Illinois Hall of Fame: Cyrus Hall McCormick

By Mark Rhoads

Cyrus Hall McCormick was the inventor of the first working mechanical reaper for harvesting grain. He is considered by many historians to be "the father of modern agriculture." Although he was a Virginian by birth, McCormick became a global agribusiness pioneer who founded and grew an industrial empire in Chicago where he lived and worked for 37 years.

McCormick was born on Feb. 15, 1809 in Rockbride County, Virginia, about 150 miles south-west of Washington, DC. His parents were Robert McCormick and Mary Ann Hall McCormick. His father was also a tinkerer and inventor.

When he was 15 in 1824, Cyrus made a lightweight cradle for harvesting grain. In 1831, Cyrus Hall McCormick was only 22 years old when he followed up on his father's work and constructed a working mechanical grain reaper in the blacksmith shop on the family farm. He received a patent in 1834. Prior to this invention, every farmer in the world had to use either a sickle or a scythe to harvest grain by hand.  Workers could harvest between one-half and a maximum of three acres per day depending on different factors. The mechanical reaper enabled one man to harvest 40 acres in a day and do the work that twenty could do before. It was the start of a world-wide revolution in productivity for farmers. In the 1850s, about ninety percent of Americans lived and worked on farms. Today, only two percent of Americans do work directly involved with farming.

Once again, because of its key geographic location and the railroad hub, McCormick moved his factory from Virginia to Chicago in 1847 when he was 38. The company he founded in 1847 was known as McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. In 1851, the invention of the reaper won the Gold Medal at London's Crystal Palace Exposition, the most prestigious award of that era.

Lincoln's Secretary of State William H. Seward once said that because of the reaper, "the line of civilization moves west by thirty miles each year."

By 1858, the company was the largest manufacturer of farm equipment in the country. That company merged with another to become International Harvester in 1902.  Late in the 20th Century the parent holding company went by the name Navistar for a few years and was based in Warrenville, Illinois.  In 2004, the operating company name changed again to International Truck and Engine and is still based in Illinois. 

By Mark Rhoads

Cyrus Hall McCormick was the inventor of the first working mechanical reaper for harvesting grain. He is considered by many historians to be "the father of modern agriculture." Although he was a Virginian by birth, McCormick became a global agribusiness pioneer who founded and grew an industrial empire in Chicago where he lived and worked for 37 years.

McCormick was born on Feb. 15, 1809 in Rockbride County, Virginia, about 150 miles south-west of Washington, DC. His parents were Robert McCormick and Mary Ann Hall McCormick. His father was also a tinkerer and inventor.

When he was 15 in 1824, Cyrus made a lightweight cradle for harvesting grain. In 1831, Cyrus Hall McCormick was only 22 years old when he followed up on his father's work and constructed a working mechanical grain reaper in the blacksmith shop on the family farm. He received a patent in 1834. Prior to this invention, every farmer in the world had to use either a sickle or a scythe to harvest grain by hand.  Workers could harvest between one-half and a maximum of three acres per day depending on different factors. The mechanical reaper enabled one man to harvest 40 acres in a day and do the work that twenty could do before. It was the start of a world-wide revolution in productivity for farmers. In the 1850s, about ninety percent of Americans lived and worked on farms. Today, only two percent of Americans do work directly involved with farming.

Once again, because of its key geographic location and the railroad hub, McCormick moved his factory from Virginia to Chicago in 1847 when he was 38. The company he founded in 1847 was known as McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. In 1851, the invention of the reaper won the Gold Medal at London's Crystal Palace Exposition, the most prestigious award of that era.

Lincoln's Secretary of State William H. Seward once said that because of the reaper, "the line of civilization moves west by thirty miles each year."

By 1858, the company was the largest manufacturer of farm equipment in the country. That company merged with another to become International Harvester in 1902.  Late in the 20th Century the parent holding company went by the name Navistar for a few years and was based in Warrenville, Illinois.  In 2004, the operating company name changed again to International Truck and Engine and is still based in Illinois. 

In addition to founding a farm equipment empire, McCormick invested in other emerging industries such as mining. He was also the founder of a family that influenced the politics of Illinois in the Republican-leaning Chicago Tribune but for a party that McCormick did not support.  Cyrus was a Democrat and lost races for congress and for governor of Illinois on that party label.  He was also a strong supporter of causes connected with the Presbyterian Church. 

In 1859 Cyrus relocated of the Seminary of the Northwest from New Albany, Indiana to Chicago, where it was eventually renamed the McCormick Theological Seminary. In the 1870s McCormick built a beautiful mansion at 675 N. Rush Street. He was very generous to Chicago-area charities. He have $25,000 to the Chicaog YMCA and $100,000 to the Chicago Evangelization Society. That society was later named the Moody Bible Institute in honor of Cyrus's friend Dwight L. Moody. His son, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Jr. was the first chairman of the board of the institute.

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the first McCormick plant, McCormick built another one on the south-west side of the city called McCormick Works.

On Jan. 26, 1858 in Chicago, Cyrus married Nancy Marie "Nettie Fowler.  The couple eventually had five children. Cyrus, Jr. ran the harvesting machine company and was the father of Col. Robert McCormick, an officer of World War I, a publisher of The Chicago Tribune, and the founder of WGN Radio in 1924 and WGN-TV in 1948.  Another son married the daughter of John D. Rockefeller.

Cyrus Hall McCormick died in Chicago on 13 May 1884 at the age of seventy-five. He had lived and worked in Chicago for about 37 years.  His body is buried at the Graceland Cemetery at 4001 N. Clark Street in Chicago.

In addition to founding a farm equipment empire, McCormick invested in other emerging industries such as mining. He was also the founder of a family that influenced the politics of Illinois in the Republican-leaning Chicago Tribune but for a party that McCormick did not support.  Cyrus was a Democrat and lost races for congress and for governor of Illinois on that party label.  He was also a strong supporter of causes connected with the Presbyterian Church. 

In 1859 Cyrus relocated of the Seminary of the Northwest from New Albany, Indiana to Chicago, where it was eventually renamed the McCormick Theological Seminary. In the 1870s McCormick built a beautiful mansion at 675 N. Rush Street. He was very generous to Chicago-area charities. He have $25,000 to the Chicaog YMCA and $100,000 to the Chicago Evangelization Society. That society was later named the Moody Bible Institute in honor of Cyrus's friend Dwight L. Moody. His son, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Jr. was the first chairman of the board of the institute.

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the first McCormick plant, McCormick built another one on the south-west side of the city called McCormick Works.

On Jan. 26, 1858 in Chicago, Cyrus married Nancy Marie "Nettie Fowler.  The couple eventually had five children. Cyrus, Jr. ran the harvesting machine company and was the father of Col. Robert McCormick, an officer of World War I, a publisher of The Chicago Tribune, and the founder of WGN Radio in 1924 and WGN-TV in 1948.  Another son married the daughter of John D. Rockefeller.

Cyrus Hall McCormick died in Chicago on 13 May 1884 at the age of seventy-five. He had lived and worked in Chicago for about 37 years.  His body is buried at the Graceland Cemetery at 4001 N. Clark Street in Chicago.