Deere Park

Richmond Pkwy., Ocean Terr., Tiber Pl., Staten Island Blvd.

Staten Island

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

It is perhaps ironic that this parkland wilderness bears the name of one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of farm equipment, John Deere (1804-1886). Deere was born in Rutland, VT and pursued a common school education and four-year apprenticeship as a blacksmith. His workmanship was highly respected, but worsening economic conditions soon forced the young man to move west to Illinois. In 1837, just one year after his arrival in Grand Detour, IL, John Deere made history. From the steel blade of a broken saw, he created the world’s first ‘self-scouring’ plow. His invention solved a pressing problem for farmers attempting to adjust to the rich, sticky midwestern soil, revolutionizing farming in that region forever.