| (1809
- 1884) |
| Inducted: |
1975 |
| Region: |
MidWest |
| Industry: |
Agriculture
Manufacturing |
|
Cyrus McCormick, a Chicago businessman and inventor, created the reaper, a horse-drawn machine to harvest wheat. His timesaving invention allowed farmers to more than double their crop size. McCormick’s reaper was not the first, and perhaps not the best, but it swept the competition with innovations such as a money back guarantee and installment selling. He formed the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company in 1848 to manufacture and sell his invention, and through innovative marketing techniques the Chicago firm grew into the largest farm equipment manufacturer in the United States. |
