John+Deere

Original Author: Patrick Olson, ENG 206 FL10 Revision Author:
 * John Deere**

John Deere was born in Rutland, Vermont in 1804 (Carey 90). Deere became an apprentice blacksmith at the age of seventeen (Carey 90). Deere opened his own shop in the mid 1820’s (Carey 90). As Charles Carey wrote in his //American Inventors, Entrepreneurs, and Buisiness Visionaries//, “In 1827, he married Demarius Lamb with whom he had nine children” (90). His business failed because he “faced a profession highly saturated with veteran blacksmiths in the east” (N. and J. Dahlstrum 4). Deere “revolutionized the farm-implement industry in the mid-nineteenth century” (Olson 68). Carey explains that, “John Deere invented the all steel one-piece plow, one of the tools that helped American farmers turn the Great Plains into the world’s bread basket” (Carey 90).

First, John Deere held various partnerships when he moved to Illinois for business. He first settled in Gand Detour, Illinois (Ardrey 164). John Deere’s arrival “created quite a stir since the nearest blacksmith was 40 miles away across rough terrain. After he arrived, a friend told him of a job that needed to be done. The lower shaft of Leonard Andrus’ sawmill was broken” (Collins 37). He started by doing work including shoed horses, pathed wagonwheels, and made essential ironware (N. and J. Dahlstrum 13). Deere started making plows when the work ran out (N. and J. Dahlstrum 14). Olson writes, “The Deere plow was slow to catch on at first because it was far more expensive than cast-iron plows, primarily because Deere hammered out his steel from German[y]” (68).

John Deere and Leonard Andrus became partners in 1843 (N. and J. Dahlstrum 17). Within a year, they sold ten plows (Carey 91). When Deere was given suggestions by farmers, he would make improvements and adjustments (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). A horse-powered griendstone was set up by Andrus and Deere a long way from the shop. This required workmen to bring plows from one to the other (Andrey 168).

“Although he was not considered by his friends, “a man of inventive ability,” he was sincere and motivated (N. and J. Dahlstrum 15). Deere’s commitment and ability to solve problems were regarded as his prized attributes (N. and J. Dahlstrum 15). He proved resourceful and creative. Necessity had made him an inventor” (N. and J. Dahlstrum 15).

As settlers came to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois; the market for plows expanded (N. and J. Dahlstrum 15). Unfortunately, the greater competition and production drove down price (N. and J. Dahlstrum 15). Deere eventually stopped his regular blacksmithing to concentrate on making plows (Carey 91). N. and J. Dahlstrum write, “By closely examining the work of other plowmakers in Illinois, he began to understand the benefit of constant improvement” (16). John Deere was great at taking products of other manufacturers, improving it, more efficiently marketing it, and selling it for less than his competitors. Deere originally made his plow from “rot iron ground smooth so that it scours perfectly bright in any soil and will not choke in the foulest of ground. Unlike typical iron plow, his plow boasted a steel share, 5/16th of an inch thick with sharp edge” (16).

“Deere’s willingness to learn and adapt became a priceless asset (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). Customers knew they were buying latest model he could offer (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). Deere’s resourcefulness and determination soon became as well known as his plow (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). Once, facing a shortage of iron, he decided that he could not wait for the shipment of his next order (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). He hitched up a one horse spring wagon and made the trip of nearly 200 miles to Springfield to acquire the needed materials” (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18).

Though his determination led him to do what many others did not, Deere’s strong will caused problems with associates. Eventually, Deere’s strong will caused problems with Andrus himself (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). Deere realized that under Andrus, he would always be dependent on his partner’s money (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). Though Deere thought it best to reach distant customers, Andrus thought that Grand Detour having a railroad pass through was a bad idea (N. and J. Dahlstrum 18). After the death of his son Albert, Deere was seriously thinking about leaving Grand Detour (N. and J. Dahlstrum 19). Deere would be willing to join other partners, but only if said partner had a skill to provide the company and was paid for the performance of that skill. Andrus and Deere did not have such a partnership (N. and J. Dahlstrum 20).

