I bought a seed catalogue a few years ago, while antiquing with my mom. At the time, I bought it because my last name is Berry, and I loved the graphic design of the cover. My husband and I also enjoy gardening, and he farms... so I couldn't pass it up. Once home, I looked through, and found it to be an interesting piece of American history. I've kept it stashed away until now...
This letter, written by J.F. Sinn, the President
of Berry Seed Company, was written before
the end of WWII. You can read it by left clicking
on the image and then enlarging to full size.
This was the order form
enclosed in the catalogue.
the town of Clarinda, Iowa, and
The best known national firm in Clarinda for many decades was Berry's Seed Company, a mail order farm seed distribution business founded in 1885 at Clarinda by A. A. Berry. Berry's Seed Company diversified into retail stores in the 1950s, but the stores were sold off over the following decade, and today the company, known as Berry's Garden Center, operates from its one remaining retail outlet in Danville, Illinois.
In 1943 during World War II, an internment camp designed for 3,000 prisoners of war with sixty barracks and a 150-bed hospital was built in Clarinda. German prisoners were the first to arrive at Camp Clarinda, followed in 1945 by Italian and Japanese POWs.
Hope you've enjoyed this 1945
Berry Seed Co. catalogue, as I have.
Graphics in this post are free for your
personal use. Thanks for stopping by!
