John Deere was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company— the largest agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world. Born in Rutland, Vermont, Deere moved to Illinois and invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837. The wrought-iron framed plow had a polished steel share, which made it ideal for the tough soil of the Midwest and worked better than other plows. By early 1838, Deere completed his first steel plow and sold it to a local farmer, Lewis Crandall, who quickly spread word of his success with Deere's plow. So two neighbors soon placed orders with Deere. By 1841, Deere was manufacturing 75-100 plows per year.

We present this FREE sample download of the 1937 centennial catalog, which is part of our larger History of John Deere Collection available on DVD.

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