Albert W., Henry M., Carrie (Mrs. E. L. E. White), Mary (Mrs. A. B. Graham), Nellie, Elizabeth (Mrs. W. L. Wood), Lucy (Mrs. D. G. Woodard), and Grace[1][2]
Joseph Hamilton Lambert (December 1, 1825 – November 12, 1909), was an American pioneer of Oregon and an orchardist who developed the Lambert cherry. A native of Indiana, he also served as a county commissioner in Multnomah and Clackamas counties in Oregon.
Henderson's brother Seth Lewelling later bought out Henderson's share of the business. In 1859, Lambert and his father-in-law, Henry Miller, bought half of Meek's interest in Meek & Luelling's orchard.[1] The venture did not start out well, because of a drop in the price of apples and the poor yield from the formerly productive trees.[1] Lambert introduced new horticulture methods that in two years restored the health of the trees and again allowed them to produce "mammoth" crops of apples.[1] Lambert became the sole owner of the orchards, which are notable for being the first to produce cultivated fruit in Oregon.[1] Former owner Henderson Luelling later became a prominent orchardist in California.
Lambert cherry
Lambert developed what became known as the Lambert cherry, by grafting a volunteer seedling, found in 1848 under a Napoleon cherry tree to the rootstock of a May Duke cherry.[1][4][5] The crown of the tree died in 1880 and a new tree grew from its roots that was not a May Duke, nor was it identical to the original seedling.[6] The resulting cherry was large, richly colored, flavorful, and had a small pit, and it immediately became popular.[1] Lambert introduced his cherry to the Oregon Horticultural Society in 1896 and it became one of the most important cherries grown in the early Oregon orchards, along with Royal Anns, Bings, and Black Republicans.[5][7][8] In 1916, it was called the "finest cherry grown in America".[8]
In 1887, Lambert was a founding member of the Oregon Horticultural Society.[1] In 1890, he helped establish the Citizens Bank of Portland and became its president.[1] Lambert managed to keep the bank open during the financial Panic of 1893, when over 500 banks failed.[1] He also served as president of White Publishing Company.[3]
Death and legacy
Joseph and Clementine Lambert had ten children, eight of whom survived into adulthood.[2] Their two sons and six daughters included author Elizabeth Lambert Wood.[1][3] Clementine died in the early 1890s, and Joseph Lambert died in Portland, Oregon, on November 12, 1909, at the age of 83.[1][3]
J. H. Lambert is one of the 158 names of people who are notable in the early history of Oregon painted in the friezes of the House and Senate chambers of the Oregon State Capitol.[9] Lambert's name is in the House chamber. His former employer Seth Lewelling (formerly Luelling), developer of the Bing cherry, is so honored on the Senate side.[9]
