Hillenmeyer family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Hillenmeyer family papers
- Date
- 1818-2006, Bulk 1836-1966
- Extent
- 10.62 Cubic feet
- Subjects
- Advertising.
- Agricultural laborers--Photographs.
- Agricultural laws and legislation.
- Agricultural machinery and implements--United States--Photographs.
- Agriculture--Europe.
- Agriculture--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Agriculturists--Kentucky.
- Associations, institutions, etc.--United States
- Bills of sale.
- Business names--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Business records--Kentucky--Fayette County.
- Business records--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Businessmen--Correspondence.
- Businessmen--Kentucky.
- Catalogs.
- Catholic Church--United States--History.
- City planning--Kentucky--Lexington.
- College students--Kentucky--Lexington
- Deeds--Kentucky.
- Families--History--19th century.
- Families--Kentucky--History--19th century.
- Families--Photographs.
- Family archives--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Family farms
- Farm management--Kentucky--Records and correspondence.
- Farm produce
- Farms--Kentucky.
- Farms--Photographs.
- Historic farms--Kentucky.
- Horticulture--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Immigrants
- Labor disputes--Kentucky.
- Labor unions--Kentucky--Records and correspondence.
- Labor unions--Organizing
- Meteorology, Agricultural--Kentucky.
- Pamphlets.
- Photographs, Agricultural--United States
- Plants--Catalogs.
- Retail trade--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Universities and colleges--Kentucky--Lexington
- Video tapes.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject.
- Preferred Citation
- 1997MS213: [identification of item], Hillenmeyer family papers, 1818-2006, Bulk 1836-1966, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Hillenmeyer Nurseries began with Francis X. Hillenmeyer, a French nurseryman who came to the United States in the 1830s. Beginning his career in Savannah, Georgia as a gardener, Francis made his first order for nursery stock in 1840, ordering from the French nursery Baumann Brothers. This particular nursery not only consisted of Francis' cousins and uncle - it was where he had apprenticed as a young man to learn the nursery business. Francis later settled in the Lexington, Kentucky, area of Greendale (part of present-day Lexington, Kentucky, and where he remarked that the soil more closely resembled that of his home in Alsace, France) in 1844 with his growing family and bought his first tract of land in 1846. Francis used the twenty acres for test orchards, vineyards, and nursery plants.
- Francis' son Hector F. Hillenmeyer grew up working with his father, and took over the family business when he bought a hundred-acre plot in the nearby area of Sandersville, Kentucky, (part of present-day Lexington, Kentucky) in 1874. Hector maintained a vineyard and a peach orchard, and kept up with regular nursery stock, including newly popular landscaping elements like trees and shrubs. With transportation easing and extending during this period, Hector expanded the business to include clients outside of the direct Central Kentucky area. In addition to writing horticultural publications, Hector also kept detailed weather records. At one time in the late 1800s, Hector's records were the only such records being kept in the Lexington, Kentucky, area.
- The third generation in the business began in 1910, when Hector's youngest sons Louis and Walter took over. Louis and Walter continued the traditional elements of nursery stock (like fruit trees and plants), but also began to include ornamental and decorative trees and plants as well, in an enhanced emphasis on landscaping. The company's client base grew even more when the nursery began to sell through the Sears Roebuck and Co. catalog, as well as through their own catalogs, during the 1920s. This new practice, as well as Walter's involvement with the American Association of Nurserymen, spread the Hillenmeyer name across the country.
- Louis and Walter's partnership ended in 1935 with Walter's death; at this time, the two mens' sons joined the business. The company's fourth generation of Louis, Jr. and Walter, Jr. partnered with Louis, Sr. in 1936, during a time when American nurseries everywhere were about to go through major battles with labor issues and the National Labor Relations Board. In the late 1930s through the early 1940s, Hillenmeyer Nurseries went through a labor dispute of their own, while supporting other nurseries facing similar issues. In the realm of the business, this time also featured an even more decreased emphasis on fruit trees, and an increased emphasis on ornamental elements and landscaping. In 1951, the company moved into retail for the first time, opening its first Garden Center. The first Garden Center was located at the nursery's Sandersville location, but the nursery later opened several smaller Garden Centers in various locations around Lexington. In 1964, Walter, Jr. left the company, and Louis, Sr. and Louis, Jr. were joined by one of Louis, Sr.'s other sons, Robert. Louis, Sr. died in 1965, leaving Louis, Jr. and Robert with the company; Louis, Jr. died in 1982, leaving only Robert.
- In 1985, Robert sold the business to three of his nephews (Louis, Jr.'s sons): Louis, III, Christopher, and Stephen. The three brothers more than doubled the nursery's revenues over a six-year span: by 1991, they'd grown annual sales from $3 million a year to $7 million a year (Jordan, A8). Louis, III left the business in 1992 to start his own growing operation (Louis' Flower Power Shop), leaving Christopher and Stephen. Christopher took over production, growing, and greenhouses; Stephen concentrated on landscaping and lawn maintenance. Christopher formally left the company in 2000 (but continued to run at least two of the company's Garden Centers until 2005), leaving Stephen the sole owner.
- As of 2011, Hillenmeyer Nurseries exists as Stephen Hillenmeyer's Landscape Services, and the Hillenmeyer name still lives in Lexington garden shops, both permanent and seasonal. The Hillenmeyer family horticultural tradition continues into the future. Though not associated with his uncle's company, Louis, III's son Joseph Hillenmeyer runs his own landscape design company called Joseph Hillenmeyer and Associates. Stephen Hillenmeyer's son Chase Hillenmeyer joined his father's business in 2007, and is being trained to one day take the business into its sixth generation.
- Hillenmeyer Nurseries has been the second-oldest business in Lexington, Kentucky, (Jordan, A8) and according to the family, the second-oldest plant nursery business in the United States.
- Additionally, the Hillenmeyer land and property has some historical distinctions. The land first bought by Francis X. Hillenmeyer in 1846 was part of "Sanders' Garden," a piece of property owned by the family and descendants of Revolutionary War hero Colonel George Nicholas. Some of the land at Sandersville, as well as the office building, was also once owned and used by Robert Smith Todd, father of Mary Todd Lincoln and father-in-law of President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln is storied to have spent significant time at his father-in-law's office during his courtship with Mary Todd.
- Jordan, Jim. "Hillenmeyer Nurseries Turning 150 This Week." Lexington Herald-Leader, 14 Aug.1991: A8.
- "Lexington Landscaping History, Hillenmeyer Nursery History." Hillenmeyers.com. Stephen Hillenmeyer Landscaping Services, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
- This comprehensive biographical note focuses primarily on individuals from the Hillenmeyer family actually represented within this collection.
