West Lyndonville a century ago was a hotbed for dahlia flowers

Bruce Burch (sporting dahlias on his lapel), Harry Hillman (center) and Norma Wheeler photographed in 1928 with the West Lyndonville Dahlia Gardens sign.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 18

LYNDONVILLE – It never ceases to amaze us how random photographs can survive and surface after many years to give us a tantalizing glimpse into a moment in time.  Naturally this happy photograph caught our attention. And, wonder of wonders, it was dated and the and the subjects were identified.

But Dahlia Gardens? West Lyndonville??

West Lyndonville was at one time recognized as a distinct area.

For some years, a local correspondent contributed news of area milestones and social activities to the Lyndonville Advertiser.

The 1920s has been referred to as the “golden age” of dahlia breeding as the variety and intensity of colors and forms appealed to the Art Deco Jazz Age aesthetic.

We traced the history of the West Lyndonville Dahlia Gardens through advertisements and news articles. Appropriately, the enterprise dates from that time. The first reference appeared in the Times-Union, Sept. 13, 1924:

“Perhaps the most beautiful colors of dahlias in this vicinity can be seen in Mrs. H. P. Wheeler’s garden in West Lyndonville. Every conceivable color is there, from the lighter shades to blossoms that are almost black. The flowers are large and the double-quilled ones, one variety of which is called the “Country Girl” is especially beautiful.”

Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion Historian, is a dahlia enthusiast. Shown here are some of the dahlias she has grown. The varied forms include semi-cactus, ball, and water-lily.

An ad in The Buffalo News, September 26, 1931, mentioned 400 varieties of dahlia in full bloom at the gardens. What a sight that must have been! Dahlia blossoms are intensely vibrant in the fall.

Pinpointing the actual location of this idyllic garden was a puzzle. To those of us now accustomed to precise directions, the instructions given in the ads were delightfully vague: “One and one fourth miles south-east of Lyndonville” or “Take the first three left-hand turns after passing north through Lyndonville and crossing the railroad.”

Finally, we located the Wheeler property in the 1913 New Century Atlas of Orleans County at the intersection of Angling Road and Marshall Road.

The lady responsible for the dahlia gardens was Mrs. H.P. Wheeler (Lena Boughton). She was listed as a florist in the 1930 Census. Tubers, bulbs and fresh-cut flowers could be purchased at the gardens. Gladioli were added in later years. The business continued until 1943.

Lena died in 1963. She and her husband, Harry Wheeler, are buried in Hartland Central Cemetery, Gasport.