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Cranberry History
Native fruit first cultivated in Dennis
Cranberries are a wild native fruit to Cape Cod. It is well known that Native Americans introduced cranberries to early
Cape Cod settlers and taught them how to use cranberries for medicinal purposes and to produce red dye. In the
north village of Dennis, Henry Hall discovered cultivated cranberries by accident in 1816. After cutting a stand of trees
north of his bog for firewood, a northern storm blew the exposed, native sands over his bog. Thinking his bog was
ruined, Mr. Hall was amazed to find that his crop actually increased the following harvest. This event inspired Mr. Hall
to move all of his cattle to “Molly’s Pasture” (the very same bog as Annie's Crannies) and experiment with the cultivation
of the native fruit. His timing was perfect. Shortly after Mr. Hall's discovery the ship building industry slowed. Many sea
captains and ship builders turned to growing cranberries to make a living. Dennis remained the cranberry cultivation
center until 1850 when other cape towns joined in.
Dennis, Massachusetts was not only the birthplace of the cultivated cranberry, but to the invention and standardization
of harvesting, packaging, and shipping equipment and practices. In 1868, Captain Warren Hall invented an improved
cranberry gatherer. In 1876, Luther Hall (Henry Hall’s grandson), Zebina Hall and Captain William Crowell patented
the cranberry picker. The most successful invention was William Crowell’s fruit box, patented in 1877, which is still
used today for cranberries and other fruits. Dennis cranberry growers were also instrumental in standardizing the
methodology for branding the variety, size, quality and durability of cranberries which became the Rules for Branding in
the 1880’s.
Cranberries are a wild native fruit to Cape Cod. It is well known that Native Americans introduced cranberries to early
Cape Cod settlers and taught them how to use cranberries for medicinal purposes and to produce red dye. In the
north village of Dennis, Henry Hall discovered cultivated cranberries by accident in 1816. After cutting a stand of trees
north of his bog for firewood, a northern storm blew the exposed, native sands over his bog. Thinking his bog was
ruined, Mr. Hall was amazed to find that his crop actually increased the following harvest. This event inspired Mr. Hall
to move all of his cattle to “Molly’s Pasture” (the very same bog as Annie's Crannies) and experiment with the cultivation
of the native fruit. His timing was perfect. Shortly after Mr. Hall's discovery the ship building industry slowed. Many sea
captains and ship builders turned to growing cranberries to make a living. Dennis remained the cranberry cultivation
center until 1850 when other cape towns joined in.
Dennis, Massachusetts was not only the birthplace of the cultivated cranberry, but to the invention and standardization
of harvesting, packaging, and shipping equipment and practices. In 1868, Captain Warren Hall invented an improved
cranberry gatherer. In 1876, Luther Hall (Henry Hall’s grandson), Zebina Hall and Captain William Crowell patented
the cranberry picker. The most successful invention was William Crowell’s fruit box, patented in 1877, which is still
used today for cranberries and other fruits. Dennis cranberry growers were also instrumental in standardizing the
methodology for branding the variety, size, quality and durability of cranberries which became the Rules for Branding in
the 1880’s.
In 1843, in the north village of Dennis on Scargo Lake, Eli Howes and
James Paine Howes developed the Howes variety. [The Howes berry can
be picked wet or dry].
The Howes Variety:
• Only grown in Massachusetts so local means fresh
• Ripens later in the season than other varieties, just in time for the
holiday season
• Naturally stays fresher longer = better keeping quality
• More rot resistant
• Can be picked wet (by flooding bog) for juicing or dry for cooking
Did you know?
Like other fruits there are many
varieties of cranberries. Although there
have been 168 recorded varieties of
cranberries, only 68 are still grown
today. The only fresh fruit grown on
Cape Cod today are Early Blacks and
Howes varieties. At Annie’s Crannies
we grow the Howes variety.
Like other fruits there are many
varieties of cranberries. Although there
have been 168 recorded varieties of
cranberries, only 68 are still grown
today. The only fresh fruit grown on
Cape Cod today are Early Blacks and
Howes varieties. At Annie’s Crannies
we grow the Howes variety.
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