Noted events in her life were:

She was employed as a Public School Teacher in 1885 in Keota, Keokuk, Iowa. ⁷⁷

Lydia married Durbin Burton COLLIER [321] ^14,15 on 2 Jun 1887 in Keota, Keokuk, Iowa.¹⁷.^,70 Durbin was born on 17 Jun 1863 in Urbana, Champaign, Ohio,^17,64 died on 29 Dec 1937 in Wilton, Muscatine, Iowa⁶⁵ at age 74, and was buried in Oakdale Cemetery, Wilton, Iowa.^19,66

10. Gustave Henry KOCH [479],,^31,32 son of Henry C. F. KOCH [489] ⁷⁸ and Louise WILKE [490] ^32,79 was born on 19 May 1859 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^5,80,81,82 died on 23 Apr 1930 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa^42,81,82 at age 70, and was buried on 26 Apr 1930 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.^81,83,84

Death Notes: Obituary - Davenport Democrat, 23 Apr 1930: GUSTAV KOCH RETIRED LOCAL LAWYER DIES // Stroke Fatal to Director of Davenport Building & Loan Association // Gustave H. Koch, retired Davenport lawyer and life resident, died at 7:30 a.m. today in his home, 1811 Pershing avenue. Death resulted from a stroke suffered last week. He was 70 years old.
Mr. Koch was born in Davenport May 19, 1859, the son of the late Henry and Louise Koch. He received his education in the public schools and at Griswold college after which he was graduated in liberal arts and law at Iowa university. Shortly after completing his studies he was admitted to the bar and engaged in practice in Davenport retiring about 10 years ago. He was a director of the Davenport Building and Loan Association and for many years was secretary of the Masonic temple board of directors.
In former years, Mr. Koch was active in local politics. He was married to Miss Jessie F. Haller July 21, 1887 in Davenport. Mr. Koch was also a member of the Fraternal Lodge, No. 221, A. F. & A. M.
Surviving besides his widow are five sons; Harry J. and Robert F., both of New York City; W. Walter of Detroit, Mich.; George W. of Davenport; and Gustave H. Koch Jr., of Chicago; three daughters, Mrs. Charles F. Keyes of Wakefield, Mass.; Mrs. Paul Collier and Mrs. Merrill A. Wood, both of Rochester, N. Y.; and two grandchildren.
The body was removed to the Hill & Fredericks mortuary and will be returned to the home where funeral services will be held at 2:30 p. m. Saturday. Burial will be made in Oakdale Cemetery.

Burial Notes: He was buried at the Oakdale Cemetery (Section #2, Lot # 119, Grave #12770, Owner: Henrich Koch).

General Notes: THE DAVENPORT DEMOCRAT LEADER - 22 JULY 1927: Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Koch of 181 Pershing avenue celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary Thursday, and there was a family reunion and gathering of children and grandchildren in honor of the day A family dinner was served and the table and house were a mass of flowers, the blue delphinium and pink and white gladioli being used with the wedding cakes and candles on the table. The guests included George W Koch of Davenport, Mrs. Charles F Keyes, Gus A. Koch of Boston Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Collier and children, Gretchen and Stanley of Rochester. N. Y., Mrs. Merrell A Wood of Rochester, N. Y., and Mrs. W. W. Koch of Evanston, Ill.
Greetings were received from the sons, W. Walter Koch of Evanston, Harry J. and Robert F. Koch of New York City, who were unable to come for the anniversary.
Mr. and. Mrs. Koch were married in Davenport 40 years ago by Justice Kramer and this city has always been their home, Mr. Koch having been for years, until retired, a well-known attorney of Davenport.
Mr. and Mrs. Collier who came for the celebration with their family to Wilton Junction, Iowa, last Sunday to attend the 40th wedding anniversary celebration of Mr. Collier's parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Collier, which was an event in the community, a family reunion of the Collier's with a wedding dinner being events of the day. Mr. Collier, Sr., was a well-known farmer for many years before he retired, and the anniversary reunion was held at the old Collier homestead near Wilton which is now managed and is the home of the son, Mark S. Collier. Paul Collier and Gus Koch left today to motor back to their homes in Rochester and Boston, their families to remain for a longer visit here.