- First Generation: Francis Xavier Remigius Hillenmeyer was born October 1, 1804 in Alsace, France to parents Fortunatus and Kate (Nance) Hillenmeyer. Francis had at least four sisters (Kate, Jane, Maria, and Dominique), and at least one unidentified brother. Though Fortunatus was a tanner, his brother-in-law was one of the French Baumann brothers, known to be the leading horticulturalists of ninenteenth-century France. Through this family arrangement, Francis was given the opportunity of an apprenticeship with his uncles' nursery to learn the horticultural business.
- Francis first sailed to the United States in 1835, spending time in New York, Philadelphia, and in Texas (serving with Sam Houston's army) before settling in Savannah, Georgia. After a brief trip back to Alsace to marry Mary Caroline (Carrie) Haan in 1840, the couple returned to Savannah, where Francis established himself as a gardener. Francis and Carrie then moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1844. After buying his first piece of Lexington property in 1846, Francis' horticultural business began.
- Francis and Carrie had five children: Jane (b 1841), Carrie (b 1844), Catherine "Kate" (b 1845), Alfred (b 1848), and Hector (b 1849). Education was important to this early Hillenmeyer family, and all five children were sent to top schools in the region. After finishing school, Hector came back to Lexington to work with his father in the nursery business (mostly fruit growing at the time), before buying his own plantation in 1874. It was at this point that Hector Hillenmeyer took over the Hillenmeyer Nurseries family business. Francis Hillenmeyer died in 1894, four years after his wife Carrie.
- Second Generation: Hector Francis Hillenmeyer was born in Greendale (just outside of Lexington), Kentucky, on August 28, 1849 to parents Francis and Carrie Hillenmeyer. The children of a nurseryman, Hector and his four siblings grew up on a fruit-growing plantation, thus exposed to the business since birth. At age thirteen, Hector went off to St. Mary's College in Lebanon, Ohio, and returned to his father's nursery business after graduating from school in 1867. Hector bought his own land for a plantation in 1874 in the Sandersville area near Lexington, effectively taking over the family business from his aging father. Hector's era with Hillenmeyer Nurseries expanded the business out from mainly fruit to other nursery plants, as well as vineyards for wine-making.
- Hector married Cincinnatian Mary Ossenbeck (b 1856) in 1877, and the couple had six children: Herbert (b 1878), Ernest (b 1880), Raymond (b 1881), Mary "Maysie" (b 1883), Louis (b 1885), and Walter (1890). Though all six of Hector and Mary's children grew up immersed in the family business, it was Louis and Walter who became the next generation of Hillenmeyer Nurseries in 1910. Hector Hillenmeyer died on March 3, 1923; Mary Hillenmeyer followed ten years later, passing on February 27, 1933.
- Hector had relationships with his siblings, specifically his sister Carrie, who never married. Carrie lived with her parents for much of her life, before living with Hector and Mary's family until her death in 1934. Hector's sister Kate married Joseph Seep (b 1836) in 1866, who had recently become Standard Oil's Chief Oil Buyer. The couple settled in Titusville, Pennsylvania (the birthplace of America's oil industry), and had eleven children. Kate died in 1917; her husband in 1928. Hector's brother Alfred settled in Erie, Pennsylvania near Kate and Joseph Seep. Alfred and his wife Jennie "Eliza" had at least five children. The eldest sister, Mary Jane, married businessman William Harting in 1864. Remaining and well-known in Lexington, the couple had seven children. William died in 1887; Mary Jane in 1920.
- Related to his work with the nursery, Hector was also interested in weather, and kept detailed records of rainfall, temperatures, and other phenomena. This tradition was passed down to his sons, specifically Ernest and Louis, and these records of conditions at the nursery were kept from 1872 to 1953. These records can be found in Box 32.
- Third Generation: Herbert Francis Hillenmeyer was born on August 9, 1878, the first child of his parents Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer. Though his father and grandfather (and later, younger brothers) were distinguished in the horticultural and nursery business, Herbert took up theology, studying at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Hillenmeyer family was Catholic, and Herbert was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1902. Spending five years as assistant pastor at St. Mary's Cathedral in Covington, Kentucky; and six years as pastor at St. Joseph's Church in Winchester, Herbert became the secretary and chancellor of the Diocese of Covington in 1915. Herbert returned to the role of pastor at St. Thomas Church in Covington in 1925 until his retirement in 1968. The pastor received many honors within the Catholic church during his service, including being named Monsignor, Domestic Preate, Protonary Aspostoic, and Vicar General. As a Catholic priest, Herbert never married or had children, but was beloved by his many siblings, nieces, and nephews; as well as his communities and congregations. Herbert Hillenmeyer passed away in 1975.
- Ernest Bernard Hillenmeyer was born on January 6, 1880 to parents Hector and Mary. Beginning his professional career with his father's nursery business, Ernest later set out to establish a farm of his own in the Lexington area, where the chief crop was tobacco. He married Matilda Scott (1884-1971) in 1913, and the couple had at least three children: Eleanor (1914-1996), Ernest, Jr. (1924- ), and Mary (1926- ). Ernest Hillenmeyer died on May 12, 1963.
- Raymond Joseph Hillenmeyer was born December 10, 1881 to parents Hector and Mary; and died September 23, 1972.
- Mary "Maysie" Bernice Hillenmeyer was born September 27 1883, to parents Hector and Mary. She married Edward Thomas Houlihan (1886-1937) (of another large and prominent Kentucky family) in the early 1900s, and the couple had at least three sons: Edward (1913-1982), Robert (1918-1999), and Herbert (1920-?). Maysie Hillenmeyer died April 10, 1969. Maysie is referred to as "Masie" as the caption on her baby picture from the 1880s, but in all other instances, is referred to as "Maysie."
- Louis Edward Hillenmeyer was born November 22, 1885, to parents Hector and Mary. He excelled in sports at the University of Kentucky, particularly in baseball, and began working with his father's nursery business upon graduation in 1907. He and his younger brother Walter partnered in 1910 to run the nursery together full-time, Louis in control of the outdoor nursery operations. Louis continued to maintain Hillenmeyer Nurseries after Walter's death in 1935 with his son Louis, Jr., and his nephew Walter, Jr., Louis married Anna Bain (1886-1976) in 1912, and the couple had at least four children: Anna Bain (1913-2006), Louis, Jr. (1915-1982), Dorothy (1918-2008), and Robert (1921-1999). Louis Hillenmeyer died May 31, 1965.
- Walter William Hillenmeyer was born August 27, 1891, the last child of parents Hector and Mary. When he and his brother Louis took over the family nursery business in 1910, Walter maintained the office operations, beginning a rich tradition of correspondence. Walter became heavily involved with the American Association of Nurserymen, serving as Vice President for a time in the mid-1920s, and served as President from 1927-1928. Walter married Louisvillian Mary C. Reiling (1891-1955) in 1915, and the couple had at least four sons: Walter, Jr. (1917-1990), Herbert (1918-1996), Henry (1920-1945), and Donald (1922-1974). Walter Hillenmeyer died in 1935.
