Person:Elizabeth Baldwin (3)

Years ago my Father, William A Lesh told me that his Mother said the Baldwin apple was named for one of her family, she was Elizabeth Baldwin Lesh. While looking through my Baldwin Genealogy book I found the following article.

(From the Boston Daily News, Jan.23, 1875) The widely-known Baldwin Apple was named for Col. Loammi Baldwin. The Nashua (N.H.) Telegraph gives the following account of its origin, written by B. Blood of that place: Co. Loamme Baldwin, Chief Engineer in building the Middlesez canan, lived in the northern part of Woburn, near the canal. He owned a piece of woodland in the southwestern part of Washington, near what was then known as Butler's Ridge, from which he cut his firewood.

He came to an apple tree, somewhat young, but thrifty and bearing, which the woodpeckers had pecked around the body and lower limbs so unmercifully that he feared it would die. As he was an ardent lover of good fruit, he concluded to "spare that tree," and see what was its fruit. The next autumn, he found laying on the ground beneath it some very nice-looking winter apples, which he put in his cellar.

The next spring, having friends from Boston to dine, he brought forward the (Pecker) apples, as he called them, to try the quality for the first time; when they were found to be so far superior to any they had ever tasted before, that he out immediately, cut some scions, and engrafted some of his trees at home.

Being High Sheriff, he attended the Court at Concord and Cambridge, often taking his favorite apple to eat after dinner, and giving to his fellow boarders.

Thus from his tree were scions cut, and the fruit is now known almost over the United States as the Baldwin Apple.

Gilbert L. Lesh