Brockport in Monroe County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
McCormick Reapers
Photographed By Pamela Scott, March 19, 2011
1. McCormick Reapers Marker
McCormick reapers made here in 1846. Seymour and Morgan by building 100 reapers for Cyrus McCormick began quantity production of reapersErected 1935 by New York State Education Department.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 43° 12.911′ N, 77° 56.146′ W. Marker is in Brockport, New York, in Monroe County. Marker is at the intersection of Market Street and Park Avenue, on the left when traveling east on Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brockport NY 14420, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Park Ave. / State St. Historic District (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Main Street Brockport Enterprises in the Early 1900s (about 700 feet away); Canal Commerce in Brockport (about 800 feet away); Main Street District (approx. 0.2 miles away); Brockport and the Canal (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Luke's Episcopal Church
this page online
Regarding McCormick Reapers. Cyrus McCormick began work on a reaper in 1831 but could not solve the problem of producing them in quantity. He came to Brockport in 1845 and hired Backus, Fitch, and Co. to make 100 reapers. None of these worked. McCormick then hired Seymour, Morgan, and Roby who successfully produced 100 machines. ("Around Brockport" by William G. Andrews)
Also see . . . Around Brockport - Google Books. Shows pictures of the first reaper plant as well as a print from the wood engraving of the first reaper. (Submitted on March 21, 2011, by Pamela Scott of Brockport, New York.)
Photographed By Pamela Scott, March 19, 2011
2. Wide View of McCormick Reapers Marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, November 29, 2015
3. Cyrus McCormick
This undated portrait of Cyrus McCormick by Charles Loring Elliott hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
“Territorial expansion generated a spirit of technological adventure and a search for new methods to handle the unique conditions of American life. Cyrus McCormick, a farmer in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, succeeded where his father had failed by constructing the first practical reaping machine. This reaper was a first step in the mechanization of American agriculture, allowing the efficient cultivation of large tracts of farmland by small numbers of farmers. This industrialization of the land allowed the United States to boost agricultural production to unprecedented levels and to feed growing cities and industrial towns. McCormick's design was pirated by competitors, but he overcame his rivals by founding his own factory outside Chicago in 1847. There, he contributed to the pace of industrial growth by using standardized parts and assembly-line production methods that had been pioneered by Samuel Colt and others.” — National Portrait Gallery
“Territorial expansion generated a spirit of technological adventure and a search for new methods to handle the unique conditions of American life. Cyrus McCormick, a farmer in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, succeeded where his father had failed by constructing the first practical reaping machine. This reaper was a first step in the mechanization of American agriculture, allowing the efficient cultivation of large tracts of farmland by small numbers of farmers. This industrialization of the land allowed the United States to boost agricultural production to unprecedented levels and to feed growing cities and industrial towns. McCormick's design was pirated by competitors, but he overcame his rivals by founding his own factory outside Chicago in 1847. There, he contributed to the pace of industrial growth by using standardized parts and assembly-line production methods that had been pioneered by Samuel Colt and others.” — National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2011, by Pamela Scott of Brockport, New York. This page has been viewed 904 times since then and 118 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 21, 2011, by Pamela Scott of Brockport, New York. 3. submitted on November 30, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
