More about Gust and the Strawberry Farm, Plus a Research Tip

I lived in a family that did not pass down family stories.  In fact, I didn't learn that my father grew up on a farm where his father, Gust Doyle, grew and harvested strawberries until I was a teen.  And it was even later that I learned that my great-grandfather William Doyle had started the strawberry business.  Bit by bit, I keep learning about these ancestors of mine.

A number of years ago I published the post, Banner Week at Doyle's Berry Farm, June 13, 1908.  It has some good information, however, at the time I wrote that post I didn't know how many acres of strawberries grew on the farm.  Since that post I've uncovered a little more information. 

In 1908 the owner of the berry farm was William Doyle.  At that time his son, Gust, was 19.  This newest information comes from 1916, when Gust, then age 28, was the owner of the farm.

Below is part of page 99 from the 1916 Annual Report of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Volume 22. 

This report indicates that Augustus Doyle of Stoneboro had five acres of land planted with berries or small fruit plants only.  It's possible that Gust grew other small fruit plants but since my original source of information about the strawberry farm, my father's half-sister, Tressa (Doyle) Wilson, never mentioned growing other fruits, I believe all five acres were devoted to strawberries.

Surprising is that this is a list of licensed nurseries.  Does that mean Gust also sold strawberry plants?

It's hard to tell from this 1916 report and the earlier postcards in the post about the Doyle Berry Farm in 1908 whether there were more acres devoted to strawberries in 1916 or fewer.  

Research Tip
If you're trying to find information about your farming ancestors, remember to search for state agricultural reports at Google Books or other state sources.  For Pennsylvania, Google Books has reports from 1879 through 1917 with only a few exceptions.  Some reports have more information than others but it's always worth checking if you want to learn more about an ancestor's farming activities.

—Nancy.

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