One of the many John Deere equipment on display at the celebration on Saturday
/ KTVO's Tess Hedrick
OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Last year, John Deere Ottumwa Works marked its 100th Anniversary of being in Ottumwa.
And this year marks the 175th Anniversary since John Deere’s company was founded in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois when Deere crafted a self-scouring steel plow from an old sawmill blade.
More than 2,000 John Deere employees, family, and retirees celebrated the anniversary at the Bridge View Center throughout the day on Saturday. There was vintage and modern-day farm equipment on display as well as many other attractions.
“You you can kind of see the start of John Deere's business through the years. It's just been unbelievable. A typical tractor has more than 36 personal computers embedded into the operating system. Any one of these tractors has more computing power than the space shuttle had,” said Andy Hansen, John Deere Ottumwa Works Factory Manager.
And for the kids, there seemed to be every type of inflatable equipment imaginable for them to play on.
“The celebration has been like a family reunion. It’s great to get everyone back here again,” said Hansen.
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