Show father of steel plow industry leonard andrus established the first steel plow factory in the united states A monument was erected in his honor at grand detour the inscription says in part in 1837 leonard andrus and john deere built the first grand detour steel moldboard plough the new plough was made in limited numbers until 1843 when andrus established on this site a plough manufactory which he operated until his death in 1867 at different times he had as par partners t ner s john deere H H paine 0 C lathrop amos bosworth and theron cummins the product of this enterprise stimulated farm development throughout the prairie states and was the basis of the steel plow industry |