Noted events in his life were:

He worked as a School Teacher in 1880 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa. ⁸⁶ He worked as a Lawyer in 1900 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa. ⁸⁷ He had a residence in 1915 at 1027 Main St., Davenport, Scott, Iowa. ^88,89 He had a residence in 1930 at 1811 Pershing Ave, Davenport, Scott, Iowa ⁴²

Gustave married Jessie Fredericka HALLER [480] ^31,33,34,35 on 21 Jul 1887 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.³¹.^,90 Jessie was born on 3 May 1864 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^5,77,90 died on 9 Apr 1945 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa⁹⁰ at age 80, and was buried in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.⁸⁴

Marriage Notes: They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, Thursday, 21 July 1927 with a reunion and family gathering of children and grandchildren at the family's home; 1811 Pershing Avenue, Davenport. ⁹¹

Children from this marriage were:

          i.  Gustav Henry KOCH Jr. [3174] was born in Dec 1887 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa⁹² and was buried in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.

         ii.  Margherita Louise KOCH [481] was born on 28 Oct 1888 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^5,93 died on 29 Mar 1958 in Lynnfield, Essex, Massachusetts^94,95,96,97 at age 69, and was buried in Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont.⁹⁶ Another name for Margherita was Marge.⁹²

5       iii.  Fannie Abelina Paulina KOCH [5] (born on 9 Sep 1890 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa - died on 12 May 1987 in Rochester, Monroe, New York)

         iv.  Harriet Jessie KOCH [483] was born on 10 Jun 1893 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa^1,5 and died on 11 Dec 1995 in Pittsford, Monroe, New York¹ at age 102.

          v.  Harry Jefferson KOCH [484] was born on 10 Jun 1893 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^1,5,98,99 died on 1 Jul 1976 in Fort Lauderdale, Broward, Florida^1,98,100,101 at age 83, and was buried in Fort Lauderdale, Broward, Florida.¹⁰¹

         vi.  William Walter KOCH [482] was born on 1 Aug 1895 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa^5,23,102 and died on 21 Mar 1962 in Manhasset, Nassau, New York¹⁰³ at age 66. Another name for William was Pollie.

        vii.  George Washington KOCH [485] was born on 25 Sep 1897 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^1,5,104 died in Feb 1986 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa^1,105 at age 88, and was buried in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.¹⁰⁶ Another name for George was "Hump."

       viii.  Gustav Henry KOCH Jr. [486] was born on 8 Aug 1902 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa^1,107 and died on 20 Jan 1976 in Hyannis, Barnstable, Massachusetts^1,108 at age 73.

         ix.  Robert Frederick KOCH [508] was born on 17 Feb 1905 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^1,104 died on 16 Sep 1983 in Newport News, , Virginia^1,109 at age 78, and was buried in Ormond Beach, Volusia, Florida.

11. Jessie Fredericka HALLER [480],,^31,33,34,35 daughter of Louis HALLER [487] ⁵ and Margherita LADEHOFF [488] ^5,110 was born on 3 May 1864 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^5,77,90 died on 9 Apr 1945 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa⁹⁰ at age 80, and was buried in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.⁸⁴

Death Notes: Obituary - Davenport Democrat: MRS. JESSIE KOCH DIES IN HOME // Mrs. Jessie F. Koch, 1811 Pershing avenue, widow of Attorney G. H. Koch, died in her home at 7 a. m. Monday. She was 80 years old and was a life resident of Davenport.
The former Jessie Haller was born May 3, 1864, the daughter of Louis and Margaretha Haller; received her education in the city schools, and married Gustave H. Koch in Davenport on July 21, 1887. He preceded her in death in April, 1930.
Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Charley F. Keys, Lynnfield Center, Mass., and Mrs. Paul S. Collier and Mrs. Merrill A. Wood of Rochester, N. Y.; five sons, George W. Koch, vice president of Davenport Besler Corp., Commander Harry J. Koch, stationed at Newport, R. I., W. Walter Koch of New York City, Gustave J. Koch, Jr., of Lynnfield Center, Mass., and Robert F. Koch of Chicago, Ill. There are six grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.
The body was removed to the Hill & Fredericks mortuary pending arrangements.

