Manny reaper
Encyclopedia
John Henry Manny
laid the foundation for the reaper
business of Rockford, IL. At the time of the invention of his reaper, he was farming with his father, Pells Manny, in Waddams Township, Stephenson County, Illinois
, near McConnell, Illinois
. They had a large crop of wheat and wanted a machine to cut it. The Manny's had heard that George Esterly, of Wisconsin
, was making machines that would harvest
grain
. They visited Esterly to buy one of his machines but found that he would probably not be able to get one finished for them in time for their harvest. John H. Manny remained with Esterly at his shop to help him complete the "header". It was this insight into the construction of harvesting machinery that inspired the Manny family to develop their own reaper. Subsequently the Manny's conceived the idea of creating a number of additional reapers that were to be sold to neighboring farmers.
There weren't any railroads through the country at this time, except a line to Rockford, so John Henry Manny and those interested in building his machine went to Rockford in the fall of 1853. In the spring of 1854, the Talcott brothers; Wait and Sylvester along with Jess Blinn and Ralph Emerson (cousin to Ralph Waldo Emerson
) organized J.H. Manny & Co. Between 1855 and 1856 this new company manufactured about 6,000 machines for harvest. John H. Manny died in 1856 of a stomach illness and the manufacturing of his machine was then carried on by the Talcott brothers and Ralph Emerson until 1860, when Mr. Emerson bought out his partners and associated himself with William A. Talcott. Following the death of Manny the firm was known as Talcott, Emerson, & Co.
John Henry Manny
John Henry Manny was the inventor of the Manny Reaper, which was an early version of a horse-powered combine harvester.-Life:John Henry Manny was born November 28, 1825 in Amsterdam, New York. His father was Pells Manny and mother was Sarah Swart...
laid the foundation for the reaper
Reaper
A reaper is a person or machine that reaps crops at harvest, when they are ripe.-Hand reaping:Hand reaping is done by various means, including plucking the ears of grains directly by hand, cutting the grain stalks with a sickle, cutting them with a scythe, or with a later type of scythe called a...
business of Rockford, IL. At the time of the invention of his reaper, he was farming with his father, Pells Manny, in Waddams Township, Stephenson County, Illinois
Waddams Township, Stephenson County, Illinois
Waddams Township is located in Stephenson County, Illinois. The population was 807 at the 2010 census, down from 872 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of McConnell and Damascus are located in the township, and once New Pennsylvania was located here also.On March 6, 1848 the...
, near McConnell, Illinois
McConnell, Illinois
McConnell is an unincorporated community in Waddams Township in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. McConnell is southwest of Orangeville, Northeast of Lena and Southeast of Winslow. McConnell has a post office with ZIP code 61050.-History:...
. They had a large crop of wheat and wanted a machine to cut it. The Manny's had heard that George Esterly, of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, was making machines that would harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
. They visited Esterly to buy one of his machines but found that he would probably not be able to get one finished for them in time for their harvest. John H. Manny remained with Esterly at his shop to help him complete the "header". It was this insight into the construction of harvesting machinery that inspired the Manny family to develop their own reaper. Subsequently the Manny's conceived the idea of creating a number of additional reapers that were to be sold to neighboring farmers.
There weren't any railroads through the country at this time, except a line to Rockford, so John Henry Manny and those interested in building his machine went to Rockford in the fall of 1853. In the spring of 1854, the Talcott brothers; Wait and Sylvester along with Jess Blinn and Ralph Emerson (cousin to Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
) organized J.H. Manny & Co. Between 1855 and 1856 this new company manufactured about 6,000 machines for harvest. John H. Manny died in 1856 of a stomach illness and the manufacturing of his machine was then carried on by the Talcott brothers and Ralph Emerson until 1860, when Mr. Emerson bought out his partners and associated himself with William A. Talcott. Following the death of Manny the firm was known as Talcott, Emerson, & Co.