For information on the John Deere manufacturing company, please see the Deere & Company article.

John Deere (February 7, 1804 - May 17, 1886) was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company - one of the largest agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world. Deere was born on February 7, 1804 in Rutland, Vermont, the son of William Deere. After his father disappeared en route to England, Deere was raised by his mother in Middlebury, Vermont, where he received an elementary-school education.John Deere biography on John Deere's official web site, accessed April 24, 2006. He served a four-year blacksmith apprenticeship, and entered the trade in 1825. In 1827 he married Demarius Lamb, and by 1836 the couple had four children, with a fifth child on the way. The busness was not doing very well and Deere was having trouble with his creditors. Facing bankruptcy, Deere sold the shop to his father-in-law, and departed for Illinois. He left his wife and family, who were to join him later. Deere settled in Grand Detour, Illinois. As there were no other blacksmiths in the area, Deere had no difficulty finding work. He found that cast-iron plows were not working very well in the tough prairie soil found in Illinois. Deere eventually came to the conclusion that a plow made out of highly polished steel and a correctly shaped moldboard would better be able to handle the soil conditions of the prairie.

In 1837 Deere developed and manufactured his first cast-steel plow, although the issue of whether or not Deere was the first to invent the steel plow is a matter of dispute. The wrought iron plow had a steel share which made it ideal for the tough soil of the midwest, and worked better than other plows. In 1843 Deere partnered with Leonard Andrus to produce more plows to keep up with demand. In 1848, Deere dissolved the partnership with Andrus, and moved to Moline, Illinois because the city's location by the Mississippi River, and because it was a transportation hub. By 1855, over 10,000 such plows were sold by Deere's factory. From the very beginning, Deere insisted on making high quality equipment. Deere once said, "I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." John Deere Bio As the business improved, Deere left the day to day operations to his son Charles. In 1868, Deere incorporated his business as Deere & Company.

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We will be announcing the winner of the $1,700 John Deere lawn tractor from Bader Bros. at 8:45 this morning. Don't... http://bit.ly/TcyTW
Mix921 (Mix 92.1) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:52:20 -0000
We will be announcing the winner of the $1,700 John Deere lawn tractor from Bader Bros. at 8:45 this morning. Don't... http://bit.ly/TcyTW
The Sewing Patch: John Deere Birdhouse in all its glory. http://bit.ly/4EwSGF
birdlady10 (Bird Lady) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:16:40 -0000
The Sewing Patch: John Deere Birdhouse in all its glory. http://bit.ly/4EwSGF
John Deere - A blacksmith who invented the steel plow in Moline, Illinois in 1837. THE MORE YOU KNOW
Buttons_Dragon (Buttons The Dragon) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:25:29 -0000
John Deere - A blacksmith who invented the steel plow in Moline, Illinois in 1837. THE MORE YOU KNOW
VAND TRACTOR JOHN DEERE (CLUJ): TRACTOR JOHN DEERE .MODEL 3350.1988. http://bit.ly/49OgMR
agricole (anunturi agricole) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:04:46 -0000
VAND TRACTOR JOHN DEERE (CLUJ): TRACTOR JOHN DEERE .MODEL 3350.1988. http://bit.ly/49OgMR
Saranac boy's wish to visit John Deere granted (Plattsburgh Press Republican) - http://tinyurl.com/ygrz7vw
trends31441 (trends3) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:35:59 -0000
Saranac boy's wish to visit John Deere granted (Plattsburgh Press Republican) - http://tinyurl.com/ygrz7vw
The Sewing Patch: John Deere Birdhouse in all its glory. http://bit.ly/2YjBWd
TheGpaHood (Bryan Massingill) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:13:43 -0000
The Sewing Patch: John Deere Birdhouse in all its glory. http://bit.ly/2YjBWd

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