John Endicott, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-1600s, was a religious zealot and hotheaded Puritan. He banished those who didn’t hold his religious views, but he is remembered for planting the oldest living fruit tree in the Americas. The Endicott pear, planted in 1630 is still alive surviving hurricanes, blizzards, and industrial development. It has been celebrated in art, poetry, as well as illustrated in books, and paintings from the 18th century. The Endicott pear was President John Adams favorite fruit. Governor Endicott also grew the first apple tree in America.
Growing Home - The Endicott Pear
