The Sattley Plow Company....Ever heard of them? You're not alone. While I had heard the name before I considered them to be a small insignificant company that disappeared around the turn of the century. After doing aa little research I discovered just how wrong I was.

The story goes back to the early 1800's when Archibald and Robert Sattley migrated west from their homes in Vergennes, Vermont. The two traveled to Rochester, New York and then began their trek westward. They settled for the fall of 1818 in Carmi, Illinois then moved on to an area east of Springfield in the spring of 1819. The two brothers, whom coincidently married twin sisters, settled in an area and decided to name it after the town when they met up to begin this journey. Thus the town of Rochester, Illinois was born. The brothers farmed the area and started their families there. Archibald was heavily involved in agricultural pursuits, a trait that was passed down through the generations.

Archibald and his wife, Harriet, had several children, one of whom was names Archibald Jr., one of his sons, Marshall, took up an apprenticeship from a blacksmith named Abraham Nicholls in Rochester. Combining his blacksmith skills with his family's agricultural interests, by 1851 Marshall was manufacturing plow by beating the moldboard over a log with a wooden mallet. The plows had a 20 to 24 inch cut and were designed to be drawn by four to five oxen. (Keep in mind that this was very early for the production of a steel plow and there is still some debate as to who should actually receive credit for that feat. However, most have forgotten Sattley by now and JD still lives on. Even though, Sattley does still get credit for producing the first sulky plows or horse-drawn riding plows.

Continue reading this story and many other interesting stories in Issues # 11 of Oliver Heritage!