John Deere Historic Site (Blacksmith) in Grand Detour (USA)

Today John Deere's Birthday (February 7, 1804) John Deere 217 yr

Relive the experience of John Deere's 1840s blacksmith shop. Our expert blacksmith will walk you through a step-by-step process on how to forge a hand-made steel ornamental leaf.

Hear the clang of the hammer. Feel the heat from the forge. Watch the iron melt and take shape. Stand in the spot where John Deere created the first commercially successful steel plow, and relive the experience of his original blacksmith shop. Discover where our story began at the John Deere Historic Site!

The place where it all began:
Registered as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service,
the John Deere Historic Site welcomes visitors into John Deere’s Grand Detour,
Illinois, homestead where he created his first successful self-scouring steel
plow in 1837. Watch daily demonstrations by a working blacksmith in a replica
of John Deere’s shop. Get close to the archaeological excavations of Deere’s
shop and early factory, and explore the actual home he lived in.

John Deere Historic Site exhibits:
1. Blacksmith Shop – Entering this recreation of Deere’s original shop is like traveling
back in time to early pioneer days. Several times a day, a resident blacksmith
demonstrates just what it takes to be a skilled iron worker.

2. Archaeological Site – In 1962, an archaeological team from the University of Illinois
unearthed the exact location of the blacksmith shop where John Deere developed
the first successful steel plow in 1837. The location has been preserved in an exhibit
hall at the Historic Site. Each year, this exhibit draws thousands of school groups,
Deere enthusiasts, and history buffs who simply want to learn more about this
great American icon.

3. John Deere’s Home – This exhibit gives an intimate glimpse of pioneer life. Deere
built the home after he arrived in Grand Detour in 1836 and later added sections
to accommodate his growing family. You’ll see rooms as the Deere family would
have known them, furnished with period household items that show how pioneers
cooked, cleaned, bathed, and spent their few leisure hours.

4. Gift Shop – John Deere’s next-door neighbor’s former house serves as the site’s
Gift Shop. Visitors will find works created by the resident blacksmith, and custom
ironwork can be created on request. A selection of apparel, hats, and other
John Deere Historic Site merchandise is also available.