Cyrus McCormick
(Feb. 15, 1809–May 13, 1884)

McCormick was an industrialist and inventor of the first commercially successful reaper – a horse-drawn machine to harvest wheat – basing his work on that of his father and others. He formed what became McCormick Harvesting Machine Company where he innovated marketing and distribution techniques. McCormick’s achievements have impacted agribusiness around the world.

photo and text by Joe Collier