Gurney's Seed and Nursery Company
Encyclopedia
Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Co. is a mail-order seed and garden plant company based in Greendale
, Indiana
. Founded in 1866, Gurney’s specializes in vegetable and flower seeds, gardening supplies and nursery stock, including trees, shrubs, perennials, fruit trees and berries, fertilizers and plant foods. Gurney’s distributes catalogs throughout the nation, and maintains a considerable web presence.
(born May 13, 1840) a Lieutenant Colonel during the American Civil War
, opened his first nursery, Hesperian Nurseries, in 1866 in Monticello
, Iowa
. The business remained in Monticello until 1882, when the business was moved to Dixon County, Nebraska
. After realizing the trade potential in towns near rivers, Gurney moved Hesperian Nurseries to Yankton
, South Dakota
, in 1897.
C.W. Gurney’s seven sons were very involved in the family seed business, and in 1906, C.W. Gurney and his sons, and one nephew, had the nursery incorporated as Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Company. The company started listing products on a generic price list for mailing purposes, until 1910, when Gurney’s published its first large seed and nursery catalog with a full-color cover.
Upon Charles W. Gurney’s death in 1913, his sons and nephew continued the seed and nursery business. In 1919, Deloss Butler Gurney, one of the Colonel’s sons, became CEO. The company diversified and grew quickly. By 1924, the Gurney seed house was one of the largest in the world, receiving orders from 46 of the 48 states and many foreign countries.
In 1925, John Chandler Gurney
, Deloss Butler’s son, made a name for himself as a radio announcer and programmer for the Yankton
radio station WNAX
. In 1927, John Chandler "Chan" Gurney convinced his father to buy the radio station, which became known as "WNAX - Voice of the House of Gurney in Yankton." The station was used to promote Gurney products and services, making Gurney’s a household name.
In the early 1930s, the large Gurney’s seed house and storefront became one of Yankton’s first shopping centers, housing a retail greenhouse
, a barber, a grocery store, a jeweler, a medicine store and a restaurant/hotel. These products and services were all promoted by Chan at WNAX. The company also experiment in the fuel industry in the 1940s and, later, it was active in the home front war effort during World War II
.
D.B. Gurney died in 1943, but the business sustained. D.B.’s son, John Chandler Gurney
, became involved in politics
, and served as a U.S. Senator for the state of South Dakota
from 1939 to 1951.
enthusiasts and beginners alike. The horticulture
experts at Gurney’s regularly seek out vegetables and fruits that combine taste with disease resistance, yield and ease of planting. Some of Gurney’s popular exclusive home gardening produce varieties, available only to Gurney’s customers, include Gurney’s Gotta Have It Sweet corn
, Gurney’s Burpless Hybrid Cucumber
, Gurney’s Giant Magic Hybrid Pumpkin
, Gurney’s Pride Hybrid Zucchini
and Gurney Girl Tomatoes.
Today, Gurney’s continues as one of the leading seed and nursery companies in the United States
, having provided customers with seeds and nursery products for over 130 years.
Greendale, Indiana
Greendale is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,520 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Greendale is located at ....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Founded in 1866, Gurney’s specializes in vegetable and flower seeds, gardening supplies and nursery stock, including trees, shrubs, perennials, fruit trees and berries, fertilizers and plant foods. Gurney’s distributes catalogs throughout the nation, and maintains a considerable web presence.
History
Charles W. GurneyCharles W. Gurney
Charles W. Gurney was an American businessmen who founded Gurney's Seed and Nursery Company, an important seed supplier.Gurney was born in Massachusetts, and moved to Iowa about 1852...
(born May 13, 1840) a Lieutenant Colonel during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, opened his first nursery, Hesperian Nurseries, in 1866 in Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The business remained in Monticello until 1882, when the business was moved to Dixon County, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. After realizing the trade potential in towns near rivers, Gurney moved Hesperian Nurseries to Yankton
Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, in 1897.
C.W. Gurney’s seven sons were very involved in the family seed business, and in 1906, C.W. Gurney and his sons, and one nephew, had the nursery incorporated as Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Company. The company started listing products on a generic price list for mailing purposes, until 1910, when Gurney’s published its first large seed and nursery catalog with a full-color cover.
Upon Charles W. Gurney’s death in 1913, his sons and nephew continued the seed and nursery business. In 1919, Deloss Butler Gurney, one of the Colonel’s sons, became CEO. The company diversified and grew quickly. By 1924, the Gurney seed house was one of the largest in the world, receiving orders from 46 of the 48 states and many foreign countries.
In 1925, John Chandler Gurney
John Chandler Gurney
John Chandler "Chan" Gurney was a U.S. Senator from South Dakota.Born in Yankton, South Dakota, Gurney attended the public schools. During World War I, he served as a sergeant in Company A, Thirty-Fourth Engineers, United States Army, with service overseas from 1918 to 1919...
, Deloss Butler’s son, made a name for himself as a radio announcer and programmer for the Yankton
Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
radio station WNAX
WNAX (AM)
WNAX is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. It is licensed to Yankton, South Dakota. Due to the flat landscape of the Upper Great Plains and its location near the bottom end of the AM band, the station's 5,000-watt signal covers large portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa,...
. In 1927, John Chandler "Chan" Gurney convinced his father to buy the radio station, which became known as "WNAX - Voice of the House of Gurney in Yankton." The station was used to promote Gurney products and services, making Gurney’s a household name.
In the early 1930s, the large Gurney’s seed house and storefront became one of Yankton’s first shopping centers, housing a retail greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
, a barber, a grocery store, a jeweler, a medicine store and a restaurant/hotel. These products and services were all promoted by Chan at WNAX. The company also experiment in the fuel industry in the 1940s and, later, it was active in the home front war effort during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
D.B. Gurney died in 1943, but the business sustained. D.B.’s son, John Chandler Gurney
John Chandler Gurney
John Chandler "Chan" Gurney was a U.S. Senator from South Dakota.Born in Yankton, South Dakota, Gurney attended the public schools. During World War I, he served as a sergeant in Company A, Thirty-Fourth Engineers, United States Army, with service overseas from 1918 to 1919...
, became involved in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and served as a U.S. Senator for the state of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
from 1939 to 1951.
Products
Focusing on continuing the legacy and objectives of C.W. Gurney, Gurney’s targets home orchardOrchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
enthusiasts and beginners alike. The horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
experts at Gurney’s regularly seek out vegetables and fruits that combine taste with disease resistance, yield and ease of planting. Some of Gurney’s popular exclusive home gardening produce varieties, available only to Gurney’s customers, include Gurney’s Gotta Have It Sweet corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, Gurney’s Burpless Hybrid Cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, Gurney’s Giant Magic Hybrid Pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
, Gurney’s Pride Hybrid Zucchini
Zucchini
The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
and Gurney Girl Tomatoes.
Today, Gurney’s continues as one of the leading seed and nursery companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, having provided customers with seeds and nursery products for over 130 years.
External links
- http://gurneys.com/ Retail Site