When John Deere (1804-1886) developed and manufactured the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837, he greatly enhanced agricultural methods in regions encumbered by heavy soils. Since the earliest recorded usage of an effective plow in 5500 B.C.E. by the Sumerians and Babylonians, the moldboard and cast-iron plow were the most notable innovations in design, but neither could effectively counteract the problems of sticky soil.
It was the threat of bankruptcy in his native Vermont that persuaded Deere to seek his fortune out west, journeying to Grand Detour, Illinois, where he opened a blacksmith's shop. He soon learned through the frequent repairs he had to undertake that the cast- iron plow that performed so well in the light, sandy New England soil was not suited to the heavy, sticky soils of the Midwest. Farmers complained that the-soil had to be continually removed from the bottom of the plow by hand, making the work arduous and time- consuming. Deere began experimenting with a design that incorporated a highly polished surface that prevented soil from clinging to the bottom. Three newly fashioned plows were produced and sold in 1837, encouraging Deere to create further improvements. These proved so popular that by 1846 his annual output approached 1,000 plows.
In 1848 Deere moved his operation to Moline, Illinois, to take advantage of its superior transport links alongside the Mississippi River. It was here that he negotiated with Pittsburgh manufacturers to cut steel to his own specifications and began rolling out plows across the United States. By 1857 Deere's company Was selling 10,000 plows annually and farmers in the Midwest were reaping their own rewards from the newly cultivated land.
