Did you know that John Deere was raised by his mother, Sarah Deere who was a single mother in Vermont? Her husband, William Deere, boarded a ship for England in 1808, hoping to claim an inheritance that would improve the lives of his family but was never heard from again. It is assumed that he died at sea leaving Sarah a window. John's mother made a meager income and his education was rudimentary. He was limited to common schools but at the age of 17, he apprenticed himself and learned the trade of blacksmithing. In 1836, he moved his family to Illinois and in 1837, he build his first plow using a broken saw blade. The rest, as they say, is history. This John Deere hay tractor was built by the Brown's, at the Brown Ranch Hay Maze, a couple of years ago near Ardmore. Very cool!
