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CITY (NewsDakota.com) Scores of people turned out to attend the 175 anniversary of John Deere as a company in Valley City on Saturday.
John Deere Seeding Group of Valley City who employs some 350 people in the area helped sponsored the event held at the North Dakota Winter Show building in Valley City.
A number of local people who own John Deere tractors had them on display inside the main arena and kids had a chance to play in a gigantic inflatable maze and slide for entertainment.
Blacksmith Rick Trahan who carries on the blacksmith tradition with demonstrations at the historic site in Grand Detour, Illinois provided the same demonstrations at the Valley City event on May 19.
In 1836, John Deere, a blacksmith from Vermont, set up shop in the small Rock River town of Grand Detour, Illinois.
Deere was an enterprising and innovative man. After meeting many farmers who were discouraged by their efforts to cultivate the sticky Midwestern soil, he was sure he had the answer: a self-scouring plow, highly polished and properly shaped.
In 1837, using a discarded saw blade, he forged that plow. His “self-polishing” plow grew in popularity, and as it did, so did the company that bears his name. And 175 years of history with the company continues.
