HOLLY WREATH MAN
In the late 1800's wreath
making was a cottage industry with Sussex county farmers
for the Christmas season.
Holly trees were native to southern Delaware . Wreaths were used
as barter near the holiday
season and were of good value.
In 1903 , Charles Jones, a
fertilizer salesman in the farm section, had an idea. He first
upset his wife when he came
home with $50 worth of 2 cent postage stamps. With the stamps
he sent advertizing
fliers to prospective customers in northers cities, then set about
organizing
wreath makers around Milton
and neighboring towns. The first year he turned a $350 profit.
Not bad for six weeks work.
The southern Delaware
farmer realized making holly wreaths in the fall would be a
profitable sideline. The
holly tree was everywhere to be harvester branch by branch into a
32 inch switches that made
a 14 inch wreath. The makers looked for and used branches with
red berries. Green and red
were traditional Christmas colors. During the years that the holly
tree did not produce
berries, artificial red berries became in use. The wreaths
brought good
money to the county.. A
farmer, or his wife and children, could bank $20 a day.
Besides Jones, other
dealers got in the swing at Millsboro, Laurel and Seaford but
Jones was the most
prominent and shipped large orders to big city department
stores and
government offices.
Charles Gerald Jones
became the “Holly Wreath Man” and his wife was known
to be satisfied with his
$50 postage stamp purchase. Milton became known as the “Land of
Holly” and in 1939
holly tree was named the state tree of Delaware.
Abstract by Harrison H.
06/30/18, of Delaware Diary by Michael Morgan
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