The American blacksmith and inventor John Deere was born on this day in 1804. He built what would become one of the largest and best-known agricultural equipment manufacturers in the world.

Born in Rutland, Vermont, he moved to Illinois in 1836 where he established his blacksmith business. He quickly realized the inefficiency of cast-iron plows, which were commonly used at the time, as they would become clogged with soil when used in the fertile but sticky prairie soil of the Midwest. Deere saw an opportunity and invented a plow blade made of highly polished steel, which could slice through the soil much more easily.

As the demand for Deere’s plows grew, he expanded his business and eventually established Deere & Company in 1868. The company continued to innovate and develop new products to meet the evolving needs of farmers. Today, Deere & Company behind a thick layer of green paint offers a wide range of products including tractors, harvesters, and other agriculture equipment, and also construction equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.

Deere’s birthday is a time to celebrate his life and contributions to the agriculture industry. His innovative spirit and dedication to improving the lives of farmers have left a lasting impact on the industry and will continue to be remembered for many generations to come.

Next week is Cyrus McCormick’s birthday. He preferred the color red.