- Fourth Generation: Ernest Bernard Hillenmeyer, Jr. was born in 1924 to parents Ernest, Sr. and Matilda. Ernest is married to Ellen Parker, and as of 2011, still serves as a Deacon within the Catholic church in Maysville, Kentucky. Deacon Hillenmeyer donated several personal materials relating to his grandparents Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer from the estate of his father, Ernest, Sr., in 2006; and most of the materials related to his uncle, Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, in 2007.
- Louis Edward Hillenmeyer, Jr. was born August 7, 1915 to parents Louis, Sr. and Anna Bain. After attending the University of Kentucky, Louis, Jr. (with his cousin Walter, Jr.) went into the nursery business with Louis, Sr. after Walter, Sr.'s death in 1935, and stayed part of the business until his own death in 1982. Louis, Jr. was also involved with the American Association of Nurserymen, serving as President 1974-1975. Louis, Jr. married Martha Alexander (1917-1987), and the couple had at least eight children, including three sons who would later continue the nursery business: Louis, III (1944- ), Christopher (1954- ), and Stephen (1958- ).
- Robert "Bob" Hector Hillenmeyer was born July 10, 1921 to parents Louis, Sr. and Anna Bain. Entering the nursery business after a personal career, Robert joined his father and brother (Louis, Sr. and Louis, Jr.) after Walter, Jr. left the group in 1964. He stayed on with the nursery until 1982, when his three nephews (Louis, III, Christopher, and Stephen) took over the business. Robert married Eileen Sullivan, and the couple had at least three children. In 1991, the 150th anniversary of Hillenmeyer Nurseries, Robert donated the majority of this collection to University of Kentucky Special Collections. Robert Hillenmeyer died in 1999.
- Walter William Hillenmeyer, Jr. was born January 13, 1917 to parents Walter, Sr. and Mary. Walter, Jr. partnered with his cousin Louis, Jr. and uncle Louis, Sr. in the family nursery business after his father's death in 1935. Serving in World War II, a few of Walter, Jr.'s letters to his brother Herbert (also a solider) during this time appear in this collection. Walter, Jr. left the nursery company in 1964 to work with First Security National Bank and Trust Co., eventually becoming President (Davis, D3). Walter, Jr. married Frances Woods (1916-1981), and the couple had at least three children. Walter Hillenmeyer, Jr. died in 1990.
- Herbert Francis Hillenmeyer was born July 4, 1918 to parents Walter, Sr. and Mary. Herbert attended the University of Kentucky, where he excelled on the school's swimming team, and held a school record for the 150-meter relay at least until the late 1990s ("Player Bio: Maureen Hillenmeyer"). Herbert served in World War II, and wrote many letters to his fellow soldier and brother Walter, Jr., a few of which are present in this collection. Herbert married Marjorie Wood (1919-2002), and the couple had at least seven children. Herbert Hillenmeyer died in 1996.
- Henry "Henny" Reiling Hillenmeyer was born December 24, 1920, to parents Walter, Sr. and Mary. Henry attended the University of Kentucky, and was a storied athlete on the school's swimming and diving team. Henry married Lucy Carolyn Taylor (1921-2004), and the couple had one son, Henry Hillenmeyer, Jr. (1943- ). Henry served in the US military as an Army Captain, and was killed by an explosion in 1945 while stationed in Kunsan, Korea. The base where the explosion occurred was originally called Camp Iri, and later Camp Kunsan, but was renamed Camp Hillenmeyer in 1947 to honor Henry's memory (Kalani).
- Henry Hillenmeyer, Sr.'s grandson, Hunter Hillenmeyer (1980- ), has been an NFL football player since 2003 ("Hunter Hillenmeyer").
- Donald Joseph Hillenmeyer was born September 20, 1922, to parents Walter, Sr. and Mary. Donald attended the University of Kentucky, and like his brothers Herbert and Henry, excelled on the school's swimming team, as well as serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. After working with the family nursery for a time, Donald left in the 1950s to begin his own growing operation. Donald married Margaret Wharton, and the couple had at least four children. Donald Hillenmeyer died in 1974.
- Fifth Generation: Louis Francis Hillenmeyer, III was born October 20, 1944 to parents Louis, Jr. and Martha. Louis, III grew up working in his family's nursery business, and after attending the University of Kentucky, took over the business with his brothers Christopher and Stephen in 1985. Louis, III later sold his part of the company to his brothers in 1992 to run his own growing company, Louis' Flower Power Shop, which still operates in Lexington. Taking after his father and great uncle, Louis, III served as the American Association of Nurserymen President in 2000-2001. Louis, III married Betsy Boggs (1945- ), and the couple have at least three children.
- Christopher Day Hillenmeyer was born November 14, 1954 to parents Louis, Jr. and Martha. Christopher married Beverly O. Peel (1957- ), and the couple have at least four children. Christopher, along with his brothers Louis, III and Stephen, took the reigns of Hillenmeyer Nurseries in 1985, becoming secretary in charge of growing production (Jordan, A8). In 2000, Christopher sold his interest to his brother Stephen, but stayed on as the owner of the Nursery's main Garden Center on Sandersville Road until it closed in 2005 (Fortune, B1).
- Stephen F. Hillenmeyer was born January 31, 1958 to parents Louis, Jr. and Martha. Stephen, with his brothers Louis, III and Christopher took over the family nursery business in 1985, and Stephen's main area became landscaping and lawn maintenance (Jordan, A8). After both of his brothers had divested from the company by 2000, Stephen became the sole owner and proprietor of Hillenmeyer Nurseries. Stephen married Karen S. Murrell (1959- ), and the couple have at least two children. One of Stephen's sons, Stephen "Chase" Hillenmeyer (1984- ), joined the business after graduating from Miami University of Ohio in 2007, and according to Stephen, Chase is poised to one day take the company into its sixth generation (Yang, C1).
- Connelly, William Elsey and Ellis Merton Coulter. History of Kentucky, Volume 3.Washington, DC: The American Historical Society, 1922. Print.
- Davis, Merlene. "Fifth Generation Digs Into Hillenmeyer Nurseries." Lexington Herald-Leader, 7 Jan. 1985: D3.
- "Dean of Oil Men, Joseph Seep, Dies: Former Rockefeller Associate Succumbs After Month's Illness in His 90th Year." New York Times 1 April 1928: 17. Print.
- "Family Group." Rootsweb of Ancestry.com, 17 Oct. 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
- Fortune, Beverly. "Lofty Plans Made For Ex-Garden Center - Hillenmeyer Warehouse Would Be Converted Into Housing." Lexington Herald-Leader, 2 Jun. 2006: B1.
- "Genealogy, Family Trees, and Family History Records Online." Ancestry.com, 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
- "Hunter Hillenmeyer." Wikipedia.com. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
- Jordan, Jim. "Hillenmeyer Nurseries Turning 150 This Week." Lexington Herald-Leader, 14 Aug.1991: A8.
