John Deere Wagon sometime after 1881
John Deere Wagon sometime after 1881 The wagon in the photograph displays the company name "John Deere & Company," just aft of the front wheel, indicating that the picture was taken after 1868. In that year, John Deere incorporated the business as Deere & Company. However, John Deere's involvement in manufacturing wooden wagons can only be traced back to 1881 when the company partnered with a wagon manufacturer in Council Bluffs, Iowa, known as Deere, Wells, and Co., dating this photo to no earlier than 1881. Did you know that John Deere first got started with the manufacturing of plows? John Deere's notable contribution was the invention of the self-scouring steel plow, which he developed in 1837 by transforming a Scottish steel saw blade into a plow. Before Deere's innovation, most farmers relied on iron or wooden plows that would get clogged with the fertile soil of the Midwest, requiring frequent cleaning. The introduction of the smooth-sided steel p