“When Deere left Grand Detour, he took with him a blacksmith, machinist, and engineer in Robert Tate” (N. and J. Dahlstrum 21). Deere wanted to find a location with water that iron and steel could be shipped down, plenty of water power, and endless fuel supplies as weel as a town with potential in the future and moral fiber. Deere and Tate were introduced to an entrepreneur in Rock Island by Frank Gillmore (N. and J. Dahlstrum 21). General John Buford was looking into water power in Moline. Moline had been around for five years and had plans that were ambitious (N. and J. Dahlstrum 22). John Deere returned to Grand Detour to offer his former bookkeeper John Gould a job after he settled where his business would be (N. and J. Dahlstrum 22). After approaching Charles Atkinson, the town’s equal to Andrus, Deere’s company was able to use his resources. At first, the company was named Deere, Atkinson, and Company. Deere quickly changed to Deere, Tate, and Gould in June 1848 while still using Charles Atkins resources. Within September, they finished their first ten plows (N. and J. Dahlstrum 23). Carey writes, “Ten years after moving to Moline, his factory was making 13,000 plows per year, and his sales force was selling to every state in the Union and in Canada” (91). N. and J. Dahlstrum write, “Merchants were repaid when cash was availabe, but rare since closest bank was a day’s ride away and no gold and silver not in Illinois” (N. and J. Dahlstrum 24). The foreign coins such as French, Mexican, and English were more available than American cash (N. and J. Dahlstrum 24). Local blacksmiths were hired to work with Robert Tate including Kenzie, who previously made his own plows (N. and J. Dahlstrum 24). John Deere explained that making a large profit did not matter, but a small profit would drive competition out (N. and J. Dahlstrum 24). Deere struck a deal with Andrus to keep the plowmaking going in Grand Detour (N. and J. Dahlstrum 24). The deal gave Deere, Tate, and Gould could sell to Illinois side of Mississippi, unsettled west, and Wisconsin (N. and J. Dahlstrum 24). Deere, Tate, and Gould could also sell to Missouri, while Andrus in eastern and southern Illinois as well as all eastern states (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25). Both companies immediately broke the deal and sold in each others territory including Deere, Tate, and Gould putting an advertisement in the Grand Detour paper (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25).

Deere at first ordered English steel and was the only plow company to do so (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25). In 1846, Pittsburgh cast steel was bought by Deere (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25). Deere realized that English steel worked better (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25). Eventually, Deere began to smelt his own steel and cast his own steel moldboards (Olson 68). His steel plows became more competitive price wise with other plows (Olson 68).

“As his operations grew, Deere left factory activities in the hands of capable subordinates. Meanwhile, he worked on expanding and improving sales by advertising in regional and national farming magazines, demonstrating his wares at state fairs, and competing in plowing contest” (Carey 91).

Deere began a new line when customers demanded for replacement parts (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25). N. and J. Dahlstrum write, “According to a visiting reporter in 1849, Moline’s future looked bright and Deere’s company was one of the town’s jewels” (25). Water power was provided to Deere’s company by Ferguson and Buford machine shop (N. and J. Dahlstrum 25). Deere, Tate, and Gould sold 2,300 plows in 1849 and believed they would selll 4,000 the next year (N. and J. Dahlstrum 26). On the Mississippi River, plows were sold from St. Paul, Minnesota to St. Louis (N. and J. Dahlstrum 26). Throughout Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin; Deere made business contancts (N. and J. Dahlstrum 26). Deere contacted congressmen to discover new contacts and would call the people he was informed about (N. and J. Dahlstrum 26).

Though they manufactured 70 plows a week in 1851, debt was still a problem because only one dealer paid in cash while the rest provided IOU’s (J. and N. Dahlstrum 26). Lyon Shorb Company, a company that provided steel, was calling because of outstanding accounts and decided to send an agent (N. and J. Dahlstrum 26). The agent was discovered to have stock in the Grand Detour plow company and hoped to bring John Deere’s company to an end (N. and J. Dahlstrum 26). Deere’s constant concerns about money created tension with his partners that shared the concerns (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27). By late 1851, the friction lead to Deere buying Gould’s and Tate’s share of the company (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27). The conflict with Tate was ideological (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27).

“The disagreeement was the same as the one with Andrus. Deeere looked to the future, Tate did not. Deere constantly pushed for cost improvements, while Tate encouraged to sell the same products” (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27).

Tate figured that the customers would buy whatever they sold to them (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27). John Deere felt that innovation was the key to keeping the business running (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27). Both held strong to their beliefs and it caused the partnership to dissolve (N. and J. Dahlstrum 27). Perserverance, ambition, and focus are the characteristics he was revered for caused partners to leave (N. and J. Dahlstrum 28). Deere was on his own to manage the business (N. and J. Dahlstrum 28).