Burial Notes: City Cemetery (Section #2, Lot # 119, Grave #16309, Owner: Henrich Koch).

General Notes: At the 1900 census she stated married 13 years, seven children - six still alive.

Noted events in her life were:

She resided at 1031 Main Street in 1885 at Davenport, Scott, Iowa. ⁷⁷ Residence at Death: 1811 Pershing Avenue, in 1945, in Davenport, Scott, Iowa. ⁸

Jessie married Gustave Henry KOCH [479] ^31,32 on 21 Jul 1887 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.³¹.^,90 Gustave was born on 19 May 1859 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa,^5,80,81,82 died on 23 Apr 1930 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa^42,81,82 at age 70, and was buried on 26 Apr 1930 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.^81,83,84

12. William Franklin GORTON [20], son of George Washington GORTON [70],¹¹¹ and Catharine HIGH [71] ¹¹² was born on 19 Nov 1855 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,³⁸ died on 7 Jan 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania^38,113 at age 47, and was buried on 10 Jan 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.¹¹³

Death Notes: Undated newspaper clipping- 1903; Ariel Mitchelson received a dispatch on Thursday from Philadelphia announcing the death there of his brother-in-law, William F Gorton. Mr. Gorton had been in poor health for several years and spent part of his time here. A year or more ago Mr. Gorton with his wife and children went to Colorado hoping there to be benefited. Not finding the desired relief they returned to their home in Philadelphia. Mr. Gorton was well known here and in the vicinity and was popular with all. He leaves a wife, two sons and one daughter.

Burial Notes: He was buried at the Glenwood Cemetery.

General Notes: He was a carriage manufacturer. In 1880 he was residing at; 1526 Broad St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his sisters, Mary C. Gorton (age 34) and Ella A Gorton (age 26) and a servant. He died at home; 1526 North Broad St, Philadelphia, in 1903.

Noted events in his life were:

He resided at 1526 N. Broad Street in 1880-1903 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

William married Elizabeth Chappell MITCHELSON [21] ³⁶ on 12 Sep 1888 in Tariffville, Hartford, Connecticut.³⁷.^,38 Elizabeth was born on 3 Nov 1859 in Tariffville, Hartford, Connecticut,^37,39,99 died on 3 Apr 1933 in New York, New York^39,115 at age 73, and was buried in Saint Andrews Cemetery, North Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut.³⁹

Children from this marriage were:

          i.  Elizabeth Mitchelson GORTON [44] was born on 24 Sep 1889 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania^37,38,99 and died in Nov 1969 in Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida^8,98 at age 80. Another name for Elizabeth was Bessie.

         ii.  William Ariel GORTON [43] was born on 23 Jan 1892 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,^23,37,38 died on 25 Mar 1957 in Ensenada, Baja, California, Mexico^8,116,117 at age 65, and was buried in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.⁸ Another name for William was Billy.

6       iii.  Joseph Mitchelson GORTON [6] (born on 9 Aug 1894 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut - died on 8 Mar 1931 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut)

13. Elizabeth Chappell MITCHELSON [21],,³⁶ daughter of Ariel MITCHELSON Jr. [30] ^118,119 and Elizabeth Hannah CHAPPELL [31] ^36,119 was born on 3 Nov 1859 in Tariffville, Hartford, Connecticut,^37,39,99 died on 3 Apr 1933 in New York, New York^39,115 at age 73, and was buried in Saint Andrews Cemetery, North Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut.³⁹

