Commercial Apple Orchards in Jackson County. The first commercial apple orchards were established in Jackson
County in the late nineteenth century, although legend has it that
Johnny Appleseed planted the first apple trees here around 1800.
By 1930, there were approximately fifty orchards in ten of the
county's twelve townships. Twenty years later, Jackson County
ranked second in Ohio in apple production. The early 1950s were
the high water mark of apple growing in Jackson County. In 1950,
growers harvested more than 285,000 bushels from 70,200 trees.
By 1959, 25,400 trees yielded 98,300 bushels, but the industry
still employed approximately 500 people and was worth $1,000,000
annually. Apple cultivation began to decline in the mid-1960s in
part because many families who operated commercial orchards left
the business. At the start of the twenty -first century only one
commercial apple orchard remained in Jackson County.
The Jackson County Apple Festival. The Jackson Chamber of Commerce conceived the Jackson County
Apple Festival in the spring of 1937 and the first one was held
that year, from October 6-9. The purposes of the festival,
according to its founders, were to celebrate one of Jackson
County's leading industries, apple cultivation, as well as bring
together citizens of the county and
offer an opportunity for
former residents to return to the area for visits. In addition to
apples, the first festival included prizes for vegetables
and flowers, and also a baby and pet parade. The crowning
an apple festival queen and court was a highlight of the first
festival and became a festival tradition. In 1959, the Jackson
Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) joined with the Chamber
to co-sponsor the event. Despite the decline in commercial apple
growing tn the county, the festival remains a popular event under
the leadership of the Jaycees.
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