1837: Invention of the Self-scouring Plow

There is no commercial corn production in central Illinois in 1827. Men travel to southern Illinois to buy corn. Settlers live mainly on venison, blackberries, and milk (Schweer 1925). This changes dramatically in 1837 when John Deere perfects a steel, self-scouring plow. Farming in central Illinois is limited because of the tough, thick prairie grasses throughout much of the area. Deere’s plows - called “grasshopper plows” - cut through the tough grasses. By 1855, John Deere sells over 10,000 steel plows a year.

The invention of this plow changes the landscape of central Illinois. The conversion of the native vegetation has a profound impact on the water quality of the Illinois River as soil from sheet and bank erosion ends up in the river. This problem continues far into the future.