- Kalani. "Kunsan AB Vignette: Occupation Period (1945-1948) — Camp Hillenmeyer" RockDrop.com. Rock Drop: Korea from North to South, 5 Aug 2008. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
- "Lexington Landscaping History, Hillenmeyer Nursery History." Hillenmeyers.com. Stephen Hillenmeyer Landscaping Services, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
- Peter, Robert. History of Fayette County, Ky. Chicago: O.L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1882. Print.
- "Player Bio: Maureen Hillenmeyer." UND.com. University of Notre Dame, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
- Yang, Victor. "For these six dads, work and family are mutually inclusive." Lexington Herald-Leader, 22 June 2009: C1.
- Scope and Content
- The Hillenmeyer family papers are comprised of personal materials kept by members of the Hillenmeyer family of Lexington, Kentucky, as well as various records used to maintain their multi-generational family nursery business, Hillenmeyer Nurseries. Divided into four different series (Business Records, Family Records, Audio/Visual Materials, and Realia), the collection consists of various correspondence, both personally held and with nursery customers and colleagues; annually-produced nursery stock catalogs from 1878-1962; Hillenmeyer-produced and horticultural industry advertisements and literature; detailed Fayette County, Kentucky weather records spanning from 1872-1953; legal documents such as land deeds, wills, tax records, and citizenship papers; over 600 photographs depicting members of the Hillenmeyer family, the Hillenmeyer Nurseries' property, and the nursery's landscaping projects; and artifacts, including used soil bags, copper printing plates and blocks, and family awarded honors in the form of certificates and plaques.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Contents of the Collection
Business records, 1840-2006
Scope and Contents note
The Business records series consists of records that were used by the Hillenmeyer family and their associates to run Hillenmeyer Nurseries beginning in 1841. A large portion of these records are in the form of customer correspondence and bills and receipts. There is also a large amount of printed material, consisting of the nursery's stock catalogs (kept from 1878-1962) and material used to produce these catalogs, various nursery advertisements, media about Hillenmeyer nurseries, and horticultural literature. Another major part of this series is materials used and collected while the nursery was fighting various legal battles. These battles include a shipping dispute, new laws proposed for nurseries on fumigation and inspection, and a major labor dispute with the National Labor Relations Board involving Hillenmeyer Nurseries and all other major American nurseries. Hector Hillenmeyer's weather records and record books are present, as well as those later used by his sons Louis and Ernest. Finally, there are records present related to the American Association of Nurserymen during the time of Walter Hillenmeyer's tenue of Vice President in the 1920s. Much of these materials are correspondence with other AAN members on a variety of issues, especially regarding the AAN convention in Louisville in 1926; as well as various reports compiled and published by the organization.
General, 1840-1992
Scope and Contents note
The General subseries contains materials that fall out of the primary date range of the majority of the nursery business' records in this collection, but include correspondence, legal documents such as land deeds, and material used to maintain Hillenmeyer Nurseries over the course of its business life. Of note is the original invoice used by Francis Hillenmeyer to purchase his first nursery stock from Baumann Brothers Nursery in 1840.
Bank Books, 1918-1923, 1927-1935, 1940-1943
Business Correspondence and Receipts, 1842, 1877-1889, 1883, 1892,1896, 1907, 1914, undated
Business Correspondence and Receipts, 1925-1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1940
Business Ephemera, 1916-1919
Business Ephemera, undated
Business Materials, 1846-1847, undated
Business Materials, 1951-1952, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1992
Facsimile of Newspaper Ad and Explanatory Correspondence, 1845, 1983
- Box 15, Folder 8
Scope and Contents note
This is a personal ad placed by Francis and accompanying explanation of the ad.
Keeneland Association Stock, 1935-1936, 1940, 1951, 1954
Land Deeds, 1873, 1911, 1923, 1930, 1933, 1965
- Box 15, Folder 10
Scope and Contents note
Includes sale transfers of buildings from the Commonwealth Distillery Company; and the office building, which was once before owned by Henry Clay.
Order Sheets and Letterhead Inspiration, undated
Original Invoice of Nursery Stock, 1840
Bills and Receipts, 1921-1922
Scope and Contents note
The Bills and Receipts subseries is comprised of detailed records of Hillenmeyer Nurseries' customers' purchases, and regular correspondence regarding bills paid, and debts owed. These bills and receipts all come from the early 1920s, during the business tenure of Walter, Sr. and Louis, Sr.
This correspondence is organized first alphabetically by the customer's last or business name, and where applicable, chronologically by specific date. When the customer's original correspondence to the Hillenmeyers exists, it has been kept with the corresponding outgoing letter or receipt (presumably for context). Many of the copies of outgoing letters have been later photocopied, and when a photocopy existed, it was kept in the collection in place of the brittle original copy paper.
Bills and Receipts A, 1922
Bills and Receipts B-C, 1922
Bills and Receipts D-F, 1921, 1922
Bills and Receipts G-H, J, 1921, 1922
Bills and Receipts K-L, 1922
Bills and Receipts M-N, P, 1921, 1922
Bills and Receipts R-S, 1922
Bills and Receipts T-W, 1922
Customer Correspondence, 1916-1923
Scope and Contents note
The Customer Correspondence subseries consists of correspondence kept with Hillenmeyer Nurseries from 1916-1923, during the business tenure of Walter, Sr. and Louis, Sr. These letters include orders placed and requests for catalogs, advice about growing and keeping particular plants healthy, and complaints about failed plants or crops.
This correspondence is organized chronologically and then alphabetically by the customer's last or business name, and finally, where applicable, by specific date within the year grouping. When the customer's original correspondence to the Hillenmeyers exists, it has been kept with the corresponding outgoing letter (presumably for context). Many of the copies of outgoing letters have been photocopied, and when a photocopy existed, it was kept in the collection in place of the brittle original copy paper.
1916-1919, 1916-1919
Scope and Contents note
Customer Correspondence kept from 1916-1919 by Louis and Walter Hillenmeyer, Sr.
General, [1916-1918]
A, 1916-1918
B, 1916-1918
C-D, 1916-1918
E, 1916
F, 1916-1918
G, 1916-1918
H-J, 1916-1918
K, 1916-1919
L, 1916-1918
M, 1916-1918
N-O, 1916-1918
P, 1916-1918
R, 1916-1918
S, 1916-1918
T-V, 1916-1918
W, 1916-1919
1920-1921, 1920-1921
Scope and Contents note
Customer Correspondence kept from 1920-1921 by Louis and Walter Hillenmeyer, Sr.
A, 1921
B, 1920-1921
C, 1921
Central State Hospital, 1921
D, 1920-1921
Dixie View Farm, 1921
E-G, 1921
H, 1921
I-L, 1920-1921
M, 1921
N-Q, 1921
R, 1921
S, 1921
T-V, 1921
W, Y, 1921
1922-1923, 1922-1923
Scope and Contents note
Customer Correspondence kept from 1922-1923 by Louis and Walter Hillenmeyer, Sr.