Death Notes: Obituary - Hartford Courant 4 Apr 1933: Mrs. Elizabeth Mitchelson Gorton, widow of William F Gorton, died suddenly early Monday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. George Johnson, in New York City. She was 73 years old. Born in Tariffville, November 3, 1859, the only daughter of Ariel Mitchelson and Elizabeth (Chapple [sic]) Mitchelson, she was educated at St. Mary's Hall in Burlington, NJ. , and married Mr. Gorton in Philadelphia in 1888. Besides her daughter in New York, she leaves a son, William Ariel Gorton of Los Angeles, Calif., and two granddaughters, Nancy Newell Gorton and Elizabeth Hale Gorton of South Glastonbury, children of another son, Joseph Mitchelson Gorton, who died in 1931. The funeral will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tariffville Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Place of burial will be announced later.

General Notes: At the 1910 census she was aged 51 and a widow, residing as head of household at 73 Imlay Street, Hartford, Connecticut, with children; Elizabeth (age 20), William A. (age 18) and Joseph M. (age 15). At the 1920 census, she (age 60) and son William Ariel Gorton (age 27), were residing in New York City with her daughter, Elizabeth M. G. Adams, and son-in-law, Henry Adams. At the 1930 census she was living in Glastonbury, Connecticut, at the residence of son, Joseph Gorton, and Laura Gorton, daughter-in-law.

Elizabeth Chappell Mitchelson traveled extensively. She was issued a passport (#37132) on 13 Oct 1916, for the purpose of pleasure travel to; Australia, Japan, China & New Zealand, sailing on the ship "Great Northern" from port of Los Angeles 16 Dec 1916.
The following is an inventory of her travel:
New York Passenger List, ship: Guiana: Elizabeth M Gorton (age 54) and Bessie Gorton (age 25), residence: Hartford, CT, arrived at Port of New York 12 Apr 1915 from Demerara, Guyana.
California Passenger List, ship: Manoa: Elizabeth M Gorton (age 57) and Bessie M Gorton (age 27) residence: Hartford, CT, arrived 27 Jul 1917 at port of San Francisco from Honolulu, Hawaii.
New York Passenger List, ship: Pittsburgh: Elizabeth Gorton (age 63), Elizabeth Adams (age 33) and Henry Adams (age 31) arrived 3 Jun 1924 at the port of New York from Southampton, England.
New York Passenger List, Ship: Lapland: Elizabeth Gorton (age 67) and Elizabeth Adams (age 37), residence 700 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT. arrived 15 Aug 1927 at the Port of New York from Cherbourg, France.
New York Passenger List, Ship: Washington: Elizabeth M Gorton (age 69), daughter Elizabeth M Gorton (age 39) and daughter-in-law Laura H Gorton (age 32), Residence; 4 Concord St, Hartford, CT, arrived 15 Jun 1929 at port of New York from Cherbourg, France.

Noted events in her life were:

She was educated at St. Mary's Hall in 1879 in Burlington, Burlington, New Jersey. ³⁶

Elizabeth married William Franklin GORTON [20] on 12 Sep 1888 in Tariffville, Hartford, Connecticut.³⁷.^,38 William was born on 19 Nov 1855 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,³⁸ died on 7 Jan 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania^38,113 at age 47, and was buried on 10 Jan 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.¹¹³

14. John Howard HALE [8],,⁵³ son of John Augustus HALE [24] ¹²³ and Henrietta S. MOSELEY [25] ¹²³ was born on 25 Nov 1853 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^47,53 died on 12 Oct 1917 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^{47,53,124,125} at age 63, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.⁵²

