Steeles Tavern - McCormick Farm

While driving to Lexington, Ms Edwards and I saw a sign for McCormick Farm. We thought that we could go and check it out.

McCormick Farm was the home of of Cyrus McCormick. He was the inventor/creator of the First Reaper.

• Cyrus was 22 years old at the time that he demostronstrated the world's first successful mechanical reaper in fields near his farm. (Walnut Grove)
• The McCormick Reaper harvested grain five times faster with a fraction of the physical effort.
• This happened in July of 1831.

Below is a maker to Cyrus McCormick. On the stone it says "Cyrus H. McCormick inventor of the reaper was born on this farm Feb. 15, 1809. Here he completed the first practical reaper in 1831. V.P.T. Student Branch American Society of Agricultural Engineers 1928."

Below is a picture of a reaper. It was a horse-drawn farm implement to cut small grain crops.

Below is a piece of a poster that Ms. Edwards took a picture of. It says the following:

"McCormick's seven basic principles were as follows:

1. The straight knife with serrated edge and reciprocal or vibrating motion which cuts the grain. 2. Finger or guards extending from the platform to prevent the grain from slipping sideways while being cut. 3. The revolving reel which holds the grain against the knife and lays the cut stalks on the platform. 4. Platform behind the knife for receiving the cut grain and holding it until raked off. 5. The master wheel which carries most of the weight of the machine and, through ground traction, furnishes power to operate the reel and the knife. 6. Forward draft from the right or stubble side by means of shafts attached in front of the master wheel. 7. A divider on the left side to seperate the grain to be cut from that to be left standing.

Here is a picture of me at the farm :) Below is a close up :)