History of Walnut Grove, (Washington County) Virginia United States of America

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Biographies:

Leander J. McCormick, inventor, was born at Walnut Grove, Va., Feb. 8, 1819; son of Robert and Mary McChesney (Hall) McCormick. He attended the public schools of Rockbridge county and was engaged with his father and brothers in farming and in perfecting and constructing the reaping machine invented by his father in 1809. He invented various improvements to the reaper, including a seat or stand from which a man could divide the grain in sheaves suitable for binding, 1845; an improvement on the divider side in 1845; and later a seat for the driver, who had before ridden on one of the horses. He was married in 1845 to Henrietta Maria, daughter of John Hamilton, of Rockbridge county, Va.; she died in Chicago in November, 1899. Their son, Robert S. McCormick, was secretary of legation under U.S. minister, Robert T. Lincoln, in London; married a daughter of Joseph Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune, and in 1901 was appointed by President McKinley envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to Austria-Hungary. Leander J. McCormick went to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1847, to superintend the construction of one hundred reaping machines and in 1848 he removed to Chicago, Ill., where he was joined by his brother Cyrus Hall, in 1849, and where they established a factory. He took entire charge of the manufacturing department until 1879, when the business was incorporated as the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co., and he retired from active participation in the business. He presented the University of Virginia in 1871 with a twenty-six-inch refracting telescope contructed by Alvan Clark & Sons of Cambridge, Mass., and at the time the largest refracting lens in the world, and the observatory building was known as the McCormick observatory. Mr. McConnick died in Chicago, Ill., Feb. 20, 1900.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Robert McCormick, inventor, was born at Walnut Grove, Rockbridge county, Va., in 1780; son of Robert and Martha (Sanderson) McCormick. His ancestors, who were Scotch, emigrated to the north of Ireland and thence to America. His father, a native of Pennsylvania, served in the Revolution, removed his family to Reckbridge county, Va., in 1779; and was at Guilford Court House, N.C., where he narrowly escaped death, March 15, 1781. After the war he conducted a number of farms at Walnut Grove, Va., a grist and saw mill and a machine shop, where he invented and manufactured labor-saving farm implements. In 1809 he constructed the first grain-cutting machine ever devised, which was improved, first by himself, then by his sons, Cyrus Hall and Leander J., and all the improvements were patented by his son Cyrus Hall, in 1834. He engaged with his sons, Cyrus Hall, William S. and Leander J., in manufacturing these machines, out of which grew the McCormick Harvesting Machine manufactory in Chicago, Ill. His other labor-saving inventions include a hemp-breaking machine, a machine for cleaning hemp, a number of successful threshing machines, a blacksmith's bellows and a machine to supply power by putting water under pressure. This last was abandoned for lack of machinery for use in its construction. He was a student of classical literature and of science, especially of astronomy. He was married to Mary McChesney, daughter of Patrick Hall, a quartermaster in the war of 1812. He died at Walnut Grove, Va., July 4, 1846.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor