The Philomath Museum invites the community to kick off fall with a celebration of Pacific Coast fruit history from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Author Linda Ziedrich will present a talk on the Lewelling brothers, co-founders of the Pacific Coast fruit industry, and their role in westward expansion. Her presentation traces the brothers’ journey from North Carolina, Indiana and Iowa to Oregon in 1847, where they established themselves as pioneering nurserymen, orchardists and plant breeders throughout the 19th century.
Attendees will have the opportunity to taste heirloom varietal apples from Territorial Road Orchards, a historic Benton County site operated by Benton County Historical Society Board President Larry Landis and his wife, Rebecca Landis.
Copies of Ziedrich’s book, “First Fruits: The Lewellings and the Birth of the Pacific Coast Fruit Industry,” will be available for purchase and signing.
The event is free to attend with a suggested $10 donation. Those interested can register online.