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John Deere: Yesterday & Today
John Yesterday & Today is a comprehensive history of the uniquely American John Deere & Company from its 19th-century beginnings to its position today as a global-manufacturing powerhouse.
John Deere has been a major player in the evolution of industrialized American labor and large-scale agriculture. The company's tractors and other machines are used worldwide on large and small farms, in forests, on construction sites, and even in suburban driveways. The public's passion for John Deere is apparent not just on the company's balance sheet, but also in the array of licensed consumer items available, such as clothing, toys, tin signs, and clocks.
This handsome hardcover book chronicles the complete John Deere story, starting with blacksmith John Deere's revolutionary steel plow in 1837 and onward to the company's entry into the tractor business and its success today. John Yesterday & Today is organized by historical periods, with highlights of significant events and trends included in each chapter. Lively, expertly written text and hundreds of vibrant color images of tractors, memorabilia, portraits, and artifacts help bring this American success story to life.
Anyone interested in John Deere or American history will treasure John Yesterday & Today . The company's remarkable history is detailed in the following
Retail price $24.95
John Deere has been a major player in the evolution of industrialized American labor and large-scale agriculture. The company's tractors and other machines are used worldwide on large and small farms, in forests, on construction sites, and even in suburban driveways. The public's passion for John Deere is apparent not just on the company's balance sheet, but also in the array of licensed consumer items available, such as clothing, toys, tin signs, and clocks.
This handsome hardcover book chronicles the complete John Deere story, starting with blacksmith John Deere's revolutionary steel plow in 1837 and onward to the company's entry into the tractor business and its success today. John Yesterday & Today is organized by historical periods, with highlights of significant events and trends included in each chapter. Lively, expertly written text and hundreds of vibrant color images of tractors, memorabilia, portraits, and artifacts help bring this American success story to life.
Anyone interested in John Deere or American history will treasure John Yesterday & Today . The company's remarkable history is detailed in the following
Retail price $24.95
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 24, 2020
I love that Orion Samuelson of WGN Radio wrote the book's forward. There is a very nice photo of Mr. Samuelson at the Wisconsin State Fair, conducting an on air interview with Jerry Zimmerman, the Wisconsin State Fair Historian (my dad). Jerry liked to greet families at the State Fair's annual Century Farm Breakfast by emulating Orion's radio greeting to all...."Good.......morning Wisconsin!"
Great memories and a great family gift to have my dad memorialized in this book. Our young grandson is now delighted to have all things John Deere, including a copy of this wonderful picture book. Highly recommend the 2010 edition as a collector's item.
Great memories and a great family gift to have my dad memorialized in this book. Our young grandson is now delighted to have all things John Deere, including a copy of this wonderful picture book. Highly recommend the 2010 edition as a collector's item.
March 5, 2018
Awesome Book For Any John Deere 🚜 Lover. I Really Enjoyed See All The Different Tractors Through The Year. 📚
October 21, 2015
An absolutely beautiful book with hundreds of stunning photographs.
OK, now I get to nit-pick about the text. John Deere and his wife were parents to nine children. I wouldn't expect an illustrated history of the John Deere company to go into any detail on such a large family but, I would expect them to be left out of the book in a more even-handed manner. For example, on pages 34-35 the book addresses John Deere's family and his death. The text and family tree notes children of only 3 of his married children and goes into detail on the next 3 generations of only the youngest son. Just a drop more ink could have listed the rest, at least as space on this one page would have permitted.
Admittedly, Charles Deere was a later CEO of the company, however, the text gives the impression that only Charles became or remained involved with the company and this is certainly not the case at all. But, I guess when you own 40% of the stock, you get 40% of the book.
John Deere's mother, first wife, Demarius, and his daughters, were all incredibly strong people. They were the women who made it possible for the men to run the company. His daughters and their husbands, who were heavily involved in the company, are barely acknowledged. Unless you count an anecdote from an early stockholders' meeting predicting that all farmers would soon be using Deere tractors to pull their plows instead of their horses, bullocks, and women.
