D. Hill Nursery Co., Inc. was an evergreen nursery and wholesale plant supplier located in Dundee, Illinois, operating at least as early as 1880 and into the early twentieth century. The company marketed itself as the "Largest Growers in America" of evergreens and conducted a substantial wholesale trade with customers across the country. (Source: Catalogue of Evergreens (D. Hill Nursery Co., Dundee, Ill., c. 1895))
History
The nursery was founded and operated by D. Hill, who served as its president and is believed to have established the business in Dundee during the latter half of the nineteenth century. A catalog dated to 1880 survives, indicating the nursery was active well before its documented operations in the 1910s. By the Spring 1916 catalog — the primary surviving record — the business had incorporated as D. Hill Nursery Co., Inc. (Source: Catalogue of Evergreens (D. Hill Nursery Co., Dundee, Ill., c. 1895))
An advertisement placed by J. D. Hill, identified as an evergreen specialist in Dundee, Illinois, appeared in The Advocate (Topeka, Kansas) on February 17, 1897. The advertisement offered 100 best evergreen seedlings delivered free by mail for $1, and also solicited salespeople — with or without prior experience — by offering cash payment for setting up clubs or sales operations. This document confirms that a Hill-affiliated nursery operation in Dundee was actively marketing evergreen stock to a national audience as early as 1897, more than a decade before the 1916 catalog. The relationship between "J. D. Hill" as named in the 1897 advertisement and "D. Hill" as named in later company materials has not been confirmed by available sources; it is possible these refer to the same individual, or to related members of the same family. (Source: The Advocate (Topeka, Kan.), February 17, 1897, Image 16, Library of Congress, Chronicling America)
The nursery occupied ground in the Fox River Valley, described in company materials as well-drained, rich, and fertile soil well suited to nursery stock. Its situation in a Fox River Valley dairy district reportedly contributed to favorable growing conditions. The location placed it approximately 35 miles west of Chicago, in Kane County, accessible via the Galena Division of the Chicago & North Western Railway or by the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago (A.E. & C.) electric interurban line through Carpentersville. Visitors traveling from Chicago's Madison Street depot could reportedly reach the nursery in approximately one and a half hours. (Source: Catalogue of Evergreens (D. Hill Nursery Co., Dundee, Ill., c. 1895))
The company operated on a wholesale basis, offering trade pricing to customers with approved credit. Company policy as stated in the 1916 catalog included no additional charges for packing or delivery to the railway station — a notable selling point for distant buyers. (Source: Catalogue of Evergreens (D. Hill Nursery Co., Dundee, Ill., c. 1895))
On August 19, 1915, the nursery premises were inspected and certified by the Office of the Illinois State Entomologist, suggesting the company maintained compliance with state plant health standards expected of commercial nurseries of the period. (Source: Catalogue of Evergreens (D. Hill Nursery Co., Dundee, Ill., c. 1895))
Notable Associations
- D. Hill — President of D. Hill Nursery Co., Inc.; founder and principal operator of the nursery business in Dundee. Active as of 1916; earlier biographical details are not confirmed by available sources.
- J. D. Hill — Named in an 1897 advertisement in The Advocate (Topeka, Kansas) as an evergreen specialist operating in Dundee, Illinois. Offered mail-order evergreen seedlings and sales opportunities to a national audience. Whether J. D. Hill and D. Hill are the same individual or related family members has not been confirmed by available sources. (Source: The Advocate, February 17, 1897)
- Dundee, Illinois — The nursery was a commercial enterprise rooted in Dundee's agricultural landscape and contributed to the village's identity as a horticultural center.
- Carpentersville — Served as a transit connection point for customers arriving via the A.E. & C. electric interurban line en route to the nursery.
- Illinois State Entomologist — Inspected and certified the nursery in August 1915, reflecting state-level oversight of commercial plant operations during the Progressive Era.
Sources
- D. Hill's Catalogue, D. Hill Nursery, Dundee [Spring 1916 catalog, with references to operations dating to 1880]. Available via Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/dhillscatalogue00hillb
- The Advocate (Topeka, Kan.), February 17,