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Launched in Euless by pioneer nurserymen, commercial horticulture has been vital to the area's economy since the 1800s. Ideally situated for horticultural production, Euless sits on sandy soil well adapted for plant cultivation. Ambrose H. Boyd (1829-1916), a Kentucky native, established Tarrant County Nurseries in 1879 and in 1882, with his son, John S. Boyd (1858-1946), he opened a distribution yard in Fort WOrth. Their merchandise included trees, shrubbery and vines. In 1885, John Boyd helped to organize the Texas State Nurserymen's Association (now Texas Nursery and Landscape Association); he later opened florist businesses in Cleburne and Denton.Arch N. Cannon (1868-1941), under the guidance of Ambrose Boyd, established Euless Nurseries in 1897. He specialized in blackberries, but also propagated and sold plums, apples, pears, apricots, grapes and peaches, including the "Cannons' Wonderful" and "Cannon's Cling" varieties he developed himself. By 1907, Cannon's business expanded to also offer trees and ornamental shrubs, including roses, which became the nursery's specialty; Cannon developed a new variety named "Louise." Euless Nurseries shipped plants throughout the region and became the most profitable business in the area. Arch Cannon's son, Ross (1897-1980), later assumed ownership of Euless Nurseries, operating it until it closed in 1960.Today, the horticulture and nursey industries in Texas account for a notable percentage of total agricultural receipts. Nurserymen pioneers, such as Ambrose and John Boyd, and Arch and Ross Cannon, paved the way in Euless for this profitable enterprise, and through their work, have enhanced the natural beauty of Texas. (2008) |