A-B, 1922
C, 1922
D, 1922
E-F, 1922
G, 1922
H, 1922
I-J, 1922
K-L, 1922
M, 1922
N-O, 1922
P,R, 1922
S, 1922
T-W, Y-Z, 1922
Customer Correspondence, 1923
Printed Material, 1878-1975
Scope and Contents note
The Printed Material subseries consists of material produced and compiled by Hillenmeyer Nurseries. It includes a range of catalogs spanning much of the nursery's lifespan (as well as collections of book-bound catalogs, four of which were given to Louis, Jr. from his father Louis, Sr. for Christmas in 1943), correspondence with publishers regarding the production of catalogs, advertisements and promotional materials produced by the Hillenmeyers and other nurseries, horticultural writing, and published media about Hillenmeyer Nurseries.
Catalogs, 1878-1962
Scope and Contents note
The Catalogs subseries includes a nursery catalog produced every year from the late 1870s to the early 1960s, which was mailed to the nursery's customers, providing an updated price and product list related to the available nursery stock. These catalogs begin as printed text on folded paper, and gradually grow to full-color publications with pictures, illustrations, and information about the family and the business. The catalog produced for the nursery's 100th anniversary, in 1941, is the basis for the entirety of the series of copper printing plates in this collection.
Some catalogs were individually bound and were kept with the bulk collection. In 1943, Louis, Sr. bound copies of each of the catalogs up until the present year in multiple-issue books, and gave them to his son Louis, Jr. for Christmas of that year (according to the note written in each of the books).
Catalogs, 1878-1879, 1890, 1894-1895, 1901-1904, 1908-1909, 1911-1912, undated
Catalogs, 1912-1924
Catalogs, 1924-1929
Catalogs, 1930-1937
Catalogs, 1937-1941
Catalogs, 1942-1950
Catalogs, 1950-1962
Multiple-Issue-Bound Catalogs, 1895-1912, 1943
- Box 24, Folder 1
Scope and Contents note
The 1943 date refers to the note written in book, when it was given as a gift.
Multiple-Issue-Bound Catalogs, 1912-1917, 1943
- Box 24, Folder 2
Scope and Contents note
The 1943 date refers to the note written in book, when it was given as a gift.
Multiple-Issue-Bound Catalogs, 1916-1923, 1943
- Box 24, Folder 3
Scope and Contents note
The 1943 date refers to the note written in book, when it was given as a gift.
Multiple-Issue-Bound Catalogs, 1924-1941, 1943
- Box 24, Folder 4
Scope and Contents note
The 1943 date refers to the note written in book, when it was given as a gift.
Single-Issue-Bound Catalog, 1952-1953
Single-Issue-Bound Catalogs, 1955-1958
Single-Issue-Bound Catalogs, 1958-1961
Catalog Planning and Preparations, 1926-1930
Scope and Contents note
The Catalog Planning and Preparations subseries contains correspondence with the catalog's publisher L.W. Ramsey, as well as various mockups, drafts, and layouts.
100th Anniversary Catalog Front Cover Proof on Copper Plate Wrapping, 1941
Catalog Copy and Images, undated
Catalog Inspiration and Material, 1928-1930, undated
Correspondence about Catalogs, 1926-1928
Correspondence with L.W. Ramsey about Catalog, 1930
Photographs from Poster and Remaining Poster, undated
- Box 26, Folder 6
Scope and Contents note
These photos of aerial nursery views were gathered together on a poster for laying out a composite image to be used in one of the Hillenmeyer Nurseries catalogs. They have been removed from the poster for better preservation. The poster has been labeled with the photos' numbers to help maintain original order.
Advertisements, 1918-1959
Scope and Contents note
The Advertisements subseries contains ads produced by Hillenmeyer Nurseries (including specific Christmas ads, and educational gardening pamphlets), as well as ads from other major nurseries.
General Hillenmeyer Advertisements, 1959, undated
Advertisements and Ephemera from Other Nurseries, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1928, undated
Educational and Promotional Material by Hillenmeyer Nurseries, 1927, 1930, 1934, 1954, undated
Hillenmeyer Christmas Promotional Materials, 1951, 1953, undated
Price Lists and Catalog Supplements, 1922, 1933, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1962-1963, 1991, undated
Writing and Literature, 1905-1975
Scope and Contents note
The Writing and Literature subseries consists of literature produced by the Hillenmeyers and other horticultural figures on topics related to nurseries and planting. Of particular note is "Leguminosae," an encyclopedia-like document hand-written and drawn by Louis Hillenmeyer, Sr. in 1905 on the subject of the legume family. There are also several industry magazines featuring interviews or articles about Hillenmeyer Nurseries.
Correspondence Interview and Resulting Magazine with Article about Hillenmeyer Nurseries, 1961-1962
Hillenmeyer Garden News Newsletters, 1954, 1956-1958, 1963
Horticultural Writing by Hillenmeyers, 1911, 1922, 1924, undated
"Leguminosae" by L. E. Hillenmeyer, 1905
- Box 27, Folder 8
Scope and Contents note
Hand-written and hand-drawn encyclopedia-like manual about plants and legumes.
Magazines Featuring Articles about Hillenmeyers, 1931, 1955, 1958, 1962, 1975
Professional Horticulture Literature, 1923-1924, 1933, 1939, 1940, undated
Nursery Cases and Disputes, 1916-1942
Scope and Contents note
The Nursery Cases and Disputes subseries consists of records of legal disputes and battles involving Hillenmeyer Nurseries over the years. The records begin in 1916 with correspondence and documents with a Dutch company, Ottolander and Hooftman, regarding payment for an incorrectly-received shipment of nursery stock; as well as documents used to fight a proposed national bill to institute harsher inspection and fumigation requirements for farms and nurseries. The remaining materials relate to the labor battles fought by many American nurseries in the late 1930s and early 1940s, including correspondence between the National Labor Relations Board and Hillenmeyer Nurseries regarding a union strike; correspondence with other American Association of Nurserymen nurseries in support of the Stark Brothers Nursery in Missouri, who the Hillenmeyers felt had been made a test case for further nursery labor disputes. The Hillenmeyers also collected related documents during this period, as well as hand-held copies of laws.
