plows were built; and
the entire iron works of "A new saw and
Touring mill made with no help except
that of an inexperienced man as blower
and striker. In 1910 second anvil was
placed in the shop, workman employed,
and forty plows made The following
year seventy-tive plows were built, and a
brick shop 45X30 feet erected, and in
1912 one hundred plows were made and
sold. The following year partnership was
formed with Major Andrus, brick shop
two stories high erected, a horse power
put in to turn grind stone, small foun-
dry established, and four hundred plows
turned out. Steadily and rapidly the
business grew, until in 1916 the product
of the little shop was one thousand
plows.
The difficulty of obtaining steel of
proper dimensions and quality was found
to be Il great obstacle to the complete
success of the business. Mr.. Deere ac-
cordingly wrote to Naior & Co., import
ers, of New York, explaining the demand
of the growing agricultural States of the
West for good cast steel pillow, and sta
ting the size, thickness and quality of the
steel plates he wanted The reply was
that no such steel could be had in Ameri-
ca, but they would send to England and
have rollers made for the purpose of pro-
ducing these special sizes of steel An
order was sent, the steel made and ship
ped to Illinois. Not only was this an In
stance of enterprise and determination on
the part of Mr.. Deere, but his practical
foresight enabled him to see that his
location was not advantageous for a
growing business. Coal, iron and steel
must be hauled by team from La Sale a
distance of forty miles, and his plows
taken long distances to market in the
same slow and expensive manner. lie
therefore sold his interest in the business
at Grand Detour to his partner, Mr..
Andrus. and removed TO Moline, ILL.,,
IN 1S47. Here was good water power,
coal near in abundance and cheap river
transportation. A partnership was formed
between Mr.. Deere, r. N. Tate and John
NJ. Gould, shops built and work com
menced, resulting the first year in the
production of seven hundred plows.
About this time came to hand the first
shipment of steel from England, and with
1t fifty plOws were made and sent to diff
ferent parts of the country where the soil
was most difficult work They proved
successful; the trade increased, and in
1851 siXtnen hunlrnd nlnu.s ,,.nro Lu;lt