Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-29

ner in which he prepared to meet the
demands TO result from a development
of those possibilities As a result, the
products of Deere & Co. have world
wide market
All Through Accident.
That Mr.. Deere became identified SO
closely with the industrial and CONNER
what is almost an accident, for it was
but little thing that determined John
Deere to remove from Grand DetOur
| TO Moline. About 80 years ago Pro-
fessor L. r. Witherell. was given an
OK shoe, and was told that it had been
made many years before by John
| Deere. Professor Witherell later asked
Mr.. Deere about his shoeing oxen
and the pioneer told him of tn circum
stances which led to the establish
| ment of the Deere industries in Mo
line. Mr.. Deere, the elder. was con-
Quoting a shop at Grand Detour. re
pairing plows and implements, and
shoeing horses and oxen. He had
stocks erected to swing they oxen uq
so that they could be shod. and as 2
result he became widely known as a
sheer. 1t was while; engaged in this
| business that Mr.. Deere set to work
| 10 remedy the conditions arising from
| the use of the old cast iron pillow, which
] the farmers had found to be uhsatis
| factory when once the prairie sod had
been thoroughly broken. He made
| three plows in 1888 using an old steel
saw from a mill. He made improve
| ments, and began to do quite a bust
ness, importing his steel from Eng
land a teamster from Moline who
went to Grand Detour to have his
oxen shod urged Mr. Deere to estab-
fish his business in Moline. and in 1913
he did so, and purchased a site near
| that of the present factory. This in
dustry, beginning in so modest a way,
| has, through the management of John
Deere and later that of the son, c. n.
Deere, become Moline's first industry.
and the one to give Moline its fame.
Growth of Business.
|
ginning in 1888. when the first two
plows made on John Deeres perfectei
| model were turned out. The output
the next year increased to 10 and in
1910, 40 were made, and in 1912 the
output reached 100. Mr.. Deere then
associated with Major Leonard An,
drus. the partnership continuing unfit
1S47, when the output had reached l.
600 plows. Mr.. Deere then d'Snose@
of his interests in Grand Detour.
came to Moline. and formed partner
| ship with Robert NJ Tate and John NJ.
tGould. under the name of Deere, Tate
| & Gould In 1S4S the first plOws bear
| ing the John Deere brand were ship
ped from Moline. Various changes in
the partnership took place until 1854,
when c. II. Deere became associated
/ with the business. He rose from the
place in the Office TO the head of the
| organization in 1885 on the death OF
his father The business has develop
ed so that now 10000 tons of steel
and iron. 1000, 900 feet of hard woo
| lumber $1,000 tons of coal and coke
100000 gallons of fuel oil, 400 tons o:
| oils and varnish. / 900 tons of emerT
wheels, and other materials in propot.
ton are consumed annually, and 15J
| tons of advertising matter is sent Out
to inform the public of the company :
products.
| Made Plants Modern.
Mr.. Deere as the head of the insti
tuition some years ago practically re
built the entire plant. in order TO make
it modern and install new and imprev
ed machinery. The plant now has
total area estimated at 100000 square
feet. and 562.5O0 square feet are GOV
cred by the Is buildings, with floor
space of 100000 square feet.
In Other Industries.
Deere & Co represents c. H. Deere
chief interest. but at the same tim'
heNwas at the head of two other larg'
concerns. the Deere & Mansur com
pany of Moline and the Union Mallea
BILE Iron company of East Moline, be
ing president of both. The Deere {
Mansur company was organized. il
1877 with a capital of $4,000, for tn
manufacture of cornplanters. TIVE
other factories in Illinois We're manu-
featuring cornplanters then. The Unio'
Malleable Iron company was organ
lied in Moline, but was removed :
East Moline a few years ago when
outgrew its location in Moline Thi
company's plant is practically par
of the Deere & Co. plant, nearly all .
the output being used in the manufa(
ture of the Deere implements.
Other Business Activity.
While Mr.. Deere gave his attentio
to and invested his fortune largely i
Moline. he did not by any means col
fine his investments in that city. H
held stock in nearly every railroad an
bank of Importance in the, country. H
has been an officer in comparativel
few, however. Below are given tn
} corporations of which he was eithe
( president or member of the board c
: directors. The branch houses liSte
! are incorporated as separate con
lnor;ov tbouuh branches of Dpprp