Death Notes: Obituary - Hartford Courant published 13 Oct 1917: JOHN HOWARD HALE, PEACH KING, DEAD // Succumbs After Long Illness At Home in Glastonbury // NATIONAL FIGURE AS FRUIT GROWER // Member of Public Utilities Commission and Grange Worker // John Howard Hale member of the public utilities commission of Connecticut and known throughout the United States as the "peach king," died at his home in Glastonbury at 5 o'clock yesterday morning. He had been failing in health for many months, but continued his various activities until six months ago. His wife and five children were present when he dies.
The funeral will be on Sunday and will be private. It is requested that no flowers be sent. Burial will be in the Old Church Cemetery, Glastonbury.
Mr. Hale was born in Glastonbury, November 25, 1853, a son of John A. Hale and Henrietta S. (Moseley) Hale. His father was a general agent of the Aetna Life Insurance Company and was influential in building up that company during its first years.
When he was 14 years old John Howard Hale left school to go to work on a farm in New Britain, earning $12.50 a month, working fourteen hours a day for seven days a week. In eight months he had spent $7 on himself, $16 on some fruit trees and sent the rest home. These were the first fruit trees in what is now the famous Hale orchards and was the start of the peach king's big fruit business.
Mr. Hale was determined from his childhood to be a horticulturist. Starting with a shovel, spade, hoe, push-cart and a few strawberry plants, he made $8 during the first season. His fruit holdings at the time of his death consisted of 3,000 acres of highly cultivated orchard lands in Georgia, and in South Glastonbury and Seymour, Connecticut. His push-cart grew into a system of refrigerator cars fruit that would stretch out for miles if connected end to end in one lines.
Mr. Hale was sole owner and manager of the J. H. Hale's Nursery and Fruit Farms of Glastonbury; president of the Hale Georgia Orchard Company at Fort Valley, Georgia; president and general manager of the Hale & Coleman Orchard Company at Seymour, at the time of his death, and had been president of the Connecticut Pomological Society from 1894 to 1899. In 1895 he was president of the American Nurseymen's Association and since 1903 was president of the American Pomological Society, this office being the highest in the gift of the fruit growers in America. He was the first American orchardist to sort, grade and pack fruit and label and guarantee it according to its grade.
Recently starting the revival of apple growing in the hills of Connecticut, Mr. Hale had several acres of perhaps the most productive apples trees in New England, and was planning to broaden out so that several thousand acres of apple trees would have been in the Hale orchards.
Mr. Hale was a writer on horticultural subjects, his articles being found in the "The World's Work," "Country Life in America," and for fifteen years he was associate editor of the Philadelphian Farm Journal," and during that time was editor of the agricultural columns in "The Courant." He organized the Glastonbury Grange and was made master of the State Grange in 1886, being master for four years. In 1890, he was appointed by the government to take charge of the first special horticultural census, remaining in charge until the work was completed in 1893.
In politics, Mr. Hale was a republican and represented his party in the General Assembly in 1894 and 1894. He served on the judiciary committee on agriculture. He was appointed a member of the public utilities commission in 1911 and served ever since. He was a trustee of the Connecticut Agricultural College from 1886 to 1896, and during that time was greatly interested in the welfare of the college.
Mr. Hale was married in Brooklyn, N. Y. in 1877, to Miss Addie R. Stancliffe. Besides his wife, he leaves two sons, Stancliffe Hale of Glastonbury, Moseley Hale; three daughters, Mrs. Francis Barnett of Newtown, Mrs. Edward P. Bottomley of Pittsfield, Mass., and Miss Laura Stancliffe Hale, and seven grandchildren, Mary Lee Hale, John Stancliffe Hale, Laurence Newton Hale and Catherine Newell Hale, children of Stancliffe Hale, and Dorothy, Francis and Walter Barnett, children of Mr. and Mrs. Barnett; also a brother George H. Hale of Glastonbury.

General Notes: John Howard never went beyond grade school but understood the importance of a good education. He helped to develop the Glastonbury Grange, the Connecticut State Grange, and was one of the founding fathers of Storrs Agricultural College, now the University of Connecticut.