John Deere’s daughter Janet married James Chapman that was a local banker (N. and J. Dahlstrum 28). Soon after, Ellen Deere married a local business man by the name of Christopher Columbus Webber, who provided cast-iron steel for Deere (N. and J. Dahlstrum 29). In 1854, the partnership of Deere and Chapman was created (N. and J. Dahlstrum 29). N. and J. Dahlstrum write, “Eight forges now operated continuously” (29). In 1855, Deere and Chapman made 8,000 plows and two years later made 10,000 (N. and J. Dahlstrum 29).

The railroad opened up opportunities since one could reach New York in the same time it previously took to arrive at Chicago (N. and J. Dahlstrum 30). Freight could be shipped year round unlike the Mississippi River, which only had four or five months that one could navigate it (N. and J. Dahlstrum 31). A bridge crossing the Mississippi River connected business to Iowa quicker and easier (N. and J. Dahlstrum 31). Deere could get his products to customers faster and with less expense (N. and J. Dahlstrum 31). N. and J. Dahlstrum write, “Charles joined company and set up managerial approach that would stabilize the company for the first time” (35). In 1856, Deere’s company manufactured seven different models of companies (N. and J. Dahlstrum 35). C. C. Webber’s knowledge of short term investment as well as Chapman’s banking skills were valuable assets for Deere’s company (N. and J. Dahlstrum 35). Charles Deere was promoted as one of three bookkeepers that became partners (N. and J. Dahlstrum 37). This move took the weight of Deere’s personal liability (N. and J. Dahlstrum 37). From 1857 to 1858, the company was re-organized so that Charles Deere was in charge (N. and J. Dahlstrum 38). Deere accumulated debt during the Panic of 1857 and sold the company to Charles Deere from the advise given by Webber (N. and J. Dahlstrum 40).

Even though friends and enemies did not think he could make a good plow himself, John Deere worked constantly to improve manufacturing processes and implement design (N. and J. Dahlstrum 43). The new patents Deere came out with disproved people’s beliefs (N. and J. Dahlstrum 43). N. and J. Dahlstrum write, “In 1864, he secured the company’s first patent for a “new and useful improvement in molds for casting steel plows and other articles” (43). Deere created The Hawkeye riding cultivator; this was the first farm riding implement (N. and J. Dahlstrum 44). It was especially useful for handicapped soldiers that returned from the Civil War battlefields (N. and J. Dahlstrum 44). The Moline Plow Company was re-organized into Deere and Company so that John Deere was no longer a nonentity (N. and J. Dahlstrum 45).

Second, John Deere got involved in the development of Moline. He grasped the fact that his success depended on what Moline could provide (N. and J. Dahlstrum 31). John Deere saved the bridge across the Mississippi River when he found it on fire by dousing the fire with two barrels of water that were kept by the bridge (N. and J. Dahlstrum 31). Though the locals showed no appreciation, Deere began the fire department (N. and J. Dahlstrum 32). It was run by 3 days of service out of the year by every physically able man (N. and J. Dahlstrum 32). John Deere helped with the start of the police force called the Property Protection Agency (N. and J. Dahlstrum 32). He participated in public enterprise, banking, and even served as Mayor of Moline (Andrey 168). His son being in charge opened the opportunities for John Deere to partake in politics (N. and J. Dahlstrum 46). John Deere was a wig (N. and J. Dahlstrum 46). For the 1854 Wig County Convention, Deere was Chairman (N. and J. Dahlstrum 47). Deere was the first person to sign a petition of Moline citizens to repeal slavery for the state of Kanasas (N. and J. Dahlstrum 48).

In conclusion, John Deere triumphed over the debt he frequently faced. He opened opportunities for farming in the midwest and made the farming more effective.. The partners he worked with made his company more effective even though his strong will and focus on the future caused conflicts. Deere proved to care about the city of Moline by getting involved.

Andrey, Robert. //American Agricultural Implements: A review of Invention and Development in the Agricultural Implement Industry of the United States//. Chicago. Robert Andrey, 1894. Print. Carey, Charles. //American Inventors, Entrepreneurs, &Business Visionaries//. Info Base Publishing, 2002. Print. Collins, David. //Pioneer Plowmaker: A Story About John Deere//. Minneapolis.CarolRhoda Books Inc, 1990. Print. Dahlstrum, Neil and Jeremy. //The John Deere Story:A Biography of Plowmakers John// //And Charles Deere//. Dekalb. Northern Illinois University Press, 2005. Print. Olson, James. //Encyclopeida of the Industrial Revolution of America//. Westport. Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.
 * Works Cited**

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