Traffic whirls past the historic Hager Grove pear tree in Salem without a clue to the stories buried in the rings of its 150-plus-year-old trunk. The fact that it even stands is a miracle, at least in the mind of Maynard C. Drawson, tree lover, history buff and member of the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee. 'It had no right to remain any more than the others.' he says of the tree that flourished in the fertile valley before freeways, Home Depots and traffic lights took over. The orchard, planted by Benjamin Franklin Munkre in the mid-1800s, bordered a park and campground, where earlier in this century Salem families congregated for all sorts of social events. 'It used to be a big deal to have Sunday school gatherings, baptisms and picnics here,' recalls Drawson. 'There used to be a covered bridge right upstream,' he adds a bit wistfully. The Hager Grove pear 'is the biggest pear tree in the state of Oregon' says Drawson, who also lists it as the oldest. 'It's so healthy and so big, people think it's an oak.' --The Oregonian Newspaper, Homes and Gardens section, 14 October 1999. Of the pear cultivars available in the mid 1800's when the Hager Grove pear was planted, the early ripening season, small fruit size and shape suggest that this may be 'Dearborn' (also known as Dearborn's Seedling). Other small and early ripening pears available at the time include 'Bloodgood', 'Tyson', and 'Rostiezer', however only 'Dearborn' has a shape that matches that of the Hager Grove Pear. All 4 of these summer pears were offered by local Oregon nurseries in the mid 1800s (jp 05-2015).
Once a favorite, Dearborn is now nearly lost to cultivation, and few or no nurserymen grow the trees. It is too good a variety to be lost, however, because of splendid fruit- and tree-characters. The fruits ripen early and are of good quality, though hardly as richly flavored as those of Elizabeth which ripen at the same time. Unfortunately the pears run small, but they are attractive in shape and color. In season, the crop succeeds that of Bloodgood and precedes that of Bartlett. The trees are almost flawless, and therefore are well adapted to home orchards where fruits cannot receive the care of skilled hands. Besides being almost free from blight, the trees are hardy, vigorous, and very productive. The variety has many valuable qualities for a summer pear in home orchards.
This pear was found growing in a border of shrubs in 1818 at Brinley Place, Roxbury, Massachusetts, the home of General H. A. S. Dearborn, first president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In 1831, General Dearborn first exhibited fruit of the variety at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society where it was named Dearborn's Seedling in honor of the originator. This variety should not be confused with a pear raised by Van Mons of Belgium and named by him Dearborn. The Dearborn of Van Mons is larger and ripens later than the American Dearborn, and was long since taken from lists of pears recommended for cultivation in America. Dearborn was included in the American Pomological Society's first fruit catalog in 1848, where it was called Dearborn's Seedling. In 1883, the Society shortened the name to Dearborn. Since 1891, the name has failed to appear in the catalogs of this Society. -- U.P. Hedrick, 1921, The Pears of New York.