Museum presents program on historical nursery

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Spring is in the air, making it an opportune time to learn about one of Charles City’s most important historical businesses.

The Sherman Nursery Co. was the subject of this weekend’s Chautauqua Talk on Saturday, April 19. Presented by Museum Director Mckenna Lloyd, it covered the history of the Sherman Nursery and its founder, E.M. Sherman, whose late 19th century businesses, Lloyd said, helped turn Charles City into the city it is today.

While not as historically prolific as the Hart-Parr tractor plant, the Sherman Nursery was a major employer in Charles City, growing to a staff of more than 100 people between agents, office workers and nursery staff.

Bridges, railroads and the YMCA were just some of the projects Sherman helped facilitate that helped build Charles City.

“Sherman Nursery was really just as involved in all those early city developments,” said Lloyd. “They were a huge employer and a huge industry in the town.”

From the company’s origins in 1888 to its eventual end in the early 2000s, the talk covered the different eras of the nursery over various decades and owners following the company’s reorganization in 1931 and Sherman’s death in 1934.

Coming up at the museum, the next Chautauqua Talk will feature Charles City native author Michelle Sprout Murray, who will be sharing stories from her new book, “Amazing Iowa,” on May 17.