J. H. Hale Orchards began in Glastonbury in 1866 when he and his brother, George, recognized that their grandfather's seven peach trees did not suffer from the same difficulties other peach trees did in northern climates. The brothers developed those seven trees into orchards in Glastonbury, as well as Seymour, Connecticut. Known as the Peach King, a special spur of the local trolley stopped at the Hale packing house each evening, and by morning, Hale peaches were sold in New York City and across the country, under the slogan, "UC Top, UC all." The Hale brothers were the first to grade their fruit. George married and moved to Georgia to expand the peach industry. By 1915, there were 1200 acres in two states. His 18 room home, located at 1420 Main Street, Glastonbury, was built in 1910 at the cost of $50,000. The value of his uncontested estate was $125,627. The value of his contested estate which included property in Seymour and Oxford was $57, 105.

He Invented An Industry in Glastonbury. Immortality and a peach empire were the rewards of John Howard Hale (October 1965) by M. A FARBER, Courant Staff Reporter, Hartford, Connecticut: SEVENTY-FIVE years ago a Glastonbury farmer parlayed a peach of an idea into an agricultural empire and gained immortality for his name. John Howard Hale, who gave his name to the deep yellow and carmine colored Hale peach, owned the largest peach orchards in the world and "invented an industry" on the stony hills between the Connecticut River and New London Turnpike.

He died 48 years ago and next Tuesday, on its 75th birthday, the Connecticut Pomological Society" will mark his achievement. At his height, Hale had 2,000 acres of peaches in Glastonbury and Seymour and another 1,000 in Fort Valley, Georgia, near Macon, more than 350,000 trees in all. "Yes, I suppose I am known as the peach king," he admitted in 1915. "I think I'm a pretty poor king as kings go but still I try to hold, my end up."

J. H., described by a Western writer as "one of most irresistibly human men of the big men," didn't get to the top, or stay there by pluck alone, though his life reads like a Horatio Alger story. He was two years old in 1855 when his father, a general manager for the Aetna Insurance Co., died, leaving the widow with four children and a farm encumbered by debt. "I had to begin work early in life," Hale often recounted, "and later on study how to make that work pleasant and profitable."

With his brother George, the boy began his first fruit culture effort, in strawberries, behind what is now George's son's house at Main and Overlook in Glastonbury. "We had only a small hand pushcart as a means of transportation; one hoe, a shovel and a spade were our only tools; and our capital was locked up in the soil of an old farm and the energies of two boys, anxious to carry their share of life's burdens." The year's berries, marketed for eight or 10 dollars, made the brothers want a larger bed but, with no money for plants, J. H. decided to take a job. Then 14, he worked on a farm in New Britain, performing chores seven days a week, 14 hours a day - for $12.50 a month. After seven months he returned to Glastonbury for winter school and, in the spring of 1878, he planted nearly two acres of the best raspberries and strawberries.

Hale quickly learned a few lessons that stood him well and he later recited them in his 1896 catalogue.
"In the early days a severe drought struck us one season and a large patch of sweet corn that had been planted for pig fodder was sadly infested with quack grass, which we tried to kill with frequent culture. I rode the old, bony horse probably 30 times up and down, out and across, every row in that corn patch during the awful heat of that July and August, while my brother followed along holding the cultivator.
"It killed the quack grass, and it nearly killed me, but the superb crop of corn produced by that cultivation, ground into me through the bones of that old horse's back, a never-to-be-for-gotten lesson in culture which, next to the lesson of push from the old handcart, has, I believe, been of more value to us than any other one thing needed to success."

EVEN AS a youth, Hale recognized that "the greatest profits mostly came from new or rare varieties or from the culture of those that others found difficult, and so abandoned and gave us the whole market for them." The peach was one of the fruits that had been abandoned in New England owing, Hale said, "to yellows (a disease) in summer and frosts in winter that killed off the trees before they could reach a bearing age." Undeterred, if not encouraged, the maybe farmer planted peaches in 1876 and by 1890 he had more than 10,000 trees. But it wasn't until 1887, the year in which he filled 5,000 bushel baskets and sold them for an average of $1.56 a basket, that Hale had a paying crop. By 1890, the orchards had cost $20,000 and produced fruit that brought in $37,000.

