Wayside: An Edible Legacy

"An Edible Legacy" wayside sign at the William & Charlotte Kelderhouse Farm in Port Oneida

Quick Facts

Location:

44° 56' 17.928" N, 85° 56' 10.878" W

Amenities

1 listed

Audio Description

Main Exhibit Text

Shiawassee Beauty. Wolf River. Northern Spy. Ben Davis. These names may not be as familiar as Red Delicious, Fuji, or Honey Crisp, but in Port Oneida these apples were known and grown. In the 1800s, as many as 15,000 varieties were cultivated in the United States; understandable considering apples were a staple in the American diet. In 1925, Leelanau County reports listed 154,000 apple trees. Many immigrant families brought cuttings with them, maintaining a heritage connection with their homelands. Different varieties were valued for eating, cooking, drinking, shipping, and storing throughout the winter. These trees, once tended on these farms, are reaching the end of their lifespan and will soon be lost to history. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Apple Preservation Program is helping to preserve many heirloom apples and a taste of the past.

Image Descriptions

Family in Apple Orchard (left)

On the left side of the exhibit is a large sepia-colored historic photograph of an apple orchard. A classic car is parked under an apple tree and several people are visible. Standing on the hood of the car, a person is visible in silhouette, climbing into the tree. A woman wearing a floral-patterned dress, stands on the back of the car and is reaching up to the apple tree’s limbs with both hands. A man dressed in a light shirt and dark pants stands on the ground behind her and the car. A child with short hair is visible walking in the background.

Caption

The Rosie family harvest apples in the Haas orchard on South Manitou Island. Look closely. Son Ronald Rosie uses the car to climb into the apple tree.

Dying Apple Tree (top right)

In the top right corner of the exhibit is a modern photo of a dying tree. The tree is split at the trunk and the limbs lean over to the right and rest on the ground.

Caption

Northern Spy make great pies. Many of the park’s heirloom apple trees are dying like this Northern Spy.

Apple Varieties (right)

On the right side of the exhibit, there are images of five different apple varieties. The apples are all shades of red and pink and range in size. The five apple varieties labeled from left to right are Wealthy, Chenango Strawberry, Ben Davis, Northern Spy, and Wolf River.

Caption

Scion wood, young shoots from apple trees, has been collected from heirloom varieties. The wood is grafted onto rootstock and planted in this tree nursery. When several years old, the saplings will be transplanted to other Port Oneida farms. These new orchards could last another 150 years.