The sweet aroma of popping kettle corn beckons as you step from the verdant Illinois prairie. A refreshing breeze caresses your overheated skin and brings the sounds of a giggling child drifting to your ears. To your right, a woman squints over a humming spinning wheel. To your left, a man reclines in the shade, lazily lifting an eyebrow while stroking his napping dog's head. The metallic clang of the blacksmith's hammer striking the anvil jolts you from your reverie.

The peace of the afternoon broken, your attention is drawn to the towering statue of the man who tamed this prairie. "Welcome to John Deere country," he seems to say.

On February 7, 1804, in the small town of Rutland, Vt., John Deere made an unremarkable entrance into the world. His father died when he was four years old, leaving Deere's mother to care for her five children. As a child of an extremely poor family, Deere received only the most basic education, followed by a four-year apprenticeship under blacksmith "Captain" Lawrence. There was certainly nothing extraordinary about young Deere, yet he was the man who would later define the agricultural industry.

Unable to find steady work and under threat of imprisonment for a debt he wasn't able to pay,

(Above) John Deere's amazing plow revolutionised the agricultural industry and made life much easier for farmers.

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Deere moved to Dixon, Ill., in 1836 leaving his wife, Demarius, and their children in Vermont until he could send for them. His gamble paid off. Within days of arriving in the Grand Detour area of Dixon, the community put him to work as their blacksmith.

Deere soon established a rapport with the area's farmers and sympathized with their occupational woes. Popular belief has it that the rich earth of the Midwest clung so fiercely to the cast iron blades of their east coast plows that they were frequently forced to stop to scrape the blades clean.

Deere was confident that the solution to the problem was in the metal of the blades. In 1837 he introduced the world to his "self scouring" steel plow. A legend was born.

Mr. Deere's shop was uncovered during an archaeological dig that was commissioned in the early 1960s.

The blades of Deere's wondrous tool were so slick that the stubborn soil fell right off of them. Farmers clamored to place orders and the agricultural industry was revolutionized. Several years later, Deere's business was profitable enough that he was able to move his family to Illinois and pay the debt he still owed in Vermont.

Today, John Deere is the largest manufacturer of farming equipment in the world. The name is synonymous with reliability and quality. The familiar green and yellow logo featuring the sprightly bounding deer is as much a part of the farm as the crops growing in the fields. The company has changed considerably from its humble beginnings, but still tries to maintain contact with its roots.

Paul Muller settles down in the shade with a furry friend to show visitors how a pioneer campsite would have looked.

Celebrating the beginning of its 40th year and the 200th birthday of its namesake in 2004, the John Deere Historic Site preserves the land that inspired Deere's plow. It has been honored by the National Park Service as a Registered National Historic Landmark, and also as a Historic Landmark of Agricultural Engineering by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

On the 5.2-acre site, you feel as though you are walking in the very path of Mr. Deere. Blue-grass music drifts to your ears as giggling children run across the lawn. The friendly groundskeeper, Frank Stransky, is standing in front of the blacksmith's shop.

Frank has been mowing, weeding, mulching, planting, and wielding an occasional anvil here for the last three years. Although, laughs Frank, "I am not a blacksmith. On Mondays and Tuesdays when the blacksmith is not in his shop, I take guests for tours around the inside of the building and explain some of the history." Frank confirms that the historic site is indeed the location of

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Deere's original operation. "The pit in the archeological building is where the original blacksmith shop stood. The pestholes in the ground mark out the dimensions of Mr. Deere's shop. The site was uncovered during an archaeological dig that was commissioned in the early 1960s."

The interior of the existing blacksmith shop is a replica of the original. Archaeologists were able to locate the position of the forge in Deere's shop with a magnetometer, a magnetic particle-detecting device. The exterior shares the exact dimensions of the shop Deere would have worked in.

A group of visitors gathers inside the dimly lit shop as the blacksmith begins his tale. The rapt crowd listens to explanations of various farm implements as the 'smith holds each up for inspection. Iron punches, tongs, and hammers adorn the walls. Corn dryers hang overhead. Though your attention wanders, it is always drawn back to the heart of the shop, the forge.