Inspection and Fumigation Bills, 1916, 1918
Ottolander and Hooftman Shipping Dispute, 1916-1918
Labor and Wage Decisions, 1938-1963
Labor Decisions: Nursery as Agriculture, 1938-1942
Labor Disputes/Hillenmeyer Strike, 1938-1941
Labor Dispute/Beginning of Stark Case, 1941-1942
Legal and Tax References, 1939-1944
Legal Materials Sent from Richard White, 1937-1941
Stark Case Fund, 1942
Weather Books and Reports, 1872-2006
Scope and Contents note
The Weather Books and Reports subseries consists of records first kept by Hector Hillenmeyer to keep track of weather patterns in Fayette County. They include accounts of variables like temperature, rain or snowfall, and any other particularly interesting weather occurrences. Hector's records begin in 1872-1873, and after picking back up again in 1880, span the rest of Hector's lifetime (until his death in 1923). Hector's sons Louis and Ernest continued keeping such records until at least 1953, using their own record books.
Hector also wrote a weather column for the newspaper Lexington Leader in the early twentieth century, and for a span of time in the late nineteenth century, his weather records were the only such records in existence in Fayette County.
Locations of Lexington Weather Bureau, 1876-1971
Meteorological Summaries, 1912, 1918-1923
"The Weather in Kentucky!" by Hector Hillenmeyer and transcription by Ernest Hillenmeyer, Jr., undated, 2006
- Box 32, Folder 3
Scope and Contents note
The original piece is undated, but the transcription by Ernest, Jr. is from 2006.
Weather Charts, 1880-1921
Weather Record Book, 1872-1873
Weather Record Book, 1879-1926
Weather Record Book by Ernest Hillenmeyer, Sr., 1926-1952
Weather Record Book by Louis Hillenmeyer, Sr., 1931-1953
American Association of Nurserymen records, 1916-1933
Scope and Contents note
The American Association of Nurserymen records consist of materials kept primarily by Walter Hillenmeyer, Sr. during his tenure as the organization's Vice President in the 1920s. These records are comprised mostly of correspondence with the group's members from all over the country on a variety of issues related to the nursery business, including legal cases and the proposed founding of a horticultural identification school. There is also a large portion of correspondence and documents related to the planning and implementation of the group's 1926 convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
Walter later served as the American Association of Nurserymen President from 1927-1928; Louis, Jr. served as President from 1974-1975; and Louis, III became the group's (then called the American Nursery and Landscape Association) first third-generation President, serving from 2000-2001 (Piggott).
Piggott, Erica. "Hillenmeyer Elected ANLA President" ANLA.org. ANLA, 24 Aug. 2000. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.
General Correspondence A-C, 1924-1929
General Correspondence D, 1925-1926
General Correspondence F-H, J-L, 1925-1927
General Correspondence M, 1925-1927
General Correspondence N, P, 1925-1927
General Correspondence S, 1925-1927
General Correspondence U, W, 1925-1926
General Writing and Documents, 1918, 1923-1926
Correspondence Regarding Shaw Identification School, 1926-1927
Correspondence Regarding Southern Nursery Chattin Case, 1926
Credit and Collection Bureau Notification Sheets, 1916-1918
Louisville Convention Correspondence, 1925
Louisville Convention Correspondence and Documents, 1926
Secretary and Traffic Manager's Reports, 1925-1926
American Association of Nurserymen - The Bulletin, 1917-1918, 1933
Family papers, 1818-2002
Scope and Contents note
The Family papers are the personal materials of members of the Hillenmeyer family in this collection. They are separated by topic into subseries, relating to particular generations or members of the family (Francis Xavier, Hector and Mary, and Monsignor Herbert), as well as one subseries of general family material. Each subseries contains correspondence, legal documents, receipts, and ledgers.
General, 1818-1991
Scope and Contents note
The General subseries contains materials related to the Hillenmeyer family's personal relationships, both within and outside the family, but yet, don't fit with the more specific realms of materials related to Francis, Hector, or Herbert. Included is correspondence, copies made of maps, ephemera of the period (such as a pocket-size US Constitution), and a collection of written histories of the Hillenmeyer family and their properties, taken from published books, newspaper articles, correspondence and the family's original writing. There is also correspondence between fourth-generation brothers Herbert and Walter, Jr. while they were serving abroad during World War II.
Card from Julia and Matt Darnell, undated
Northern France and Fayette County maps (photocopies), 1912, undated
Walter, Jr. and Herbert correspondence, 1943-1944, 1987, 1991
Elizabeth "Betty" Simpson correspondence, 1870, 1873
Kentucky Nurserymen's Association Convention Programs, 1927, 1961
Invitation to Hillenmeyer Nurseries' 125th Anniversary Party, with checklist on back, 1966
Lexington Quotations, undated
Louis and Walter, Sr., and Anna Bain Hillenmeyer material, 1922, 1947
Pocket United States Constitution from Constitution Week Celebration, 1923
Promissory Note from Sanders' Manufacturing Co., and Corresponding Letter from E.I. Thompson to Robert Hillenmeyer, 1818, undated
Written accounts of Hillenmeyer family history, [1880], 1915, [1920s], [1939-1940], 1941, 1962
Francis Xavier Hillenmeyer, 1836-1892
Scope and Contents note
The Francis Xavier Hillenmeyer subseries consists of materials from Francis's personal life: including correspondence with his remaining family in Europe, correspondence with gardening clients in Savannah, a French passport, his certificate of apprenticeship from the Baumann Brothers, his certificate of American citizenship, the land indenture from the first-bought family Kentucky land, and personal receipts for all sorts of services and endeavors. Much of the correspondence in this subseries is in French and German. Some letters have been previously translated, and include a translation clipped to the original letter. Further foreign-language or otherwise unreadable correspondence has been collected into its own folder. This subseries contains several historically significant items, such as an order placed by John C. Breckinridge (who later became Vice President of the United States), found in Folder 2; and two receipts for the purchase of slaves, found in Folder 3.
General correspondence, undated
General correspondence, 1840-1852, 1860-1869, 1872, 1874
General correspondence, 1842, 1846, 1851-1852, 1865-1866
- Box 34, Folder 9
Scope and Contents note
This folder contains letters written in French and German that have not been translated. In addition, some of the letter are illegible due to age.
General receipts, 1841-1861, 1865, 1867, 1870, 1887-1888
Bank Notes, 1857-1858, 1871-1873, 1880-1881, 1892-1893
Correspondence with brother at St. John's College, 1850-1852
Correspondence with cousins, 1840-1841, 1851
Correspondence with family in Europe, 1843, 1850-1851, undated
County, State, and IRS tax receipts and documents, 1846-1891
Indenture for land to Francis Hillenmeyer from John and Mary McCauley, 1846
Newspaper, post office, and delivery receipts, 1852-1891
Personal documents and ephemera, 1836, 1840-1843, 1851, 1891
Rent receipts from Savannah, Georgia, 1841-1843
Receipts for children's education costs, 1854-1861, 1863-1865
Certificate of Apprenticeship from Baumann Brothers, 1836
Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer and Siblings, [1860s]-1933
Scope and Contents note
The Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer and Siblings subseries contains materials that were kept and used in Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer's household, including receipts, checkbooks, ledgers, and documents related to the Hillenmeyer estate. Hector's sister Carrie lived with the family for some time, and her legal documents and correspondence are also represented, as well as legal agreements between Hector and his brother Alfred and brother-in-law Joseph Seep.
