IH: 1847 McCormick Harvester Plant

McCormick moved from Virginia to Chicago so that he could be closer to his market of large, flat farms. He built his first Chicago plant in 1847 at what is now the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and the river. In 1915, Intinational Harvester moved this and Deering's works to the South Branch and more.

Screenshot

Erik Nordber posted

Today’s cover image shows the McCormick Reaper Works as it appeared in 1867. Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, McCormick derived his interest in invention from his father, a Virginia landowner who patented several improved farming implements and worked without success for many years to perfect a mechanical reaper. In July 1831, McCormick succeeded where his father had failed, producing a model reaper with all the essential components of later commercial machines. Patenting his invention in 1834 (after Obed Hussey had announced in 1833 the construction of a reaper of his own), McCormick started to manufacture the machine on the family estate in 1837. The factory shown here was built in 1847 by Cyrus McCormick and his partner Charles M. Gray on the north bank of the Chicago River, east of the Rush Street bridge. The factory was destroyed in the Chicago Fire of October 8-9, 1871.

The image isn't easily sourced. It appears in numerous online locations without attribution. This likely means it was either an advertising item, letterhead graphic, or possibly an illustration from an illustrated magazine such as Harper's Weekly. There is no intention to contravene copyright and this image will be removed upon request.

Erik provided the following links in the comments:
https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM8799
https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM1857
https://chicagology.com/prefire/prefire129/
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_214133
https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2018/04/ih-1847-mccormick-harvester-plant.html
https://www.invent.org/inductees/cyrus-mccormick

Paul Petraitis posted
This is how the ICRR transformed the lakefront...its an Alexander Hesler panorama from 1858.
Dennis DeBruler I wonder if the building on the other side of the river from the station is the McCormick Harvester plant. He built a factory in Chicago in 1847 to be closer to his market and transportation. From what I have been able to determine, the building was in the northeast corner of what is now Michigan Avenue and the river. This photo also shows how important the grain trade was to Chicago. Schooners took grain to Buffalo for shipment on the canal and brought back coal from the Pennsylvania mines.
Paul Petraitis And salt from Buffulo! And yes that's McCormick's plant.

Screenshot, fire damaged

The plant was destroyed by the 1871 fire. Since they had to rebuild anyhow, they rebuilt on the South Branch of the Chicago River were they could have more land and easily expand.