Frederick P. Vergon
Frederick P. Vergon, proprietor of Greenwood Farm, near Delaware, is one of the best known orchardists in the United States. He was born in the Department de Dieu, France, not far from the boundary line of Switzerland, December 16. 1829, and is a son of John G. and Elizabeth (Berlett) Vergon.
John G. Vergon was a native of the same French Canton, where he owned 11 acres of land, divided into 16 pieces. In 1834 he sold his little property and came to America, reaching Columbus from the East by the way of river and canal, and settled in Delaware County, Ohio, on the place now known as Greenwood Farm. Although the property was then wild and neglected. its purchase involved Mr. Vergon in debt, and he was further handicapped by bis ignorance of the English language. Thus it was remarkable that in a short time he had so bent circumstance to his will, through his native wit and ingenuity, that he was able to invest in 115 acres of land, a yoke of oxen, an old horse and a few cows. From that beginning he prospered continuous!y until his death. His fields became fertile and productive and his cattle and stock each year largelv increased. Although several years before his death he was afflicted with partial blindness, as long as he lived be retained his active mind and quick intelligence. Of his six children, two survive, namely: Margaret, who is the widow of Frederick Berlett. and resides in Troy Township; and Frederick P.
Frederick P. Vergon had few educational advantages in his boyhood but he made the most of those he had and he became very proficient in penmanship. This has been particularly noticed in the numerous contributions that he has made to horticultural publications during a period that covers many years. He was 26 years old when he took charge of the home farm and in 1852 he built the present brick residence. In partnership with his father, he bought 100 acres, then in the woods. and he has personally assisted in clearing 150 acres from the native forest. During his earlier years he drove an ox-team and did hauling, winter after winter. In 1873 he made Greenwood Lake, which is a body of water covering 25 acres, surrounded by a grove of 18 acres. It was a great undertaking, to convert this wild ravine into a lake and to surround the latter with 900 evergreen, besides the many deciduous trees.
With the assistance of his son. Mr. Vergon turned this favored spot into a pleasure ground, which they conducted together for many years, and he has always been proud of the fact that it was a resort that prospered without the sale of beer. During his long and busy life he has been interested in numerous enterprises, all of which have been successful, this being due to his excellent judgment and deliberate consideration of every business principle. He built an ice house on his grounds and there were two seasons when there was not a pound of ice in Delaware County except in his warehouses. In 1854 lie built his large barn. At that time he was a breeder of Shorthorn cattle and had to compete with Judge Jones and Chauncy Hills, who were two of the oldest breeders in Ohio, but he produced cattle that captured the prizes at the county fairs, despite their competition. In 1888 he disposed of his cattle and in the same year he set out the bulk of his apple orchards, which now cover more than fifty acres. At first he followed the usual methods of fruit culture. but he subsequently evolved the idea of a cold storage plant, and in the first year he made enough profit off his stored apples to pay for the buliding of the plant. He has made himself thoroughly acquainted with the apple business, and has been called upon to read scientific papers on the subject before the Ohio W'esleyan University at Delaware, the Ohio State University at Columbus, at the State Experimental Station and elsewhere.
Mr. Vergon married Kate A. Jones, who was born in Virginia, but who has resided at Delaware since she was 13 years of age. She is a second cousin to "Stonewall" Jackson, the renowned Confederate general. Of the seven children born, to Mr. and Mrs. Vergon, six reached maturity, namely : Frederick L.; Elizabeth; Hattie, who married Dr. A. E. Smith, president of the Northwestern University at Ada; Annie. who married George E. Warner, residing at Warren, Ohio; John G., residing in Troy Township; and James C, who is his father's partner, In politics Mr. Vergon is a Republican and attends his party's primaries, but he has always declined to accept nomination to office.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908