John Deere: Changing The Farming Industry

Shalee Daming
Period 6
John Deere
“I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me,” Words from the man who changed the industry of farming. John Deere, a man that sure did change the farming industry. He lived a legacy that will stay with the farming society for a long time. John was born on February 7, 1804, in Rutland, Vermont. He was the third son of William Rinold Deere and Sarah Yates Deere. In 1805, the Deere’s moved to Middlebury, Vermont. While in Middlebury, William engaged in merchant tailoring he also boarded a boat for England to hopefully make a more comfortable life for the family, but he was never heard from again. John was only 4 years old. John’s education was limited to the
Demarius was a young woman who attended boarding school in Middlebury. Despite the couple’s different backgrounds, they married in 1837. During the next ten years, John and the family moved from town to town in Vermont trying to find steady work. There were many skilled blacksmiths in the area and there was lots of competition. Because of the difficulties finding a job, John borrowed money to buy land and build his own shop. Then tragically, it was destroyed by fire twice. He had to sell the newly owned property and put his dream on hold for the time being. The tragedy left Deere in debt; he was in need of a stable income. By the 1830s, Vermonters shared John’s economic woes. The state’s woods had been cut down, the land was losing value, and rich soil was washed away by a line of vigorous storms. The grasshopper plague also had a huge effect on the economy, it weakened crop yields. To put more negatives on the plate, the nation’s banking system was collapsing this was called as the “Panic of
John and Lucenia made frequent visits back to Vermont. They made winter trips to Santa Barbara and San Francisco to escape Midwest winters. On May 17, 1886, at the age of 82, the legend plow maker died. Moline fell into mourning. The factories and offices of Deere & Company’s were draped in black. The flags flew at half-mast and many citizens placed photos of John Deere in windows of their homes.
John Deere’s legacy still lives today, him and his workers and their spouses went on to lead the company John Deere founded for the next 96 years. Today, Deere & Company is guided as it was from the beginning. The key values to the company’s early success were quality, innovation, integrity and commitment. To this day, these key things still make a difference. Today’s farming society still has as much respect for the inventor as the past society had. John Deere defiantly made a difference to farmers and the citizens of Moline. His legacy will live