Cyrus McCormick: Founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company
Business Owner · Agriculture & Equipment
Cyrus McCormick built a company around the mechanical reaper, with manufacturing, marketing and a sales force; it became part of International Harvester in 1902.
About Cyrus McCormick: Founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company
Cyrus Hall McCormick (February 15, 1809 to May 13, 1884) was an American inventor and businessman who founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which became part of the International Harvester Company in 1902. Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, he and many members of the McCormick family became prominent residents of Chicago. McCormick always claimed credit as the single inventor of the mechanical reaper, though he was one of several designing engineers who produced working models in the 1830s. His efforts built on more than two decades of work by his father, Robert McCormick Jr., with the aid of Jo Anderson, an enslaved African-American man held by the family. He also successfully developed a company, with manufacturing, marketing and a sales force, to market his products. He was born in Raphine, Virginia, the eldest of eight children of the inventor Robert McCormick Jr. and Mary Ann "Polly" Hall. Seeing the potential of the design for a mechanical reaper, his father applied for a patent to claim it as his own invention, having worked for 28 years on a horse-drawn mechanical reaper. Sources: English Wikipedia (Cyrus McCormick, accessed September 2026).
Basic Information
Founder, McCormick Harvesting Machine Company (1809-1884)
Company Details
McCormick Harvesting Machine Company / International Harvester
Agricultural Machinery
Related Business Owner
Latest Articles
Alana Evans Net Worth in 2026 – Income Sources, Career & Earnings
Amy Lee Net Worth 2026: Income Sources, Evanescence Career & Personal Life
Abz Love Net Worth 2026: Five Star’s Career, TV Comeback & Income Breakdown
