200 Years and Growing: The Story of Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

by LeAnn Zotta

Overview

A complete history of Stark Bro' Nurseries & Orchards Co., founded in 1816 and now the world's largest online direct-to-consumer nursery. From James Stark — who first brought apple tree scions from his Kentucky farm to Missouri, to the Stark brothers' famed association with horticulture wizard Luther Burbank, to present-day — the Stark story is one of resilience. Having survived corporate espionage, a warehouse fire, economic panics, a heartbreaking sale and a subsequent bankruptcy, the company is now under the control of owners who wholeheartedly intend to shepherd the Stark legacy, and is fostered by the employees who selflessly saved the company from ruin.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692313305
Publisher:	Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co
Publication date:	01/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	202
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

LeAnn Zotta is a non-fiction author, editor, journalist, freelance copywriter and graphic designer who lives in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. She has written, edited and ghostwritten a dozen books and has been published in more than 100 magazines and newspapers. As an obsessive life-long gardener, she grows whatever the soil allows, cooks whatever grows and donates much of it to local food co-ops. She is rabid Civil War history buff, and was especially thrilled to be chosen to document the 200-year-old saga of this great American family business.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 1 | INTRODUCTION A Glossary of Terms The Stark Bro's Nursery Operation A Short History of Fruit-Growing In America 2 | The Stark Family About Louisiana, Missouri The James Hart Stark Cabin The Stark Family Homes The Stark Cemetery 3 | THE ORIGIN OF THE LINEAGE The Muirhead/Starks of Scotland The Starks Come To America From Virginia to Kentucky 4 | The Stark Nurserymen Stark Family Members The Current Owners 5 | The Roots of a Horticultural Dynasty Young James A Risky Move To Missouri The Budding Nursery Business 6 | The War and the Big Boom A Peaceable Kingdom The Woes of War A Most Fruitful Period In Time 7 | The Panic and the Lesson Learned The Panic of 1873 Three Forces With Which To Reckon The Advent of Advertising Clarence in Colorado The Brothers Finally Incorporate 8 | 1893: A Defining Year The Panic of 1893 A Delicious Discovery The Changing Shape of the Apple Market 9 | The Wizard of Horticulture Luther's Young Life The Seed of the Stark-Burbank Partnership The Passing of the Baton 10 | Clarence and the Brothers The First Catalogs About Clarence, and the Family Feud The Fourth Generation Comes Up The Wily William P. 11 | The Trail of the Golden Apple Mr. Mullins Sends a Sample At First, a Golden Flop Delicious Goes Worldwide 12 | The World War, and the Other War Dear Clarence An Infringement to End Them All The Reign of Bud-Sports Begins The Plant Patent Act 13 | Power Changes Hands The Record-Bearing Strains The Victory Garden Program Harry Guengerich, The Father of Virus Indexing 14 | From Mules to Mechanization Out with the Old Stark Bro's Dwarfs the Competition 1966: The 150th Anniversary of Stark Bro's All in the Family The Experimental Period From Pencil to Processor 15 | From the Ashes, A Coup The Fire The Last of the Stark Nurserymen The Gala 'Tenroy' Impostor The Unionization Attempt New Methods and a New Home 16 | The Bottom Falls Out The Recession Hits A Steep Hill for a New President "Ginny's" Garden Center Stark Bro's Fulfillment Services Starts Up The Garden Center Becomes a Profit Center Stark Catalogs Through The Years 17 | The Fruit of 175 Years The 175th Anniversary Changing Customer Tastes The Wonderful World of Elmer Kidd 18 | The End Game, and Onward The Sale The Bankruptcy and the Sale, Again The "Budders" After the Auction The Next 200 Years 19 | The "Other Stark Family Stark Bro's Awards and Achievements Stark Bro's in the Community Tales from the Orchards Loyalty Above and Beyond Acknowledgments Well-Wishes From Dignitaries Far and Wide Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"This book, complete with its pictorial history, epitomizes the impact the company has had on the community and ultimately, the world. Ms. Zotta has precisely recorded the history of Stark Bro's, and the Museum will preserve it."

Martha Sue Smith, president of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Area Historical Museum

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"From the first apple tree planted in Missouri, to the iconic business' embracing of the digital age, this book is a revealing walk through rural Americana. It is an easy read that can readily be enjoyed in whole or by the slice."

Louisiana, MO Mayor Bart Niedner

From the Publisher