Roland H. Shumway was the founder of the mail-order seed company R. H. Shumway, at one time the largest seed company in the world. He has been called "The Pioneer Seedsman".
Early life
Shumway was born July 26, 1842, at his family farm in Kishwaukee, Illinois. At the age of 19, he was enlisted and served in Illinois forces (there being no national standing army until World War I) during the American Civil War. Two years later, he re-enlisted in the 50th Illinois Volunteer. Between enlistments, he married Emma Davis in 1864, and together they had four sons and two daughters. He was discharged in 1865.[1]
Seed company
In 1870, he founded the R. H. Shumway seed company on his farm in Rockford, Illinois.[2] By 1881 his company was expanding so the company relocated to South First street in order to accommodate larger facilities.[3] By his death in 1925, it was the largest in the world, shipping 200,000 catalogues per year.[4]
Death and legacy
Shumway died in Rockford on the evening of December 30, 1925 from injuries suffered after being hit by an automobile three days prior.[1] After his death, his son Myron Shumway assumed responsibilities of the company. M. Raymond "Ray" Shumway ran the large mail-order business until he died of heart disease on March 16, 1933.[5]
In the 1980s the rights to the name were purchased and, after some effort to publicly rediscover the lines of seeds once carried, began operation, continuing to this day. Today the R.H. Seed Company name (along with Seymour's Select Seeds, Totally Tomatoes, Vermont Bean Seed Company, and HPS) belongs to the J.W. Jung Seed Company.
The J.W. Jung Seed Company is a family-owned and operated garden seed company founded in 1907 in Randolph, Wisconsin by John William "J.W." Jung.[1] The company publishes several seed catalogs including Jung Seed, Totally Tomatoes, Vermont Bean Seed Company, Edmunds Roses, Roots & Rhizomes, R. H. Shumway, McClure & Zimmerman and HPS Seed.[2] The company also runs several retail garden centers in Wisconsin.[1]
Jung Seed Genetics was spun off in the 1990s. Jung Seed Genetics and Jung Seed Company are not the same company and not affiliated.
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). The largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, Rockford is the fourth-largest city in the state and the 171st most populous in the United States.[8] According to 2010 U.S. Census data, the City of Rockford had a population of 152,871, with an outlying metropolitan area population of 348,360. Rockford's population was 145,609 as of 2019,[9] down 5.0% since 2010.[10]
Settled in the mid-1830s, the position of the city on the Rock River made its location strategic for industrial development. In the second half of the 19th century, Rockford was notable for its output of heavy machinery, hardware and tools; by the twentieth century, it was the second leading center of furniture manufacturing in the nation, and 94th largest city. During the second half of the 20th century, Rockford struggled alongside many Rust Belt cities. Since the late 1990s, efforts in economic diversification have led to growth of automotive, aerospace, and healthcare industries, as well as the undertaking of various tourism and downtown revitalization efforts.
Nicknamed the Forest City, Rockford is presently known for various venues of cultural or historical significance, including Anderson Japanese Gardens, Klehm Arboretum, Tinker Swiss Cottage, the BMO Harris Bank Center, the Coronado Theatre, the Laurent House, and the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Its contributions to music are noted in the Mendelssohn Club, the oldest music club in the nation, and performers such as Phantom Regiment and Cheap Trick. Notable outdoor or recreational spots near Rockford are Rock Cut State Park, Atwood Homestead County Forest Preserve, and Lowden State Park.
Livingston County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,834.[2] Its county seat is Geneseo.[3] The county is named after Robert R. Livingston, who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.
Livingston County is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Nearby towns :
Larger Settlements
# Location Population Type Area
1 †Geneseo 8,031 Village Center
2 Dansville 4,719 Village South
3 Avon 3,394 Village North
4 Mount Morris 2,986 Village Center
5 Conesus Lake 2,584 CDP Lakeside
6 Caledonia 2,201 Village North
7 Lima 2,139 Village North
8 Livonia 1,409 Village Lakeside
9 Nunda 1,377 Village South
10 Lakeville 756 CDP North
11 East Avon 608 CDP North
12 Hemlock 557 CDP Lakeside
13 Springwater 549 CDP Lakeside
14 York 544 CDP North
15 Leicester 468 Village Center
16 Livonia Center 421 CDP Lakeside
17 Dalton 362 CDP South
18 Retsof 340 CDP Center
19 Conesus 308 CDP Lakeside
20 Cuylerville 297 CDP Center
21 Groveland Station 281 CDP Center
22 South Lima 240 CDP North
23 Fowlerville 227 CDP North
24 Piffard 220 CDP Center
25 Greigsville 209 CDP North
26 Wadsworth 190 CDP Center
27 Cumminsville 183 CDP South
28 Scottsburg 117 CDP South
29 Kysorville 110 CDP South
30 Woodsville 80 CDP Lakeside
31 Hunt 78 CDP South
32 Linwood 74 CDP North
33 Websters Crossing 69 CDP Lakeside
34 Byersville 47 CDP South
Towns
Avon
Caledonia
Conesus
Geneseo
Groveland
Leicester
Lima
Livonia
Mount Morris
North Dansville
Nunda
Ossian
Portage
Sparta
Springwater
West Sparta
York
Villages
Hamlet
Coopersville