Discover the roots of the Pacific coast fruit industry and how the Lewelling brothers hauled a wagonload of fruit trees from Iowa in 1847 and planted the first grafted-fruit orchard in Oregon Country. Learn their fascinating history, not just as horticulturists, but also as abolitionists, gold miners, and Quakers-turned-Spiritualists. One attempted to found a utopian colony in Honduras, another helped organize the Grange in California, and the third fought for democratic reforms in Oregon. Spanning the continent and nearly a century, the lives of Henderson, Seth, and John Lewelling provide fresh perspectives on 19th-century westward expansion and Oregon agriculture.
Linda Ziedrich is the author of First Fruits: The Lewellings and the Birth of the Pacific Coast Fruit Industry. She also writes about food from garden to table, culinary history, and the cuisines of the world. Her books include The Curious Kitchen Gardener: Uncommon Plants and How to Eat Them and The Joy of Pickling.
All ages are welcome.
