An early Lawrence business,1886.
A picture of the "Kansas Seed House," as owned and operated by Mr. Barteldes in 1886. Standing front and center is Mr. Barteldes, and Adam Carter is identified as the young man at far right. Mr. Barteldes was a prominent German-American in both Lawrence and Eudora, which he helped found before moving to Lawrence to begin his business in 1867. Beginning as a bakery where F. Barteldes first sold bread, cakes, candy, and small amounts of seeds, he was joined in 1874 by his nephew F.W. Barteldes, who was promptly put in charge of selling their goods. But as settlers had little money for luxury items - but always needed seeds - seeds crowded out all other articles and their soon-to-be thriving seed business was born. In 1876, they published their first catalogue, and had gained quite a favorable reputation. By the early 1940's, the Barteldes Seed Company (renamed from the Kansas Seed House when they incorporated in 1905) sold seeds to every state in the union and even South America.
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