Hale was on his way to becoming "king" and he had proved his worth in early crisis. One such struggle had been a bout with the "brown rot". After it struck his trees, Hale oversprayed them with Bordeau misture and the leaves began to fall off. He appealed unavailingly to the U.S. Depdt. Of Agriculture, while his fruit was wrinkling up from loss of leaf protection. Then, according to a report in the Courant, he determined to make the trees put on a new coat of leaves. "It looked like a fool idea, for no one had ever heard of such a miracle." But Hale sent to New York for a boat load of nitrate of soda, at $90 a ton, which was a big plunge for a Yankee farmer. "He loaded it about the base of his trees and a warm rain soaked it in. Sure enough, in a few days, young shoots began to sprout from the things. The young peaches lasted long enough to swell out again under proper conditions and the crop was saved. No one but a man with a true genius for horticulture could turn a trick like that."

By 1890, the "true genius" was a farmer of stature in Connecticut. He was state master of a fast - growing grange movement and a trustee of the Storrs Agricultural School. And, three years later, as a Glastonbury representative to the General Assembly and chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, he would play a large part in the school's elevation to a college. Against those who favored a New Haven location, he insisted that Storrs also become the state's land grant college - ultimately the University of Connecticut.
In 1890, Hale was appointed statistician for the U.S., horticultural census and on a 50,000 mile trip into every fruit growing county in the country he kept his "peach eye" open for good land on which to expand his Glastonbury operation.

He found that land - a high, level plateau where frost was slight - in Fort Valley, GA. He bought an old cotton plantation of 900 acres, hoping to immediately resell most of it to friends. But when they declined to invest, he "roped in my mother-in-law, brother and his wife, my wife and all the children and their little bank books"; formed a $60,000 stock company and held on to the entire place. "Bless them," he was to say of his friends when the place soon became the largest single peach orchard in the world, with. 100,000 trees bearing Elbertas and other varieties and 150,000 peach and 250,000 plum trees in the nursery.

The Hale orchard in Glastonbury eventually stretched back from Main Street to what is now Knob Hill; the whole farm extended as far as New London Turnpike. Hale planted his first peach tree on the Overlook Road land presently owned by Glastonbury Town Councilman George Ripley. It was in that general area that he had his office and that hundreds of thousands of "U.C. Top- U.C. All" peach baskets were packed and shipped. When he started out, Hale had sent 200 baskets a day to his headquarters on Trumbull Street in Hartford, where they were sold to dealers or, individually, to the public. The baskets were loaded in Glastonbury on long wagons and drawn carefully to Hartford, the horses walking all the way. But, by 1915, Hale could boast to a visitor that he was shipping "to all parts of the Northeast, all over the East and various sections of the Middle West. Perhaps we send more New York way now than anywhere else�. And Hale told his guest that he was "delighted with the new service of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. It is a great service and I cannot praise the company too highly."

Around the turn of the century, J. H. discovered the peach that was "the culmination of my life's work." "There is no question of the number one position of the J. H. Hale in usefulness for peach breeding in the 20th century, according to Harold W. Fogle, Leader of Stone Fruit Investigations, Fruit and Nut Crops Research Branch, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Unfortunately, when the lone tree that bore the first J. H. Hale was ready for picking, all the fruit was stolen one night and Hale had to wait a year for the peach. Then, as the fruit began to ripen, recalls J. H.'s daughter, Mrs. Marion Bottomley, the tree was guarded nights by a shotgun toting trooper. Comparately speaking," one impressed viewer wrote, "what the Concord was and is in grapes; the Baldwin in apples; and the Bartlett in pears, so was the Elberta in peaches. But the J. H. Hale has it beaten to a frazzle."

Hale's "off the farm" activities reveal how widely he was regarded. Though a member of the first State Public Utilities Commission and a Republican "with a conscience, a fair memory and a sharp, lead pencil on election days." he stumped for William Jennings Bryan in the Middle West and it was rumored he would get a cabinet post if "The Great Commoner" won. J. H. was also president of the Connecticut and American Pomological societies and the American Nurserymen' Assn. and, for 15 years was agricultural editor of The Courant. He often contributed to popular magazines and farm journals and was sought throughout the country as an after dinner speaker. The orchardist had a lot to do with the independent success of many of his former employees, Glastonbury farmers like Frank Saglio, Corino Bussa and Louis Pero. The families of many of these men still grow fruit on Matson Hill.

