Albert Etter (1872–1950) was an American plant breeder best known for his work on strawberry and apple varieties.
41-567: Albert Felix Etter was born near Shingle Springs in El Dorado County, California , on November 27, 1872. He was one of ten surviving children of the Swiss-born Benjamin Etter (d. 1889), all but one of whom were boys. Around 1876 the family moved to Humboldt County , where Benjamin acquired a farm near Ferndale and became the first person to grow lentils in the county. Albert's German-born mother, Wilhelmina (Kern) Etter (d. 1913)
82-635: A District in Fremont). Much of Charles Shinn's childhood was spent at the ranch and nursery of his family in Niles. His sister, Milicent Shinn , was an American child psychologist. His first cousin Edmund Clark Sanford was a prominent psychologist. Shinn attended the state university for two years, now the University of California, Berkeley. He attended Johns Hopkins University from 1882 to 1884. He received
123-534: A bachelor's degree conferred "extra ordinary." While at Johns Hopkins University, his roommate was Woodrow Wilson. Charles Shinn was a teacher in four counties in California from 1870 to 1876 and at Washington Corners in 1876. He was also a writer. In 1878, while teaching in Shasta County, he began the study of the mining district codes or laws of the 49ers and after. His most famous book, Mining Camps (1885),
164-671: A claim to it. This area along the Pacific coast in the King Range has wet winters and hot summers, and Etter later attributed his success partly to his choice of location. The site where Etter developed his ranch was subsequently named after him, first as Etter and then as Ettersburg . Etter managed the ranch with three of his brothers, George, Fred, and August; and another four of his siblings also lived nearby. While Etter focused on plant breeding, his brothers oversaw other kinds of farming and stockkeeping operations. The ranch holdings, operated under
205-616: A gift of a dozen plants with your subscription to the Pacific Rural Press. In 1914, the press anticipated Etter's strawberry exhibit at the 1915 world's fair. In 1915, Etter exhibited his strawberries at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. "Among the other valuable features of the California Section were the strawberries of Albert Etter of Briceland , Humboldt County, California. Etter had made
246-521: A group of "49ers" who'd followed the Carson-Emigrant Trail through Pleasant Valley, Nevada . The community took its name from a horse-drawn shingle machine capable of producing 16,000 shingles a day that was located near the springs at the western edge of the camp. A rich store of written records preserved by Shingle Springs pioneers has left a detailed picture of the Gold Rush. For example,
287-505: A hundred varieties of forage plants, grasses, and clovers. His research showed that some of the large white clovers from southern Europe were suitable for Humboldt County dairy farmers to use for forage because they put on a great deal of growth during the winter. He also undertook some experiments with tree nut crops such as English walnuts, chestnuts and filberts. Etter was a member of the California Nurserymen's Association and
328-519: A number of Etter's apple varieties were offered in the annual distribution of seeds and plants from the University of California. In 1919 it was reported that he had hybridized the native California crabapple with the Oregon crabapple and had created a fruit one inch in diameter with a brilliant color. In 1924, the Livermore Journal reported that he was about to introduce 75 different apple varieties. In
369-516: A result, the town is now designated California Historical Landmark #456. Of particular interest is the fact that, before the area was settled by Anglo-Americans, a Maidu village called Bamom was located in the vicinity of modern-day Shingle Springs. According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21 km ), of which, over 99% is land. For
410-573: A single grafted branch. Fishman ultimately located about half of Etter's pink-fleshed varieties in the test orchard and in nearby areas, and in 1983 he founded the Greenmantle Nursery to make seven of them available to the public. They were given new names since the old names could not be firmly determined and are marketed under the Rosetta series title. Shingle Springs, California Shingle Springs (formerly, Shingle Spring and Shingle )