"Do you see a leaf in this?" asks blacksmith Brian Chessier, holding up a smooth piece of metal to a young boy in the crowd. Puzzled, the boy slowly shakes his head.

"You don't?" inquires Chessier.

"No sir," is the soft reply.

"Hmmm," says the blacksmith, studying the piece. "Wait just a minute."

The 'smith strides to the forge on the back wall of the shop. Pumping the accordion-like "lung," the blacksmith fans the forge and holds the metal to the roaring fire until the iron glows a fiery red. Selecting a hammer, the sparks fly as he strikes the piece again and again, molding it with an expert hand. Satisfied, he holds the reshaped metal rod up to the child.

"Look!" cries the delighted boy, pointing," There's a leaf in it!"

Jim Wolver takes care of providing the "horse power" at the John Deere Historic Site in Dixon. Pat Reks takes a break from her spinning wheel.

In 1962, the University of Illinois was looking for a project for its archaeology students and approached the Deere organization about excavating the area. The students uncovered much more than just a few farm implements; they uncovered agricultural history.

The earthy smell of the dig site greets you as you step into the softly lit interior of the archaeological building. Mapped out on the ground of the pit area in green twine is the 26 feet wide by 31 feet long rectangle that was John Deere's blacksmith shop. Studying the pit, you can almost see the sparks and hear the clank of his hammer as it fashioned that first miraculous plow.

Exhibits throughout the building tell the story of the dig and also about the operation of the original shop. A conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Deere drifts from an unseen source, discussing the rigors of pioneer life. Artifacts from the dig are peppered throughout the exhibit, lending an aura of realism.

The Deere home is a quaint, white, split-level house nestled between lush trees on a sweeping lawn. Crossing the doorway, your eyes take in the sumptuous polished wood filling the rooms. The 19th century furnishings add graceful curves and arches to the otherwise square spaces.

The original building was a one-room structure that Deere expanded to accommodate his seven-member family. "That room was their kitchen, living room... everything," says site manager Lynn Timmerman. After Deere added on to the house, "Ma and Pa would have had the bedroom and I imagine one or two children would have shared it, too. The upstairs is a full loft, and that is where the rest of them would

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The Deere family this year reunited to celebrate their famous patriarch's 200 birthday.

have lived." Visitors surveying the modest proportions of the rooms may be skeptical but, says Timmerman, "They probably had it pretty good back then." The Deeres vacated the house in 1847 when they moved to Moline, Ill.

The other house on the historic property is now the gift shopand visitors' center. Built in 1843, it was originally owned by William Dana, a neighbor of Deere's. The site's remaining two acres of open prairie played host to the Deere family this year as they reunited to celebrate their famous patriarch's 200th birthday. "There were 64 in attendance from all over the world. They get together every three or four years," says Timmerman. The beautiful grounds are also the location of several events and festivals throughout the year.

For More Information

The John Deere Historic Site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily April 1 to October 31. Admission is $3. For more information about the site, upcoming events, or to book a tour, call (815) 652-4551 or visit www.deere.com.

More To Dixon

Smells Like Petunias...

Dixon has been dubbed "The Petunia Capitol of the World" for the thousands of petunias that adorn its streets. In 1960 the Dixon Men's Garden Club began planting the vibrant blooms to replace the trees that were removed from the city's main thoroughfares. Today the entire town has been stung by the gardening bug. Hundreds join together every May to undertake the task of transplanting nearly 23,000 petunia plants. Visit www.petuniafestival.org for more information.

Where Reagan Walked...

President Ronald Reagan, the only United States president native to Illinois, credited Dixon for instilling him with the Midwestern values that shaped his life. Dixon visitors can tour Reagan's boyhood home, view the church he was baptized in, and see the building that was once the school he attended. For more information about other Reagan or Dixon attractions visit www.dixonil.com.

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