McCormick Mowers

Cyrus Hall McCormick, together with his brother Leander McCormick (1819–1900), moved to Chicago in 1847 and started the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. Following a fire that destroyed Chicago and the company’s factory, in 1873 Cyrus inaugurated a new factory, which was immediately brought into full production. The following year it was already able to fulfil over 10 thousand orders.

McCormick died in 1885, with his company passing to his son, Cyrus McCormick, Jr., whose incompetence toward organized labor sparked the Haymarket affair, the origin of May Day as a labor holiday.

In 1902, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester Company, along with three smaller agricultural equipment firms (Milwaukee Harvesting Machine Co., Plano Manufacturing Co., and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner) merged to create the International Harvester Company. Banker J.P. Morgan provided the financing.

Between 1886 and 1915, McCormick marketed the New 4 Mower, New Big 4 Mower and Vertical Lift Mower.