Madison County Historical Complex

George Washington Carver's time in Winterset, along with Simpson College in Indianola, and Iowa Agricultural College (now Iowa State University) in Ames, will be highlighted in this presentation. Register using the link below to hear @Linda Griffith Smith's live presentation on April 8. Or we will post a link later and you can listen anytime you choose.

The Delicious Apple Part 1 of 3 In honor of National Garden Month, we are going to take a look at a few people and plantings from Madison County’s history. First is Jesse Hiatt and the Delicious Apple, using Henry C. Miller’s publication The Delicious Apple 100 years 1872-1972. Jesse Hiatt was born in 1826 in Indiana. His father taught him the skills of planting, pruning, and grafting fruit. In 1848 he married Rebecca Jane Pearson. Seven years later, with five chil...dren in tow, they pulled up stakes to settle near his brother Aaron in southeast Madison County. They lived in a one-room log cabin, but doubled its size when the second five children came along. He created an orchard and enjoyed puttering with grafting one sort of fruit onto the root of another, such as the pear branch he grafted onto a wild crab root that bore fruit. He developed two apple varieties the Hiatt Sweet and the Hiatt Black. In 1872, from a presumed-dead bellflower yellow apple seedling, sprung a healthy sprout. In a few years, it produced its first crop of red, blushing apples. Jesse thought its smell, its taste, and even its 5-knob base was unlike any other apple. He named it the Hawkeye after his adopted state. Next, we will look at how the Hawkeye became the Delicious apple. Hiatt photo from the Madison County Historical Society collection. Census showing children, ages, and birthplace accessible with your Winterset Public Library card, through HeritageQuest.

Learning about the town of Bevington may make you curious about the C.D Bevington mansion in Winterset. Beginning May 1, we invite you to visit us to tour the mansion, museum, and 12 other buildings at "History on the Hill."

The Delicious Apple Part 2 of 3 For this post, we are borrowing directly from "200 Years and Growing: The Story of Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co." by LeAnn Zotta, 2015. It’s a bit long but a fun story. Jesse Hiatt offered his strange oblong-shaped apple with its bumpy bottom for sale, but it was turned down by at least eight nurserymen. Although it had a wonderful flavor, it was a very odd-looking apple compared to others available. ... Hiatt received an invitation from Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co. to send samples for their 1893 New Fruit Fair. He enthusiastically packed up some of his Hawkeyes and shipped them off to Missouri. On the day of the contest, five apples of each variety were put on plates and displayed on long tables. An entry card was placed near each plate to identify the grower. After much animated discussion, the judges overwhelming declared the strange-but-delectable apple the winner for its exceptional flavor. The moment Clarence Stark bit into one, he excitedly exclaimed, My! This apple is delicious! He paused, thought, and spoke again. That will be its name! Who sent them? To Clarence’s great dismay, the entry card was missing. Either Hiatt had failed to send it, or it had been lost. A frustrating, frantic search failed to bring it to light. Clarence knew he had to find the grower of this marvelous fruit. Its flavor was superior to anything he had ever encountered, and he despaired that it might be lost forever. He immediately sent letters to every grower who had entered the 1893 contest, urging them to send their best apples to the next Stark Bro’s New Fruit Fair. Hiatt received that second invitation, and dutifully sent his apples to the Stark folks, along with a letter suggesting that they buy his tree. Within five minutes of the fruit’s arrival, Stark’s knew they had been blessed again. The contest went on, but this time, there was little discussion and no arguing whatsoever. The winner of the 1894 International New Fruit Show: Hawkeye, grown by Jesse Hiatt of Peru, Iowa. There was an entry card, and with it, an enormous sigh of relief. The Stark brothers made the trip immediately and bought the sole rights from Hiatt, and then named the apple Stark Delicious and secured a registered trademark. 1930s-40s postcard (colorized for the fun of it) and front page of Stark Bros. 1966 history (Mr. Henry Miller's copy), both from the Madison County Historical Society collection.

This is why I am not productive some days at work....