Henry A. Dreer ran a seedhouse in Philadelphia, Pa. He was the son of a German emigrant. In 1838, at the age of 20, Dreer started a seed store at 97 Chestnut St. Within a decade operations had expanded significantly and Dreer opened a larger store at 59 Chestnut St. From 1839 to 1850, his nurseries were at "The Woodlands." As business continued to grow, Dreer continued to move into larger stores at several Chestnut St. locales. In 1847, Dreer married Mary Leavenworth. Initially, she and later their baby daughter lived in Reading, Pa. The family settled in Philadelphia late in 1848.
Dreer's son, William F., entered the seed business at an early age. In 1868 and 1869, he was in Germany studying and working with seed producer, Benary. Upon his father's death in December, 1873, William took charge of the business. In 1892, he formed a corporation and permitted heads of departments to become stockholders. In 1924, he oversaw the company's move into an eight-story building at 1306 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia.
From the description of Letters, 1847-1848, 1868-1869. (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 84665643
