The story of the establishment of the Cottage Gardens Nurseries in Humboldt County reads like a romance, one where things first happen by accident but all turns out well for all concerned in the end.

In 1888 Charles Willis Ward, a New York businessman, was ordered by his physicians to close his business in the city and seek “pure fresh air and quiet and rest of a country life.” He was a sufferer from nervous prostration, an ailment common to those bearing the heavy responsibilities of the business world.

Ward closed his office to seek a life in the open, close to nature. He camped during the summer in Northern Michigan; winters, he camped in Mississippi and, briefly, in Florida. He spent a few years pursuing this life but eventually settled in East Moriches, Long Island. He soon tired of having nothing to do, so he built a small hothouse and started growing many beautiful plants, mostly carnations. It was a hobby at first, but in due time his interest was so aroused that he entered into the business of “nursery man.” He purchased a large farm near Queens, Long Island, which proved to be the very beginning of the Cottage Nurseries. His initial venture proved very successful and in 1915, it ranked as the leading nursery in the United States.

In April 1913 he was summoned to Eureka to contest important legal proceedings affecting redwood timbered lands of the David Ward estate (of which he was part owner). He was quite ill at the time but managed the westward trip. By the time he arrived in Eureka, he was a very sick man. However, the climate of Humboldt County worked wonders and within 10 days he had a strong desire to go to work. Within another 10 days, he was hard at work in a garden. He so enjoyed Eureka, and Humboldt County in general, that he remained for over a year.

In January 1915 he made a business trip to New Orleans. While there he became sick and his return to Eureka was delayed for two months. Though he lost a lot of his strength, within four days after his return to Eureka he began to recover and, in a few days, he was back at work.

He decided to make Eureka his home and soon made considerable investments there and elsewhere in the county. His first step was to buy a block of ground on C Street where he erected a large home (this home, located at 2301 C St., is still standing). His business operations came under the heading “Ward-Perkins-Gill Co., Inc.,” with Ward serving as president (the company also sold real estate). He built an experimental plant on the site to determine the possibilities of Humboldt County’s climate and soil. The results were very good. At the end of two years it became Cottage Gardens Nurseries, Inc.

Ward added to this a 232-acre farm at Carlotta and a commodious nursery in the Eden Tract on Myrtle Avenue just outside the Eureka city limits. This “Garden of Eden” was bounded on the west by Myrtle Avenue, on the north by Trinity Street, on the east by Frank Street and on the south by Pennsylvania Street. Bela C. Wing and his son Cecil, carpenters and builders, were in charge of the construction of these buildings. The millwork was done by the Cottrell Moulding Mill, the acres of glass were furnished by the D.C. McDonald Company (all local people).

The operations at Eden had electric lights, a steam plant, its own water works, several automobiles, tractors and other equipment. Ward later installed overhead sprinklers over the garden area which saved a great deal of labor.

In 1916 the Cottage Gardens Nursery at Eden near Eureka was considered a show place. The plant cost $80,000 to construct and covered 81 acres (all of which were either under glass, slats or cultivation). The great slat houses covered tens of thousands of Indian azaleas and carnations. Thousands of baby trees had a snug, warm home under acres of glass. Rows and rows of rhododendrons, roses, broad-leaved and coniferous evergreen and ornamental shrubs stood in never-ending variety. Some plants were imported, others were native to the area.

The experiments carried on by Ward proved that evergreens, along with other plants and bulbs, could be grown in Humboldt County and sold on the open market in competition with Japanese growers. He met with railroad and steamship magnates to secure an equitable freight rate to the Atlantic and mid-West points to sell his goods. He finally won.

Ward demonstrated that the climate and soil of Humboldt County was ideal for growing hyacinths, narcissus, tulips and other bulb flowers. Through his efforts, Humboldt County became known throughout the nation as the “Holland of America.”

The propagating department had the capacity of 3 million plants per annum and a selling capacity of $150,000 per annum. The list of stock for sale included 50,000 azalea indica; 50,000 rhododendrons; 25,000 berried hollies; 10,000 Irish yews; 10,000 umbrella palms; 10,000 fancy Japanese evergreens; 25,000 broadleafed evergreens; 200,000 various coniferous evergreens; 50,000 florist special forcing plants; 100,000 heathers; and 150,000 roses.

It was largely through the efforts of Ward that the first annual sweet pea carnival was held in Eureka. During the three-day celebration, the Cottage Gardens gave away millions of sweet peas, along with instructions on how to grow them. Humboldt County remains great sweet pea country.

The Cottage Gardens Nurseries employed hundreds of local people over the years and taught them how to graft different plants and how to grow and take care of them in general. During summer school vacations many students worked there. There are many of these former employees still living here.

In the beginning, a Mr. Van Abelis was the superintendent of the Eureka branch of Cottage Gardens Nurseries. In 1918 Konrad Weirup served as manager of the many acres under glass. Another employee, Ronald Kausen, was in charge of the office accounts for 43 years and also traveled around the country selling the nursery plants and produce. Otto Kausen served as general manager of the nursery until his retirement in 1963. His brother, Ronald Kausen, then became manager until 1969 when John Wahlund took over.

