William Saunders (botanist)
William Saunders (December 7, 1822 – September 11, 1900)[1] was a horticulturist, landscape designer and nurseryman. During his long career, Saunders designed the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg, planned and developed the Washington DC park system, authored hundreds of articles on horticulture and introduced numerous plant species into the United States, significantly impacting the nation's agricultural economy. He was one of the first landscape architects to be employed by the federal government and spent thirty-eight years working for the US Department of Agriculture. He was also one of the founders of the National Grange, or Patrons of Husbandry.[1]
Early life[edit]
William Saunders was born on December 7, 1822, in St. Andrews, Scotland. In 1834 he started at Madras College in St. Andrews where he planned to study for the ministry of the Church of Scotland but became interested in horticulture and landscape gardening. He studied horticulture at the University of Edinburgh and then undertook practical horticultural training at Kew Gardens. He also worked as an apprentice gardener on several large estates in London.[2] Saunders married Martha Mildwaters in 1848 and emigrated to the United States. He became an American citizen in 1857.[1]
Saunders first worked as a gardener on the estate of William Bostwick in New Haven, Connecticut. In the 1850s he moved to Baltimore, Maryland and was employed on the estate of Johns Hopkins. Hopkins' 400-acre estate was one of the largest country places in America. In addition to managing the estate farm, Saunders designed landscape features including large lakes and various flower gardens.
At this time, Saunders also began to write articles on horticultural topics which were published in the leading horticultural journals including The Horticulturalist, Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture, The Farmer and Gardener, and The Philadelphia Florist.[2] Many of his contributions provided practical advice on the propagation of fruit trees and grape vines.[1]
In 1854 Saunders established a partnership with the distinguished horticulturalist, Thomas Meehan, whom he had met while working together at Kew Gardens. In addition to establishing a nursery, Saunders and Meehan collaborated on several public park projects, cemeteries, and residential site plans. Saunders' cemetery designs included Rose Hill Cemetery in Chicago and Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. He also developed plans for cemeteries in Perth Amboy and Rahway, New Jersey, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.[1]
During his lifetime Saunders published hundreds of articles on horticulture, agriculture, and landscape design.[1] Some of his works include:
Kaplan, J. Kim (2013). . Agricultural Research. 61 (8). US Department of Agriculture: 12–15.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"William Saunders: A Monumental Figure in USDA"
Rainey, Reuben (1995). . In Birnbaum, Charles A. (ed.). Pioneers of American Landscape Design II: An Annotated Bibliography. U.S. Department of the Interior. pp. 132–137. ISBN 0-16-048060-4.