Henderson Luelling

Henderson William Luelling (April 23, 1809 – December 28, 1878) was an American horticulturist, Quaker, abolitionist and early settler of what is today Oakland, California.

He introduced varietal fruits to the Pacific coast,[1] first to Oregon[2][3] and later to California, and gave the Fruitvale district its name.

[6] Henderson moved to Salem, Iowa in 1837, purchasing land for a nursery jointly with John.

[10] Seth continued to operate the Milwaukie nursery for many years, and it became a hub for populist and progressive political organization decades later.

[10] The contributions of Luelling and Meek were acknowledged in Frances Fuller Victor's History of Oregon, vol.

His fourth he abandoned in California when he sold his orchard and business and left for Honduras in 1859, hoping to establish a utopian community called the Harmonial Brotherhood.

[10] The actor Royal Dano was cast as Luelling in the 1965 episode, "The Traveling Trees," on the syndicated television series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Ronald Reagan.

In the story line, Luelling, against the advice of his wagon master, takes the Hastings Cutoff to Oregon, where he intends to plant an apple orchard.