John Samuel Harris (August 17, 1826 – March 24, 1901) was an early American horticulturist, the first person to successfully plant and propagate apple trees in Minnesota, a climate in which it was previously thought that the fruit could not survive the harsh northern U.S. winters.
[2] Harris' health was poor in 1848 when the war ended, so he traveled to Wisconsin in hopes of finding a healthy climate.
[2] In La Crescent, Harris established Sunny Side Garden orchard, a 40-acre (16.2 ha) plot with apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees, along with other small fruits.
He continued this selective planting to produce apple trees that could survive the Minnesota winter climate.
[2] Harris died of influenza and typhoid fever[5] at age 74, in 1901, in La Crescent, after a long illness.