Traveling Trees

Henderson Luelling (1809-1878; Luelling is the original Welsh spelling) was a Quaker who moved from Iowa to Oregon with his wife and eight children in 1847. He carried a wagonload of 700 fruit trees, primarily apple but also pear, cherry, and peach; about half died along the way. He established a nursery and sold trees for $1 to 1.50 each. Adjusted for inflation, this equals $32-$48 dollars in 2021; however, $1 was a day's wages in many parts of the United States. In 1854, he moved to San Francisco, and later Oakland, CA with his apple trees; he was known as "Johnny Appleseed of the West."