Lawton blackberry facts for kids

The Lawton blackberry is a special type of blackberry. It is also known as New Rochelle or Seacor's Mammoth. This berry was the first kind of blackberry grown a lot in the United States. It started in a village called New Rochelle in New York.

This blackberry plant might have grown from a wild seed by accident. Or, it could have been brought to America by French people called Huguenots. They settled in New Rochelle way back in 1688. The plant is part of the Rubus group, which is in the rose family. It grows big berries, about an inch long.

How the Lawton Blackberry Was Discovered

The first Lawton blackberry plant was found in 1834. A man named Lewis Seacor discovered it. He saw the plant growing wild in a field. This field belonged to his neighbor, Frederick Prime.

Lewis Seacor really liked the berries. They were big and tasted great! So, in 1838, he moved some of these plants to his own garden. He started growing them carefully.

Sharing the New Berry

After a few years, Lewis Seacor began sharing the plants. He gave them to his neighbors and other people in town. Everyone became very interested in this new fruit. This helped the blackberry become famous. People in the area started calling it "Seacor's Mammoth."

In 1848, a company called George Seymour & Co. got some plants. They were nurserymen from Norwalk, Connecticut. They worked to grow many more plants. Then, they started telling everyone about this new berry.

At the same time, another man from New Rochelle, William Lawton, also got some plants. He spent several years growing them too.

What's in a Name?

In 1853, William Lawton showed the berries at a meeting. It was for a group called the "American Farmers' Club." He told them he didn't know who first found the plant. He just knew it was found by the road. Then, it was moved into people's gardens nearby.

The Farmers' Club was very thankful to Mr. Lawton. They decided to name the fruit the "Lawton Blackberry."

However, people in New Rochelle already knew the story. They knew Lewis Seacor had discovered the blackberry. So, they often called the plant "Seacor's" or "Seacor's Mammoth." It was also known that Mr. Prime, who owned the field, had actually destroyed many original bushes. He didn't know how special they were! If Lewis Seacor hadn't saved them, the fruit might have disappeared forever.