In Business More Than 100 Years
Rees Fruit Farm
Grantville, Jefferson County, Kansas
[Editor: Family-owned Rees Fruit Farm has been in continuous operation and retained in the same family since start-up. It is the oldest commercial fruit farm in Kansas and one of the oldest businesses in Jefferson County. Rose Balao provided this review.]
William Rees and a son, Francis (Frank), came to America in 1868, leaving the remainder of the family in Wales to join them once they had settled. After docking in New York, William and Frank traveled about the United States, homesteading in Illinois. William then sent for his wife and other children.
Frank continued to travel throughout the country until he came to the Topeka, Kansas, area in 1882 or 1883, with his wife Elizabeth and their five children. A sixth child, Fred, joined Ed, Will, John, Cassie, and Percy, after they settled near Grantville, in Jefferson County, on a farm about 1 mile north and 1 mile east of the 24 and K4 highway intersection. The original home site can still be seen with a small group of trees and what was a storm cellar in the middle of the brome field. The land is currently owned by a great-grandson, Rex. Frank, Elizabeth, Cassie, and Fred later moved into Grantville, just north of the Grantville Methodist church.
John (J.G.) and his wife, Nora, lived in North Topeka where J.G. was a buyer for the Dibble Grocery Company. In 1901, J.G. and Nora purchased 80 acres of land near Grantville from Mr. Hamm, about 1/2 mile north and a bit to the east of the other site. They moved their family back into the original farm home, then occupied by Ed Rees, while their new home and buildings were being built, and J.G. planted orchards and other produce and began the business known as Rees Orchards. The large barn still standing at that location was used for apple sorting, cider making, storage and selling produce raised on the farm. The produce included strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, apples, peaches, pears, and cherries.
J .G . and Nora raised nine children: Harry, Ralph, John, Elizabeth, Thelma, twins Morris and Norris, Martha, and Ruth. Although most of the children were very involved in the family fruit farm, Harry and Ralph were the principal operators of the business. Norris and his wife, Lucille, who were married in 1936, purchased the existing Rees Fruit Farm land in 1942, planted new orchards, and helped to maintain the original family farm. The current market building was first built in 1950, and many additions have been made since that time.
The business, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, grows 30 varieties of apples from sweet, slightly-sweet, to slightly-tart, available from around the middle of July to the last harvest in early November. In addition to apples and berries, the orchard produces peaches, pears, cherries, and grapes. Stop by and see them on your way.
This article appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 2019. https://www.jchsks.com/publications
