McCormick, Cyrus Hall

Cyrus Hall McCormick (1809-1884), an American inventor, first patented the mechanical reaper in 1834, revolutionizing the harvesting process of key agricultural crops by combining all the steps that earlier harvesting machines had performed separately. In July of 1831, McCormick demonstrated his invention to the public. His timesaving invention allowed farmers to more than double their crop yields, spurring innovations of other farm machinery. In 1847, McCormick established a factory in Chicago, founding what eventually became one of the greatest industrial establishments in the United States. In the 1850s, Cyrus broadened his market by introducing the reaper to England and other European countries.