Merton Yale Cady

Merton Yale Cady (1840 – 1900) was an American prominent architect and builder in Moline, Illinois. He designed various buildings at Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and designed the Riverside Cemetery in Moline. He designed Cast-iron structures and number of buildings for his father-in-law, John Deere, and his enterprise, Deere & Company.

He also worked in New York for the Yale Lock Company of his grandfather, Linus Yale Sr., and on the Equitable Life Building in Manhattan.

Early life

Merton Yale Cady was born in Newport, New York, on May 20, 1840, to Ira L. Cady and Chlotilda Yale, members of the Yale family. His father was a burglar proof and bank-lock expert, and had patents on bank vaults. He lived at the Yale-Cady Octagon House, built by Merton Yale Cady's grandfather, Linus Yale Sr. His uncle was Linus Yale Jr., founder of the Yale Lock Company.

Cady moved to Chicago trying to expand the burglar-proof business. He became proprietor of John Deere's 250 acres blooded-stock farm known as Alderney Hill Farm. It would be inherited thereafter by their daughter, Mabel Cady, wife of Charles Porter Skinner, three times Mayor of Moline, Illinois.

In 1893, Cady was one of the architects who designed the buildings of Chicago World's Fair, and was one of its managers. He was one of the judges of the Manufacturers Department of the fair, had office in the Pacific Building, and was involved on the Award Committee with Governor George White Baxter and Senator John Boyd Thacher.

Later life

He worked as a purchasing agent for his brother-in-law, Charles Henry Deere, and designed Deere's Block office and commercial buildings, as well as Deere Row apartment building. The luxurious apartments were built for the company's executives in 1872, and would be preserved in 2007 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He worked on various post offices and became among the most prominent citizens and largest employers of Moline, beside the leading manufacturers. Cady was a horse racing lover and had his own private race track on his estate at Cady's farm in Moline. The Cady memorial, a window built and named in honor of Merton Yale Cady, was installed on Moline's First Congregational Church in 1901, next to those of his relatives, John Deere and Stephen Henry Velie.