451-495: A study of the soul and vital essence of the American shortcake for twenty-six years and had produced so many varieties the writer can't believe his own notes on the subject." By 1920, Etter's catalog showcased over 50 new varieties, some of which achieved limited commercial success. None are commercially important today, although their germplasm continues in a number of modern cultivars. In 1928, he donated all his strawberry material to
SECTION 10
#1732924312722492-628: A west-coast breeding program. By 1928, Etter was far enough along in his breeding experiments to publish a preliminary report in the Pacific Rural Press , where he wrote about two of his pink-fleshed cultivars, the Redflesh Winter Banana and a nameless seedling that, by its description, might have been Pink Pearl. Subsequently, the midwestern breeder Niels Ebbesen Hansen worked on breeding red-fleshed apples and crabapples, expressing disappointment when he found that Etter had beaten him to
533-469: Is " Csa " (Mediterranean Climate). Charles Howard Shinn Charles Howard Shinn (1852–1924) was a horticulturalist, author, inspector of California Experiment Stations, and forest ranger in California. He was born in Round Rock, Texas in 1852 to James and Lucy Shinn. The family moved to Alameda County near Vallejo's Mills, California in 1856. Vallejo's Mills became the town of Niles in 1869 (now
574-459: Is a census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County , California , United States. The population was 4,432 at the 2010 census, up from 2,643 at the 2000 census. It is located about 40 miles (64 km) from Sacramento in the Gold Country foothills and sits directly on Highway 50 . The towns of Coloma and Placerville are less than 15 miles (24 km) away. Shingle Springs is part of
615-786: Is remembered in the Sierra Club bulletin and in the Journal of Forestry. Coincidentally "Ranger Shinn; The Story of a Man Who Shaped His Life to Get the Greatest Happiness" was published in Sunset Magazine in the month that he died. Mt. Shinn in the Sierra Nevada is named after Charles Howard Shinn. Mt. Shinn is 11,013 feet high, two miles south of the south fork of San Joaquin River, near latitude 37°13' longitude 118° 55'. It can be found on
656-743: The American Pomological Society , and he was president of the Ettersburg Farm Center (a branch of the Humboldt County Farm Bureau). Etter died in November 1950. His wife Katharine (born Katharine McCormick in 1891) outlived him by nearly three decades, dying in 1979. In the 1970s, apple fancier Ram Fishman visited the remains of Etter's experimental orchard and found over one hundred trees still thriving. On many of these trees, multiple test varieties were represented, often by
697-487: The Boston-Newton Joint Stock Association , which left Boston on April 16, 1849, camped there the night before their arrival at Sutter's Fort on September 27, after a remarkable journey across the continent. The "Shingle Spring" post office also operated from 1853 to 1855. The "Shingle Springs" post office opened in 1865. The office's name was changed to "Shingle" in 1895, and reverted in 1955. As
738-486: The University of California , where his Ettersburg 121 became an ancestor of various commercially important varieties. In 1899 it was reported that Albert Etter, with the help of the University of California, was establishing a private experimental orchard near Briceland . Etter started with 62 varieties in 1898 and received several hundred more varieties in 1899. Years later Etter wrote about apple breeding at Ettersberg in
779-673: The 2000 census, the CDP had a total area of 5.2 square miles (13 km ), of which, 5.2 square miles (13 km ) of it was land and 0.19% was water. The 2010 United States Census reported that Shingle Springs had a population of 4,432. The population density was 538.0 inhabitants per square mile (207.7/km ). The racial makeup of Shingle Springs was 3,919 (88.4%) White , 14 (0.3%) African American , 108 (2.4%) Native American , 50 (1.1%) Asian , 3 (0.1%) Pacific Islander , 132 (3.0%) from other races , and 206 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 469 persons (10.6%). The Census reported that 4,344 people (98.0% of
820-683: The California Horticulturalist and Floral Magazine. which was published by John H. Carmany. He published the Pacific Rural Handbook in 1879. He was elected to be a director of the State Horticultural Society in 1879. During the late 1880s, he served as managing editor of Overland Monthly while continuing to publish articles on nature, mining, and rustic California. Charles Howard Shinn was inspector of California Experiment Stations from 1890 to 1902 In 1892 he
