John Fraser, Jr.
Nursery Businessman
Notes:
• President, American Nurseryman's Association, 1930-1931. - Record
• Article titled: Huntsville Wholesale Nursery (written in 1955)
Huntsville Wholesale Nursery Company is possibly the oldest business in Huntsville.
An original grant from the United States Government for the first 720 acres was given on March 2, 1813.
The business was incorporated in 1873 with John Fraser, W. F. Heikes, and Jessie S. Moss as owners. Mr. Fraser was nursery man; Mr. Heikes was sales man; and Mr. Moss was landowner.
The founder John Fraser came from Edinburgh, Scotland to this country. He married a Scotch girl. He was known as one of the foremost horticulturists of his time.
This was the first nursery in the State of Alabama. The company was well known for the application of scientific methods in the development of new plants, flowers, and trees. They conducted experiments with various types of fertilizers to get maximum results. The first 10 to 15 years were rough for the corporation.
Success came with the development of the Javanese Pear Trees. Since that time the business has been growing steadily.
The present officers are: John Fraser, Jr., President; John Fraser, III, Vice-president; and Margaret Fraser Sparkman, secretary.
Mr. John Fraser, Jr. was National president of the American Association of Nurserymen for 1930-31.
The company operates on very solid business principles. The present operations covers 1200 acres with the most modern equipment and facilities in irrigation, cold storage and warehousing.
A complete line of nursery stock which enables buyers to cover all their requirements from one company.
Our products are shipped to all points including The United States, parts of Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. Shipments have gone as far as Australia." - Sesquicentennial
• Children:
Margaret (might have been named after her grandmother Fraser) Louise Fraser born Feb. 3, 1908 in Huntsville.
John Fraser, III, "was born in 1909 and became company president in 1956 at the death of his father. John, III died in 1968. John Fraser, IV, in 1969, after 96 years of nursery growing at Gladstone, dissolved the firm." - HHR
• President of the Southern Nursery Association in 1927. - HHR
• President of American Association of Nurserymen, 1930. - HHR
• Married Frankye "Frankie" Elizabeth Vaughn June 5, 1907 in Madison County, Alabama. She was born Nov. 20, 1887 and died July 29, 1951. Her parents were W. Y. Vaughan and Frances Eason Vaughan. - MCRC
Related Links:
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• HHR
• James William Fraser
• John Fraser, Sr.
• Oliver W. Fraser
• Record
• Sesquicentennial
| Born: | August 28, 1885, Huntsville, Alabama |
| Died: | December 26, 1956, Huntsville, Alabama |
| Buried: | Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama |
| Brother of: | James William Fraser |
| Son of: | John Fraser, Sr. |
| Brother of: | Oliver W. Fraser |
Notes:
• President, American Nurseryman's Association, 1930-1931. - Record
• Article titled: Huntsville Wholesale Nursery (written in 1955)
Huntsville Wholesale Nursery Company is possibly the oldest business in Huntsville.
An original grant from the United States Government for the first 720 acres was given on March 2, 1813.
The business was incorporated in 1873 with John Fraser, W. F. Heikes, and Jessie S. Moss as owners. Mr. Fraser was nursery man; Mr. Heikes was sales man; and Mr. Moss was landowner.
The founder John Fraser came from Edinburgh, Scotland to this country. He married a Scotch girl. He was known as one of the foremost horticulturists of his time.
This was the first nursery in the State of Alabama. The company was well known for the application of scientific methods in the development of new plants, flowers, and trees. They conducted experiments with various types of fertilizers to get maximum results. The first 10 to 15 years were rough for the corporation.
Success came with the development of the Javanese Pear Trees. Since that time the business has been growing steadily.
The present officers are: John Fraser, Jr., President; John Fraser, III, Vice-president; and Margaret Fraser Sparkman, secretary.
Mr. John Fraser, Jr. was National president of the American Association of Nurserymen for 1930-31.
The company operates on very solid business principles. The present operations covers 1200 acres with the most modern equipment and facilities in irrigation, cold storage and warehousing.
A complete line of nursery stock which enables buyers to cover all their requirements from one company.
Our products are shipped to all points including The United States, parts of Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. Shipments have gone as far as Australia." - Sesquicentennial
• Children:
Margaret (might have been named after her grandmother Fraser) Louise Fraser born Feb. 3, 1908 in Huntsville.
John Fraser, III, "was born in 1909 and became company president in 1956 at the death of his father. John, III died in 1968. John Fraser, IV, in 1969, after 96 years of nursery growing at Gladstone, dissolved the firm." - HHR
• President of the Southern Nursery Association in 1927. - HHR
• President of American Association of Nurserymen, 1930. - HHR
• Married Frankye "Frankie" Elizabeth Vaughn June 5, 1907 in Madison County, Alabama. She was born Nov. 20, 1887 and died July 29, 1951. Her parents were W. Y. Vaughan and Frances Eason Vaughan. - MCRC
Related Links:
• Ancestry.com - Page owned by superwackymom and can be viewed only with an Ancestry.com paid subscription.
• HHR - Articles by David Byers and a letter by Ollie Fraser tell the story of nurseries in Madison County published in the Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 31, #1, Winter-Spring 2006, Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society. Pages 7-34.
• MCRC - Madison County Records Center, Marriage
• Record - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume I, by James Record, 1970, page 342.
• Sesquicentennial - Commemorative Album, Celebrating our City's Sesquicentennial of Progress, Huntsville, Alabama, by James E. Taylor, General Chairman, 1955, page 269.
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• HHR
• James William Fraser
• John Fraser, Sr.
• Oliver W. Fraser
• Record
• Sesquicentennial