Blacksmith who invented steel plow

While plowing, they often interrupted their work to scrape the sticky prairie soil from their cast-iron plows. He envisioned that soil sliding easily off of a highly polished steel moldboard. With steel scarce in the area, Deere acquired a broken steel saw blade, and from it crafted a new type of moldboard plow.

Now, nearly two centuries later, the company that grew out of the success of this innovative plow continues to manufacture advanced equipment for those whose commitment to the land runs deep. While the original plow could only do a fraction of the work farmers can tackle with modern tillage equipment, it was high-tech at the time.

Testing by curator Edward Kendall of the Smithsonian Institution of an John Deere plow revealed the innovative material, and design, of Deere's early plows. Historian Wayne Broehl, Jr. Over the next two decades, Deere built strong supply and distribution channels, and continually improved his product based on suggestions from customers.

By , Deere was selling over 13, plows per year. Don't miss our next newsletter! Cricket Media Articles. Invention Activities. For Educators InvenTeam Grants. Professional Development.

For Inventors Inventor Handbook. In , at the age of 17, John Deere began as an apprentice to a blacksmith. When his apprenticeship ended in , he began his blacksmith trade in Vermont. However, by he faced bankruptcy, so he sold his blacksmith shop to his father-in-law. In hopes to find work, he left the proceeds of the sale to his wife, who was carrying their fifth child, and headed west.

With no blacksmiths for a near 40 miles, he began work right away. He learned that farmers were have the same difficulty in Illinois, however the soil was much heavier. In many areas the plows required 8 yokes of oxen to be able to pull the plow through the land.

While visiting a sawmill, John noticed a broken steel saw. He took polished steel back to his shop and shaped it to fit a plow. This new plow worked much better than any other plow previously used. In , John built two more plows. The following year he built 10 plows and sold them for ten to twelve dollars a plow.