Carrie Hillenmeyer papers, [1860s], 1887-1896, 1914, 1926-1932
Kate and Joseph Seep, and Alfred and Jennie Hillenmeyer papers, 1864-1865
Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer IRS estate taxes, 1932 March - 1926 February
Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer family trusts, stocks, and estate papers, 1885, 1922-1933
Editorial about Hector Hillenmeyer's death, 1923
Ernest Hillenmeyer's checkbook for care of his mother, Mary, 1932-1933
Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer's taxes, receipts, and utilities contracts, 1871-1877, 1880, 1908, 1915, 1921, 1925
Hector Hillenmeyer's ledger, 1895-1916
Hector Hillenmeyer's original writing, 1864
Hector Hillenmeyer letter to Jno. G. Stoll, Esq., 1924
Mary Hillenmeyer's checkbook, 1932 November 3-1933 February 18
Mary Hillenmeyer's ledger, 1924-1933
"Hillenmeyer and Seep to James A. Headley", 1894
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1902-2002
Scope and Contents note
The Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer subseries contains materials related to Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer's life and career as a Catholic priest. Included are church materials, correspondence with Herbert's siblings, and press about Herbert. Also present is correspondence planning to establish a memorial scholarship fund and lecture series in Monsignor Hillenmeyer's name at Thomas More College; as well as Herbert's personal writing, including a travel diary from a trip to Rome and the Vatican, short biographical memoirs of his parents, siblings, childhood in general, and rise to adulthood in his career.
Church materials and programs, 1902, 1949, 1952, 1962, 1968, 1975, 2002
Monsignor Hillenmeyer Lecture Series and Scholarship Fund at Thomas More College, 1972, 1974, 1986, 1994-1995
Correspondence regarding Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1968-1970, 1975-1976, 1990
Correspondence with Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1934, 1969-1974
Research and writing by Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1929, 1969-1972
Writing and press about Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1902, 1926, 1968, 1971, 1975
Audio-Visual, [1880s]-2003
Scope and Contents note
The Audio-Visual series consists of hundreds of photographs and videotapes depicting a roundtable with the Hillenmeyer family during the nursery's 150th anniversary in 1991. The photographs in this series range from personal portraits to scenes of nursery life, including a large amount of residential landscaping photographs, as well as various trees, plants, and nursery property images.
Photographs, [1880s]-2003
Scope and Contents note
The Photographs subseries features hundreds of photographs from all aspects of life surrounding the Hillenmeyer family. The bulk of the photographs document the nurseries' residential landscaping projects, images of various plants, and scenes from the nursery grounds and employees. There are a smaller number of photographs of members of the Hillenmeyer family, particularly of Hector and his wife Mary, and their children.
The photographs labeled "Photos from Frames" were taken from an envelope of the same title.
Residential Landscaping, undated
- Box 12, Item 2
- Box 6, Item 1-20
- Box 9, Item 1-56
- Box 4, Item 1-73
- Box 5, Item 1-80
- Box 1, Item 1-60
- Box 2, Item 1-15
Residential Landscaping - Jos. Harting, undated
Residential Landscaping - Stevens, undated
Residential Landscaping - 337 Desha Road, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Bluegrass Sanatorium, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Desha and Fincastle, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Desha and Ghent, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Gratz Park, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Irvine Road, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Les McCormick, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Mrs. Jas C. Stone, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Mrs. L.B. Mitchell, 210 Hancock St., Henderson, undated
Residential Landscaping - South Hanover, 1925
Residential Landscaping - Lyndhurst Apartments, Kalmia Ave, undated
Residential Landscaping - Richmond Road, undated
Governor's Mansion Landscaping, undated
Henry Clay Monument Landscaping, undated
Spindletop Landscaping, undated
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields, undated
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields, 1933
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields - Norway Maples, undated
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields - Hemlock, undated
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields - Coldstream Farm Road to Mansion, 1925
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields - Ginko Tree, Good Samaritan Yard, 1925
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields - Walnut Hall Farm, 1925
Views of Shrubs, Trees, Fields - Ulurus Americana "Rex", 1934
Garden Centers, undated
Garden Centers, 1960
Garden Centers, 1990
Aerial Views of Nursery Grounds, 1953
Nursery Grounds, undated
Nursery Grounds - Boys, undated
Nursery Grounds - Employees, undated
Nursery Grounds - Truck, undated
Nursey Nativity Scene, undated
Nursery Office, undated
Nursery Office - Mounted Print, undated
Nursery Office and Warehouse, undated
Nursery Office and Warehouse, 1925
Nursery Warehouse, undated
Catalog - Employees, undated
Catalog - Equipment and Employees, undated
Catalog - Francis Hillenmeyer, undated
Catalog - Hector Hillenmeyer, undated
Catalog - Hillenmeyer Children, Fourth Generation - "Our Best Row of Nursery Stock", [1925]
Catalog - Residence of H.F. Hillenmeyer, undated
Catalog - "Uncle Billy" Jones, 1941
Transplant Posters, undated
125th Anniversary Party, 1966
Album, 1968
- Box 11, Item 23-49
Scope and Contents note
These photos (Box 11, Items 23-49) were removed from a photo album, for preservation purposes. They depict the Hillenmeyers' 125th Anniversary Party, and include photos of the fifth generation of Hillenmeyer children.
