Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus Hall McCormick (February 15, 1809 – May 13, 1884) was an American inventor and businessman who founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which later became part of the International Harvester Company in 1902. Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, he and many members of the McCormick family became prominent residents of Chicago. McCormick has been simplistically credited as the single inventor of the mechanical reaper.
Cyrus McCormick | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cyrus Hall McCormick February 15, 1809 Raphine, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 13, 1884 (aged 75) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Resting place | Graceland Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | inventor and agricultural machinery tycoon |
| Known for | Founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company Co-designer of the mechanical reaper |
| Spouse | Nancy Fowler (m. 1858–1884; his death) |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | Robert McCormick Jr. Mary Ann Hall |
| Relatives | See McCormick family |
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He was, however, one of several designing engineers who produced successful models in the 1830s. His efforts built on more than two decades of work by his father Robert McCormick Jr., with the aid of Jo Anderson, an enslaved African-American man held by the family. He also successfully developed a modern company, with manufacturing, marketing, and a sales force to market his products.