Deere's oldest daughter, Ellen, married Christopher Webber, whose background in finance saved the company from total economic disaster during the crash of 1857. Hardly an insignificant contribution. The family tree on page 35 lists only the third of their four children, the only male.
Deere's daughter, Jeannette, married James Chapman, who joined the company as a partner, which became "Deere & Chapman." He is mentioned in the text only because they couldn't refer to the company as "Deere & Whatshisname."
Deere's daughter, Emma, married Stephen Velie, who was also a partner in the company and made significant contributions to it's financial success. He rates only a mention in a photo caption on page 30.
Deere's youngest daughter, Alice, married Merton Cady, an architect who designed and superintended the John Deere buildings at the corners of 17th Street and Third Avenue and 16th Street and Third Avenue in Moline as well as designing or renovating many other buildings for John Deere and other businesses. Alice and Merton are not mentioned in the text at all.
OK, now I get to nit-pick about the text. John Deere and his wife were parents to nine children. I wouldn't expect an illustrated history of the John Deere company to go into any detail on such a large family but, I would expect them to be left out of the book in a more even-handed manner. For example, on pages 34-35 the book addresses John Deere's family and his death. The text and family tree notes children of only 3 of his married children and goes into detail on the next 3 generations of only the youngest son. Just a drop more ink could have listed the rest, at least as space on this one page would have permitted.
Admittedly, Charles Deere was a later CEO of the company, however, the text gives the impression that only Charles became or remained involved with the company and this is certainly not the case at all. But, I guess when you own 40% of the stock, you get 40% of the book.
John Deere's mother, first wife, Demarius, and his daughters, were all incredibly strong people. They were the women who made it possible for the men to run the company. His daughters and their husbands, who were heavily involved in the company, are barely acknowledged. Unless you count an anecdote from an early stockholders' meeting predicting that all farmers would soon be using Deere tractors to pull their plows instead of their horses, bullocks, and women.
Deere's oldest daughter, Ellen, married Christopher Webber, whose background in finance saved the company from total economic disaster during the crash of 1857. Hardly an insignificant contribution. The family tree on page 35 lists only the third of their four children, the only male.
Deere's daughter, Jeannette, married James Chapman, who joined the company as a partner, which became "Deere & Chapman." He is mentioned in the text only because they couldn't refer to the company as "Deere & Whatshisname."
Deere's daughter, Emma, married Stephen Velie, who was also a partner in the company and made significant contributions to it's financial success. He rates only a mention in a photo caption on page 30.
Deere's youngest daughter, Alice, married Merton Cady, an architect who designed and superintended the John Deere buildings at the corners of 17th Street and Third Avenue and 16th Street and Third Avenue in Moline as well as designing or renovating many other buildings for John Deere and other businesses. Alice and Merton are not mentioned in the text at all.
February 10, 2014
my book starts in 1836 when the invention of the pull bottom plow was invented. to now days of the john deere 9000 series. it even has future plans of creating logging equipment that walk on four legs. the mood is kinda boring if you're not interested in the history of john deere. it gives u the history of john deere to explain where john deere came from.
the first tractor created was a pull bottom plow that you had to walk behind with it hooked up to a horses to even move it and it was so much more work. the second tractor is the john deere 9000 series where you can set a cruise control and use auto steering and ac cabs. the authors describes where the tractor was built and who built it.
i really enjoyed the book and was really interested in the history of john deere. i was interested in it because it was over john deere which was an important start in farming
the first tractor created was a pull bottom plow that you had to walk behind with it hooked up to a horses to even move it and it was so much more work. the second tractor is the john deere 9000 series where you can set a cruise control and use auto steering and ac cabs. the authors describes where the tractor was built and who built it.
i really enjoyed the book and was really interested in the history of john deere. i was interested in it because it was over john deere which was an important start in farming
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews