Cyrus Hall McCormick was born on a farm in Walnut Grove, VA in 1809 and by age 15 had invented a lightweight cradle for harvesting grain.
His father, Robert, had worked intermittently on a horse-drawn reaper for many years and finally gave up in 1831. Cyrus took what his father had done and added some key features and had an operating machine by the end of the harvest. His first patent was taken out in 1834 as the machine became more popular.
As demand grew, he moved his "Virginia Reaper" business to Chicago in order to reach the many farmers of the midwest.
The machine had an enormous impact on the future of the Nation as it allowed fewer farmers to produce more product freeing up others to be involved in the sciences, arts, industry and other worthwhile pursuits.
McCormick's invention was the basis for a global corporation known as International Harvester, established in 1902--eight years after his death.