Hale died in October, 1917, of pernicious anemia. He had started out in 1866 with an eighth of an acre of berries, and his neighbors looking on him as "rash and quixotic to the last degree." He had become the largest producer of peaches in the world. "Satisfied, am I?" he was asked before his death. "I should say most assuredly yes."

Noted events in his life were:

He had a residence between 1853 and 1917 at Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut. He was employed as a J. H. Hale Farms in 1866 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.

John married Addie Rosalina STANCLIFF [10] ⁴⁷ on 31 Oct 1877 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York.¹²⁵.^,129 Addie was born on 24 Jan 1855 in Portland, Middlesex, Connecticut,^53,130 died on 24 Oct 1937 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^53,131,132 at age 82, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^52,132

Children from this marriage were:

          i.  Stancliff HALE [11] was born on 4 Sep 1878 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^23,47,53 died on 26 Aug 1931 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^47,133 at age 52, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^52,133

         ii.  Moseley HALE [12] was born on 22 Mar 1882 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^6,23,47,134 died on 9 Apr 1964 in Miami, Dade, Florida^98,135 at age 82, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^52,135

        iii.  Emily Moseley HALE [13] was born on 12 Apr 1884 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^6,47 died on 19 Mar 1976 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^1,51,136 at age 91, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^52,136

         iv.  Newell HALE [14] was born on 4 Aug 1886 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^6,47 died on 29 Feb 1888 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^6,47 at age 1, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^47,52

          v.  Howard HALE [15] was born on 8 Aug 1888 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^6,47 and died on 8 Aug 1888 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^6,47

         vi.  Marion Louise HALE [16] was born on 22 Aug 1890 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^6,47,52 died on 21 May 1980 in Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont^1,52,137 at age 89, and was buried on 27 May 1980 in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^52,137

7       vii.  Laura Stancliff HALE [7] (born on 4 May 1897 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut - died on 27 Feb 1953 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut)

15. Addie Rosalina STANCLIFF [10],,⁴⁷ daughter of Henry J. STANCLIFF [22] ⁵³ and Frances A. NEWELL [23] ^53,138 was born on 24 Jan 1855 in Portland, Middlesex, Connecticut,^53,130 died on 24 Oct 1937 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^53,131,132 at age 82, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.^52,132

Death Notes: Obituary - Mrs. Addie S. Hale Dies in Glastonbury (The Hartford Courant, 25 Oct 1937: Addie Stancliff Hale, widow of John Howard Hale of South Glastonbury died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Joseph M, Gorton in Glastonbury Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Hale was born in Portland January 24, 1855, daughter of Frances Newell and Henry J Stancliff and Frances (Newell) Stancliff.
She married Mr. Hale October 31, 1877 and had made her home in Glastonbury since that date. She leaves four children; Mrs. Francis B. Barnett of Philadelphia, Mrs. Edward Bottomley of LaPorte, Ind., Moseley Hale of Melbourne Beach, Florida., and Mrs. Gorton. A son, Stancliff Hale died in 1931. She also leaves 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Mrs. Hale was a member of the national, state and Glastonbury Granges for more than 50 years and held high offices in these organizations. She was a member of the First Church of Christ Scientist, in Hartford for many years. Funeral services will be held at the Gorton home Tuesday afternoon and will be private. Burial will be in the Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury.

Noted events in her life were:

She was baptized Middletown Church of Christ on 5 Feb 1865. ¹³⁰

Addie married John Howard HALE [8] ⁵³ on 31 Oct 1877 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York.¹²⁵.^,129 John was born on 25 Nov 1853 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut,^47,53 died on 12 Oct 1917 in Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut^{47,53,124,125} at age 63, and was buried in Old Church Cemetery, South Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut.⁵²