• Source: James J. H. Gregory

      • James John Howard Gregory (November 7, 1827 – February 20, 1910) was an American educator, horticultural businessman, writer, politician, and philanthropist from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Gregory started his career as a public school teacher and later served as a principal. In 1854, he founded a successful seed company, introduced innovations like seed catalogs and developed notable varieties such as the Hubbard squash and cherry tomato. Due to the success of his business, he was known as the "Seed King of Marblehead". Gregory also served as a Massachusetts State Senator (1876–1877) and Marblehead Selectman, advocating for local development and education. A prolific author, he wrote practical gardening guides and supported African American education through the Marblehead Libraries program and school donations.


      Biography




      = Early life

      =
      James John Howard Gregory was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on November 7, 1827, to James Adams and Ruth Gregory (née Roundey). His father worked as a Justice of the Peace and customs officer in Marblehead.


      = Education and teaching career

      =
      Gregory received his education in the public schools of Marblehead and spent two years studying at Middlebury College. Following this, he worked as a teacher at Marblehead Academy and the Farm School before graduating from Amherst College in 1850. After graduation, Gregory taught in Marblehead and Lunenberg. From 1851 to 1854, Gregory worked as the principal of Derby Academy in Hingham.


      = Business career

      =

      In 1854, Gregory began his seed business, James J. H. Gregory & Son, initially operating from his home.
      According to legend, Gregory responded to an advertisement in the New England Farmer magazine looking for a good squash seed. Gregory sent the magazine some seeds his father had received from their neighbor Elizabeth "Marm" Hubbard. Dubbing it the Hubbard Squash, the seeds became extremely popular.
      Gregory was innovative for his time, becoming an early adopter of seed catalogs for his business. He used paper envelopes to package and transport his seeds, featuring illustrations on the envelopes to indicate the type of seeds they contained.
      According to the Victory Horticultural Library, Gregory developed the first cherry tomato and was a key distributor of the Danvers onion. He also developed several other vegetable and plant varieties. He grew various vegetables and was one of the leading seed sellers in the United States. His success led to him being known as the "Seed King of Marblehead".
      As his business expanded, Gregory took a fish-drying house from Gerry Island to 59 Elm Street in Marblehead for use as a seed drying warehouse. Dubbed the "Squash House", it still exists today.


      = Writing career

      =
      Gregory authored practical guides on vegetable gardening. His works, such as Squashes: How to Grow Them (1867) and Cabbages and Cauliflowers: How to Grow Them (1908) provided detailed instructions for growing and marketing crops. Gregory wrote about fertilizers and soil productivity in Fertilizers: Where the Materials Come From (1886). Additionally, Gregory wrote for horticultural magazines.


      = Political career

      =
      Gregory was active in both local and state politics. He was elected to the Board of Selectmen in Marblehead in 1861 and 1868. Gregory was a Republican and served as a Massachusetts State Senator from 1876 to 1877, representing 2nd Essex district. He was elected by the joint vote of the Republican and Prohibition parties.


      = Philanthropy

      =
      As Gregory's wealth grew, he came to believe that keeping a significant portion of it was unjust while others endured hardships. He decided to cap his annual personal expenses at $300, donating the rest to help those in need. In 1907, he retired and dedicated his life to helping others.
      Gregory actively engaged in philanthropic efforts both in Marblehead and in communities across the United States. He donated art to local schools and churches, provided the land that became Fountain Park, and supplied the bell and clock for Abbot Hall when it was designated as Marblehead's town hall.
      In 1880, Gregory anonymously donated funds under the name "Howard" to build a predominantly Black Congregational church in Wilmington, North Carolina, inspired by his support for the American Missionary Association and the needs of newly freed slaves. Though initially anonymous, his identity was revealed during the church's 1881 dedication ceremony. Originally named "Christ's Congregational Church", it became known as Gregory Congregational Church by the early 1900s.
      Gregory was particularly passionate about education for African Americans. In 1883, Gregory made a substantial contribution to the Wilmington Normal School, a high school for African Americans in Wilmington. Due to his contribution, the school was renamed the Gregory Normal School.


      Marblehead Libraries


      In 1910, Gregory created a traveling library service, called the Marblehead Libraries, that operated in over 50 African-American schools and colleges across the South. The service continued for 20 years, sustained by the funds donated by Gregory. That same year, Gregory funded a librarian apprentice program operating out of Louisville Free Public Library in Louisville, Kentucky, which operated until 1929.


      = Personal life and death

      =

      Gregory married three times but never had children of his own. He married his first wife, Eliza Candler Bubier on December 30, 1863. With Eliza, he adopted his first three children; James, Edgar, and Annie from a South Boston orphanage. Following Eliza's death, he adopted his second daughter, Laura. In 1878, Gregory married Harried Roundey, who died in 1894. In 1895, Gregory married his third wife, Sarah Lydia Caswell (died 1922).
      Gregory was an occasional poet. Some of his poems were published in the Essex Antiquarian. His poem "Ode to Evelyn" was composed in remembrance of his granddaughter, Evelyn Burroughs. Gregory also collected Native American artifacts and authored an article based on his collection for the Essex Antiquarian.
      Gregory constructed an elegant coastal residence on Peach's Point, Marblehead. He extended an invitation to President Garfield to use the home during the summer of 1881, but the president, though appreciative, politely declined.
      Gregory died on February 20, 1910. He was buried in the Waterside Cemetery in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In his will, Gregory established a fund in Marblehead that would provide payment to new mothers of twins born within the year. Gregory Street, which stretches along the Townside Harbor Front in Marblehead, was named to commemorate him.


      Selected publications


      Onion Raising: What Kinds to Raise, and the Way to Raise Them (Boston: A. Williams & Company, 1865)
      Squashes: How to Grow Them (New York: Orange Judd Company, c. 1867)
      Pamphlets on Vegetable Gardening (Marblehead, Mass: Messenger Steam Printing House, 1867–1883)
      Cabbages: How to Grow Them (New York: Orange Judd Company, c. 1870)
      Carrots, Mangold Wurtzels and Sugar Beets (Marblehead, Mass: N.A. Lindsey & Co., c. 1877)
      Fertilizers (Boston: Rand, Avery & Company, 1885)
      Cabbages and Cauliflowers: How to Grow Them (Boston: S. J. Parkhill & Co., 1908)


      References




      Further reading


      Worrell, Sharyn Kelley (2013). Remembering James J. H. Gregory: The Seed King, Philanthropist, Man. Murray, Utah: Family Heritage Publishers.


      External links


      Media related to James J. H. Gregory at Wikimedia Commons
      Works by James J. H. Gregory at the Internet Archive
      Works by James J. H. Gregory at Project Gutenberg
      Works by James J. H. Gregory at the Biodiversity Heritage Library

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