861-462: The Pacific Rural Press (1922) He said that "the anniversary of my arrival here to begin operations was afterward made National Apple Day—the 17th of October." The Pacific Rural Press reported that he had 10,000 varieties of apples. He started with almost 600 apple varieties. These were gathered from America and Europe, with the help of Charles Howard Shinn , when he was Inspector of California Experiment Stations, between 1890 and 1901. In 1907 and 1909
SECTION 20
#1732924312722902-580: The Sacramento–; Arden-Arcade – Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area . The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians , a federally recognized tribe of Maidu and Miwok people , are headquartered in Shingle Springs. Like many of the other towns in California's Mother Lode , Shingle Springs grew out of a camp set up by gold miners during the California Gold Rush - in this case,
943-690: The USGS Topographic map "Ward Mountain Quadrangle" 2018. Charles Howard Shinn wrote for the Overland Monthly using a pseudonym, Stoner Brooke. Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum is a city park in Fremont , California and is the last 4 acres of Shinn's Nurseries and the Shinn Ranch. Three groups are active in the park. The Friends of Heirloom Flowers is the garden club that, since 1994, has taken care of
984-546: The beach strawberry ( Fragaria chiloensis ) as a source of germplasm conveying vigor, productivity, flavor, and disease resistance. He also worked in a more minor way with F. virginiana species. The Pacific Rural Press described his methods for strawberries and other plants in 1912. By 1910, Ettersburg 121 had become the leading variety in the Willamette Valley , Oregon, because its firm flesh, high color, and strong flavor meant that it canned well. In 1912, you could get
1025-414: The best-known of his unusual series of some two dozen pink- and red-fleshed cultivars based on a European apple called Surprise (itself probably a descendant of Malus niedzwetskyana ). Some eastern and midwestern breeders, including Liberty Hyde Bailey and Charles Downing had already made some experiments with Surprise and been unhappy with the results, but Etter found that it worked better as part of
1066-648: The business name Etter Brothers, eventually reached 800 acres in size. Etter wrote about his "Mountain Home of Sciences" in 1907. Although the Etter Brothers firm and the Ettersburg Experimental Place became internationally known among plant breeders, and Etter renowned as "the Luther Burbank of Humboldt County", they never made more than a modest living from the land. For one thing, they were far removed from
1107-537: The country. In 1940, Etter began a partnership with George Roeding Jr., the owner of the California Nursery Company in Niles (now a district of Fremont, California). Their goal was to patent and market Etter's best apple varieties. The California Nursery Company introduced six Etter varieties in its 1944 catalog – Pink Pearl and five apples with regular non-pigmented flesh (Alaska, All Gold, Humboldt Crab, Jonwin, and Wickson). A seventh apple, Crimson Gold ,
1148-731: The gardens around the historic Shinn House built in 1876, the Shinn Bungalow built around 1907, and the Sim Cottage built before 1856. The Mission Peak Heritage Foundation (MPHF) has managed the Shinn House and archive room since 1972. The Chinese Bunkhouse Preservation Project is a subcommittee of the MPHF and was formed to preserve the last remaining building from the Shinn Ranch China Camp. The website Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum links
1189-581: The home of her father, Asher Tyler, in Oakland. She shared his interests in nature, worked at his side, and became one of the first women employed by the new U. S. Forest Service. Charles Shinn spent the last 22 years of his life in North Fork, California . His home was named the "Peace Cabin". He retired as supervising forest ranger a year before he passed. He is buried in Ukiah, California . Charles Shinn
1230-404: The late 1920s, Etter shifted his attention to apple breeding, using scion wood gleaned from a number of sources including the University of California. He felt that the west coast climate called for new kinds of apples, and he began experimenting with wide crosses, especially between apples and crabapples . Although many of his apple strains have been lost, those that survive include Pink Pearl ,
1271-539: The main trucking and rail routes, and for another, new plant hybrids were not protected by the patent system until 1930. Etter was sometimes compared to Luther Burbank. In 1907 it was noted that Etter '... resents such appellations as "wizard" and "Burbank of Humboldt,” and declared that plain Albert Etter is a good enough title to go by.' In 1908, Etter visited Luther Burbank in Santa Rosa. Burbank commented that Santa Rosa
