The Land of Pears: History of the Local Fruit Industry

The first pioneer settlers in the Rogue Valley quickly recognized the agricultural possibilities of the valley and small orchards were established by 1860.  Small farms were widely dispersed near streams on the valley floor, to take advantage of water in the hot, dry summers typical of the area and settlers raised common field crops, cattle, and sheep, using the neighboring hills and mountains for grazing lands.

Not long after the settlement of Jacksonville in 1851 and Ashland in 1852, orchards growing mostly apples were to be found as well.  The first fruit-bearing trees were cultivated from seeds carried on the westward journey in covered wagons by the Billings family who settled in what is now the area near Valley View Road in 1854.  In time, many of the hillsides above Ashland were planted extensively in fruit and nut-bearing trees.  It is said that the wild almond trees found all over town today are the surviving legacy of these early orchards.

Commercial production of fruit was not made possible until the arrival of the railroad.  The tracks of the Oregon and California Railroad reached Ashland in 1884 and were connected to the Southern Pacific Railroad in California in 1887.  With the railroad came a surge in population as well as ready access to markets outside the valley.  The first commercial fruit orchard was established outside of Medford by Joseph H. Stewart in 1885. He sent the first shipment of pears and apples to outside markets in 1890.

Rainfall in the valley is ample but the bulk of all precipitation falls during the winter months.  It became apparent to growers that deep-rooted fruit trees need a regular water supply in summer to achieve good yields of large fruit.  Between 1915 and 1921 seven engineered irrigation systems were established, including the Talent Irrigation District, which supplies irrigation water to Ashland agricultural areas.

The reputation of the area's fine produce quickly spread and in 1891 fruit was being delivered to Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington, and as far away as New York and even Australia. Until the opening of new markets, apples had been the leading fruit in the valley, but with rail transport possible, the outside demand encouraged the planting of peaches and pears as well as other fruits. Soon plums, grapes, apricots, cherries, and a variety of berries could be found growing in the countryside.  Medford, with a population of 1800 in 1891, was at the center of the industry. Large numbers of trees had been planted in the fertile soils to the west of the town limits. The local railroad station became the hub of fruit shipping in the area. Around Ashland, fruit growing also became a major economic force and almost every variety of fruit produced outside the tropics was grown here.

Pears eventually won out as the most reliable and profitable crop and by 1930 there were 400 pear growers.  In 1934, Harry and David Holmes, brothers and managers of the family-owned Bear Creek Orchard, began to market pears in gift boxes and sold by mail-order.  The scheme was a hit and sales of their Royal Riviera Pears soared.  In  1946 the mail order business was incorporated under the “Harry and David” name and the region’s produce gained a further fame which continues today.   Inevitable cycles of fluctuating markets have affected the industry over the years and today, after decades of consolidation, the industry is dominated by fewer, larger growers.  The reputation for Rogue Valley pears endures, however, and many broad areas of the valley are still given over to orchards.  Visitors can see thousands of acres planted in seemingly endless rows of trees with their white blossoms in early spring, and bountiful crops of Bosc, Bartlett, Comice, and d’Anjou varieties in late summer.

wb  4/2008

Principal sources for this article were the Talent Irrigation District and the Medford Mail Tribune.