One of my relatives had a steady job hauling redwood leaf-mould to the nursery. He had an agreement with the McKay Lumber Company which allowed him to go into its timberland and rake up leaf-mould, a natural food which rhododendrons thrive in, from under the old redwood trees. This man was kept busy for many years hauling tons of leaf-mould to the nursery.

In the early 1920s, my mother got a job at the Cottage Gardens Nurseries where she learned to transplant begonias, gloxinias and graft many other plants; she became an expert at this. She transplanted all of the very small eucalyptus trees which were eventually planted along the northwest side of 101 Highway between Eureka and Arcata (this highway was built in the early 1920s). Every time I drive past those trees, I think of them as a monument to my dear mother, Jessie M. Nash.

During years 1914-15, a McKinleyville branch of the Cottage Gardens was started, with roughly 520 acres located on Central Avenue and Sutter Road; this section was devoted to raising assorted bulbs. Ward purchased this land, then overgrown with trees and brush, from Jason Wagoner. The land was cleared by Cecil Carr and his sons, using gas farm tractors and one team of horses. This process consisted of felling the trees, then dynamiting the stumps. The horses or tractors would then pull out the stumps, which were then sometimes burned. The McKinleyville branch was managed by a Dutchman, Von Alse, and later by Vanden Volch.

In 1917 Ward published a catalog, California Grown Holland Bulbs, which described the many types of bulbs grown on the Pacific Coast and included beautiful pictures of their flowers along with prices and instructions on how to grow them. One bulb, the new Giant White Trumpet Narcissus Imperator (a daffodil), sold for $200 each! Ward ordered tens of thousands of Dutch, French and Japanese bulbs to be grown at his McKinleyville branch.

Cottage Gardens Nurseries, Inc. owned a 232-acre ranch in the beautiful valley of Yager Creek, extending from the highway far up into the most attractive valley in the county. When Ward purchased this land it had recently been logged over and was covered with giant redwood stumps. These were removed and the land leveled, ploughed and planted in alfalfa and corn. More than 1,000 assorted fruit and nut trees were planted.

A model dairy ranch was established at this Carlotta ranch and was stocked with a herd of thoroughbred registered Jerseys, some of which were selected from Dr. Rae Felt’s herd. A model dairy barn was built with concrete floors, a water system, electric lights, swinging stanchions, manure carriers and all the latest known appliances. These beautiful ranch buildings are still there for all to see as they head east down the hill leaving Hydesville.

Rumor had it he would play music his cows at the Carlotta ranch to help them give more milk. This practice is still being carried out today by many dairy ranchers who have found it to be practical.

an advertisement in the July 6, 1918, issue of the Humboldt Standard.

In July 1918, Ward advertised capital stock for sale at $100 each. He said, “Liberty Bonds, War Saving Stamps sales, and Red Cross contributions have rendered available funds exceedingly difficult to secure and it has been almost impossible at times to secure enough cash to meet fixed expenses. Collections have been slow and for many good customers ask for long extensions.” He went to explain in the advertisement how many of the best young men had been drafted or had enlisted in the armed services and how the “book value” of Cottage Garden stock was well above par and stockholders were advised not to part with their holdings.

In 1922 Cottage Gardens Nurseries, Inc. started having some difficulty in making its payroll. For several months Konrad Weirup put up the money to make the payroll, a sign that the nursery business was slowly going downhill. Weirup was repaid by receiving the acres in bulbs at McKinleyville. Charles Willis Ward finally went broke in Humboldt County, and Cottage Gardens Nurseries fell into the hands of the receivers.

Ward had been a millionaire, but was convinced the sky was the limit. A brilliant and affectionate man, he had wonderful dreams for Humboldt County and everything he did was for the betterment of the area.

Ward raised one son, David Ward, and four daughters. Little is known about his wife, other than she was Jewish and never came to live with him in Humboldt County. David finally bought back Cottage Gardens Nurseries and soon leased it out. In 1925 David lived at 2333 E St., Eureka.

The nursery was sold in the early 1970s to the Westbrook Bulb Farms of Smith River in Del Norte County. Robert D. Herrick served as manager of the Cottage Gardens Nurseries until 1985 when it was closed and the land sold off to various developers and builders. This beautiful land, once filled with flowers, has been built over with streets and houses.

Charles Willis Ward lived in Eureka until his death. Ward loved Humboldt County and gave much to promote it around the world. Many beautiful plants and trees now stand as monuments to his hard work and commitment.

In 1915 Ward wrote a book, Humboldt County: The Land of Unrivaled Undeveloped Natural Resources, on the Westernmost Rim of the American Continent. In it he promoted the climate of this county and gave this entire county a real boost. He was far ahead of the times.

Some 22,000 acres of fine redwood timberland, bordering the Klamath River on the south for a distance of 17 miles, was owned primarily by the Ward Estate, along with some smaller parcels. This land was put on the market and Ward proposed that the U.S. Government purchase it for a national redwood park. His suggestion is today a reality.

One Sunday in February 1989, my wife and I went for a ride to see the new houses built in the Eden Tract and to see just what was left of the old Cottage Gardens Nurseries. We arrived just in time to snap a picture of the last remaining building (the beautiful old office) being torn down and demolished.

The end of a man’s dream …