DeKalb Township in DeKalb County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

First DeKalb^® Brand Hybrid Corn Breeding Plot

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, September 24, 2026

1. First DeKalb® Brand Hybrid Corn Breeding Plot Marker

Inscription.
On this farm two entrepreneurs begin a small experiment in 1925, the results of which have helped transform agriculture and the economies of Illinois, this nation and the world. Driven by the desire to improve farmers' productivity, Charlie Gunn (Corn Breeder) and Tom Roberts (Manager) of the DeKalb County Agricultural Association began a hybrid corn-breeding program here on the then J.J. Kingsley Farm. Their interest in pursuing the novel idea of boosting corn yields through the science of hybridization was solidified during an earlier visit to DeKalb by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry C. Wallace.

Because the science was little known and commercially unproven, Roberts and Gunn kept the breeding plot secret even from their board of directors until 1928. In 1933, a comparison trial of Gunn's first corn hybrid against an open-pollinated variety he had developed earlier showed an impressive 35 percent yield boost. In 1938 Gunn introduced an outstanding hybrid that extended the corn belt northward 200 miles. Roberts applied his business acumen, developing innovative ways to finance, produce, distribute, and market hybrid

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seed corn. Farmer dealers were signed up, sales grew, and by 1949, 18 seed conditioning plants had been built in the U.S. and Canada to meet growing demand.

It's hard to overstate the importance of hybrid corn. Indeed, in 1992 Time Magazine named hybrid corn as one of the inventions that most shaped our world in the millennium ending in 2000.

Erected 2014 by the DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association, Inc. and the Illinois State Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 41° 56.351′ N, 88° 48.71′ W. Marker is near DeKalb, Illinois, in DeKalb County. It is in DeKalb Township. It is on Nelson Road north of Lincoln Highway (Illinois Route 38), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21156 Nelson Rd, Dekalb IL 60115, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Illinois.

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, September 24, 2026

2. First DeKalb® Brand Hybrid Corn Breeding Plot Marker

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Viet Nam Era Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away); Honoring World War I DeKalb Area Veterans (approx. 2.1 miles away); DeKalb Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away); Honoring American Women Veterans (approx. 2.1 miles away); Barbed Wire Manufacturing (approx. 2.2 miles away); Yield Monitor (approx. 2.2 miles away); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (approx. 2.3 miles away); “Unified and Diversified” Time Capsule (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in DeKalb.

Also see . . . www.daaha.org. This is the website that appears on the marker in the sponsor section. It was the website of the DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association. (Submitted on September 24, 2026, by Matthew Stevens of Washington, Illinois.)

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, September 24, 2026

3. Nelson Road & the First DeKalb® Brand Hybrid Corn Breeding Plot Marker

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, September 24, 2026

4. First DeKalb® Brand Hybrid Corn Breeding Plot Marker Backside

The western edge of DeKalb (and Northern Illinois University's campus) can be seen in the distance of the photo.

Photographed by Matthew Stevens, September 24, 2026

5. First DeKalb® Brand Hybrid Corn Breeding Plot Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2026, by Matthew Stevens of Washington, Illinois. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 24, 2026, by Matthew Stevens of Washington, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.