From The Daily Morning Astorian, March 20, 1885;

• It is alleged that A. A. Stewart has been victimizing unsuspecting parties who desire to purchase California fruit trees. Capt. George Flavel is among the victims. The captain ordered a bill of choice trees, which cost $260 (about $8,500 now), that were to come from Fox’s nursery, near San Jose, California.

Stewart went to Luelling’s Nursery, at Milwaukie … and purchased the cheapest trees he could buy, consisting of cherry, pear, apple, etc., paying for the whole lot about $60 (almost $2,000). Then he put on fancy labels, christening the poor stock with the names of the choice varieties contracted for, and delivered them to Capt. Flavel’s agent.

Note: Well, the people of Milwaukie wouldn’t appreciate the dig at the Luelling nursery’s reputation for fruit, as the nursery’s founder, Henderson Luelling, is known as being the “Father of the Pacific Fruit Industry.” Not to mention his brother, Seth, developed the bing cherry.

Fruit trees aside, Capt. Flavel made his botanical history mark with the nine surviving trees at the Flavel House in Astoria, which are part of the Oregon Heritage Tree Program: “The grove consists of a giant sequoia, ginko, Camperdown elm, bay laurel, pear, and four cork elms.”

And, the captain’s “love of such trees was inspired from his many voyages to places all over the world. The family gardener, Louis Schultz, planted these trees at the request of Captain Flavel.”