Negative - Nursery Office, 1938
Negative - Nursery Truck, 1938
Negative - Residential Landscaping, undated
Negative - Residential Landscaping, 1938
Negative - Residential Landscaping, 1939
Negative - Residential Landscaping, 1940
Negative - Cemetary Landscaping, 1939
Negative - Unknown Couple, undated
Donald Hillenmeyer, [1940s-1950s]
Ernest Hillenmeyer, [1884]
Ernest Hillenmeyer, [1890s]
Francis Hillenmeyer with two men, undated
[Hector Hillenmeyer], undated
Hector Hillenmeyer, [1894]
Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer, undated
Hector and Mary Hillenmeyer, 1922
Herbert Hillenmeyer, [1884]
Herbert Hillenmeyer and Joseph Seep, 1923
Hillenmeyer Children, Fourth Generation: Robert, Dorothy Crutcher, Louis, Jr., Anna Bain, Walter, Jr., Herbert, Henry, and Donald, [1925, 1926]
Hillenmeyer Group - Sound of Music Performance, 1968
Hillenmeyer Group - Reunion at Keeneland, 2003
Hillenmeyer Group, [1970s-1980s]
Louis Hillenmeyer, Jr. presenting engraved bowl, [1979]
Louis Hillenmeyer, Jr. with fourteen men in tuxedos, [1979]
Mary "Maysie" Hillenmeyer, [1884]
Mary Hillenmeyer, undated
Mary Hillenmeyer, [1880s-1890s]
Mary Hillenmeyer, [1894]
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1924-1925
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, [1920s]
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, [1930s-1940s]
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, 1972
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer, [1970s]
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer in church service, undated
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer with church officials, undated
Monsignor Herbert Hillenmeyer with nun, [1970s]
Margaret Ossenbeck, undated
Catherine "Kate" Seep, undated
Josephine Seep, [1880s-1890s]
Group of men and women in front of boats, undated
Man holding hat, undated
R.P. Gilbert, undated
Two men standing in front of pond and field, undated
"Uncle Billy" Jones, undated
Photos from Frames - Francis Hillenmeyer, drawing, undated
Photos from Frames - Hector Hillenmeyer, drawing, undated
Photos from Frames - Louis Hillenmeyer, undated
Photos from Frames - Louis Hillenmeyer, Jr., drawing, undated
Photos from Frames - Robert Hillenmeyer, drawing, undated
Photos from Frames - Walter Hillenmeyer, drawing, undated
Photos from Frames - Walter Hillenmeyer, Jr., drawing, undated
Photos from Frames - Calumet Landscaping, undated
Photos from Frames - Garden Center, undated
Photos from Frames - Garden Center, South, undated
Photos from Frames - Henry Clay Monument, undated
Photos from Frames - Hillenmeyer Nurseries Receives Certificate of Merit, undated
Photos from Frames - Hillenmeyer Truck Outside Lexington Leader Office, 1930
Photos from Frames - Landscape Plan, Photo by B.F. Conigsky, undated
Photos from Frames - Landscaping, undated
Photos from Frames - Louis Hillenmeyer, Jr Receives Award from Mrs. Richard Nixon, [1977]
Photos from Frames - Residential Landscaping, Dr. Rufus Alley, Burrow Road, undated
Photos from Frames - Residential Landscaping, Richmond Road, undated
Photos from Frames - Spindletop Farm, undated
Photos from Frames - Urban Landscaping, 1971
Unidentified, undated
Album - Landscaping, Nursery Grounds, and Stock, undated
Envelopes and receipts, 1938-1940
Scrapbook - clippings, correspondence, images, 1957-1977
- Box 13, Folder 4
Scope and Contents note
These items were removed from a scrapbook for preservation purposes.
Videotapes, 1991
Scope and Contents note
The Videotapes subseries consists of three VHS tapes of a roundtable with the Hillenmeyer family, from the year of the nursery's 150th anniversary, 1991.
Videotapes (VHS)-Round Table:The Hillenmeyer Collection, 1991 October
Realia, 1941-1991
Scope and Contents note
The Realia series consists of artifacts present with the collection, including an engraved pocket knife, a grocery label, soil bags used by the nursery, a collection of copper printing plates that were used to produce the Hillenmeyer Nurseries' 100th anniversary catalog in 1941, and certificates and plaques presented to the nursery or members of the Hillenmeyer family throughout the years.
General, 1991, undated
Scope and Contents note
The General subseries consists of three artifacts present within the Hillenmeyer family papers. The first artifact is a golden, engraved pocket knife, which celebrates the nursery's 150th anniversary in 1991. The second is a "Country Skillet Frying Chickens" grocery label. The third is a large map of the Southeastern (though showing as north as Lake Erie and as west as present-day Texas) as it was in 1718, written in French. Its place in this collection suggests it was maybe used and kept by Francis Hillenmeyer as he immigrated from France to the United States in 1835.
Pocket Knife, 1991
Country Skillet Frying Chickens label, undated
Map of Southeastern America as of 1718, written in French, undated
- Case 6, Drawer 2
Scope and Contents note
The map portrays the land of America as it appeared in 1718, as north as Lake Erie and as west as present-day Texas. Though the date 1718 does appear, the map's paper and condition suggest that it is not actually that old, and is otherwise undated.
Soil Bags, 1991
Scope and Contents note
The Soil Bags subseries consists of nine soil bags which were custom-designed for Hillenmeyer Nurseries, and used to sell soil, fertilizer, and plant feed to customers. No visible soil remains, but as there is a definite soil smell lingering, they have been wrapped together and boxed to separate them from the rest of the collection.
Hillenmeyer Nurseries' Soil Bags, 1991
Copper Printing Plates, 1941
Scope and Contents note
The Copper Printing Plates subseries is made up of several of the plates that were used to produce the 100th Anniversary edition of the Hillenmeyer Nursies annual catalog in 1941. Included are page-size cuts of the front cover, as well as smaller blocks of individual photographs (like Hillenmeyer portraits, views of the nursery grounds, and various important documents) and page print elements.
Generational Portraits - Hector and Francis, Walter, Sr. and Louis, Sr., Fourth Generation Children, 1941
Aerial Views of the Hillenmeyer Nurseries, 1941
Copy of Original Invoice of Nursery Stock, 1941
Front Cover, 1941
Front Cover - Red Print Elements, 1941
Front Cover - Yellow Print Elements, 1941
Front Cover - Black Print Elements, 1941
Inside Front Cover, 1941
Nursery Equipment and Employees, 1941
Aerial View of Julius Marks Sanatorium, 1941
Residence of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wile, Barrow Rd., 1941
John C. Breckinridge note, 1941
John C. Breckinridge, 1941
"Hillenmeyer" Engraved Plate, 1941
"Uncle Billy" Jones - Oldest Employee, 1941
Walter Hillenmeyer, Jr., 1941
Louis Hillenmeyer, Jr., 1941
Nursery Office, 1941
Louis Hillenmeyer, Sr., 1941
Nursery Warehouse, 1941
Hector Hillenmeyer, 1941
Francis Hillenmeyer's Certificate of Apprenticeship, 1941
"Six Veterans" - Employees, 1941
"Nine Old Men" - Employees, 1941
"100 Years" - Page Headers, 1941
Certificates, 1971-1981
Scope and Contents note
The Certificates subseries consists of certificates presented to Hillenmeyer Nurseries, and individual members of the family. Included are two certificates for national awards, signed and presented by First Lady Thelma "Pat" Nixon (1971), and First Lady Nancy Reagan (1981); as well as a certificate presented to Louis, Sr., Louis, Jr., Walter, Jr., and Robert Hillenmeyer by the University of Kentucky Alumni Association.
Most of these certificates were originally in frames, but have been removed from their frames for preservation purposes.
Certificates presented to Hillenmeyer Nurseries, 1971, 1974, 1981
- Box 40, Folder 5
Scope and Contents note
Two of these certificates were presented and signed by First Lady Nixon and First Lady Reagan.
Certificate given to Louis, Louis, Jr., Walter, Jr., and Robert by the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, undated
Plaques, 1974, 1989
Scope and Contents note
The Plaques subseries consists of two plaques presented to Hillenmeyer Nurseries in 1974 and 1989.
Plaques, 1974, 1989
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
