First Fruits : The Lewellings and the Birth of the Pacific Coast Fruit Industry

First Fruits offers a fascinating look at the lives of Pacific Coast horticulturists Henderson, Jonathan, and Seth Lewelling.Traveling across the Overland Trail-Henderson to Oregon in 1847, with a wagonload of fruit trees, and Seth and John to California three years later-the brothers would establish themselves as pioneers in the West’s growing fruit industry.By recounting how Henderson planted the first orchard of grafted fruit trees in Oregon, how Seth originated the Black Republican and Bing cherries, and how John led the development of the Napa Valley wine industry, First Fruits preserves the Lewellings’ place in history. However, the Lewellings were not simply planters, grafters, and breeders.They were also adventurers, colonists, gold seekers, reformists, and explorers-experiencing firsthand the westward expansion of the nation.Their stories provide a unique glimpse into the social, economic, and political history of the day.From their Quaker upbringing in North Carolina and Indi