Albert Etter - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-632: The population) lived in households, 88 (2.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 1,627 households, out of which 527 (32.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,015 (62.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 163 (10.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 73 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 76 (4.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 12 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 291 households (17.9%) were made up of individuals, and 104 (6.4%) had someone living alone who
1353-566: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,001 people (22.6%) lived in rental housing units. In the state legislature , Shingle Springs is in the 1st Senate District , represented by Republican Brian Dahle , and the 5th Assembly District , represented by Republican Joe Patterson . Federally, Shingle Springs is in California's 5th congressional district , represented by Republican Tom McClintock . The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate
1394-448: The punch. Although not all of Etter's Surprise descendants were successful, the best of them shared a pronounced aromatic quality that appears to be linked to the anthocyanin pigmentation that gives the flesh its distinctive pinkish and reddish tones. In 1930 Etter introduced a flavorful juicy bright red red-fleshed apple at an apple show in Eureka. Several boxes were sent to hotels throughout
1435-427: Was 44.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males. There were 1,718 housing units at an average density of 208.6 per square mile (80.5/km ), of which 1,627 were occupied, of which 1,248 (76.7%) were owner-occupied, and 379 (23.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 3,343 people (75.4% of
1476-413: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67. There were 1,251 families (76.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.01. The population was spread out, with 1,031 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 334 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 874 people (19.7%) aged 25 to 44, 1,568 people (35.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 625 people (14.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
1517-743: Was a Charter member of the Sierra Club. In 1900, he and his wife, Julia, were trustees of the Niles Library. He was head forest ranger the Sierra (North) Forest in 1902 for the Department of the Interior. In 1914 he worked for the San Joaquin Valley Counties Association He retired from his Forest Service position in July 1924. Charles Shinn married Julia Charlotte Tyler on July 31, 1888, at
1558-619: Was a result of field work there and in the Sierras. The emphasis of the German folk moot tradition espoused while he was at Johns Hopkins influenced his often romanticized writings about the early mining camps. Between 1879 and 1889 he wrote for newspapers and magazines in San Francisco, Baltimore, and New York. In 1879 he worked for the San Francisco Bulletin. From 1878 to 1880 he edited
1599-543: Was introduced in the 1947 catalog. The 1970 catalog carried only five varieties of Etter's apples: Alaska, Etter's Gold, Jonwin, Pink Pearl, and Wickson. A flyer with "Distinctive New Recipes...for the Apples of Albert Etter" was provided in the 1945 catalog. Recipes were by Robert Stoney Mayock who was a winemaker (Los Amigos Vineyards in Irvington), amateur chef, gourmet, and food columnist. Etter also experimented with breeding over
1640-405: Was not favorable for apples. He left him with the advice "Have confidence In yourself and look out for people with schemes to help you.” Etter became known for his insistence on the value of using unimproved parent material, often taken from wild strains, and he frequently made 'wide' crosses between widely divergent genetic types. In his work with strawberries, he showed other breeders the value of
1681-490: Was skilled at cultivating plants, and Etter showed a talent for hybridizing plants in childhood, working with apples, peaches, dahlias, and strawberries by the time he was twelve. He attended public school and by the end of his teens was looking for a site where he could continue his plant-breeding experiments. On a fishing trip to the Mattole River Valley , he found a section of land above Bear Creek and in 1894 he staked