Florists were few and far between in Holyoke in the 1870s and 1880s. The Price & Lee Directory showed only one florist in 1876, J.W. Davis at 121 Elm Street, and one additional one in 1883, with E.D. Shaw added to this short list.
Edward D. Howland changed the face of the floral business in Holyoke. Born in 1851 in Ceylon, India (now Sri Lanka), he was the son of Congregational missionaries. When still a child, his parents returned him to their home in Conway, Massachusetts, to be raised by relatives. His parents returned overseas to perform their missionary calling. Mr. Howland received his education in Conway and then attended Amherst College for three years.
He left college before graduating, as he was passionate about horticulture and wanted to open his own florist shop. He operated a florist shop in Easthampton for a few years, then relocated the shop to Holyoke. He initially commuted back and forth from his residence in Easthampton before settling in Holyoke.
In 1884, he located his shop at 280 High Street. What distinguished Mr. Howland from other florists was that he also owned the first major greenhouse in Holyoke, located at 166 Oak Street, at the northwest corner of Appleton Street. He resided in a house at this greenhouse site. Many readers may remember this corner location as the future site of Holyoke's first Friendly's Ice Cream shop.
By 1886, he purchased the inventory of L. A. Waterman, florist at 64 Dwight Street, and moved his High Street florist shop there. As Dwight Street was renumbered in the early 20th century, 64 Dwight Street in 1886 was near the northwest corner of Railroad Street.
He continued to operate the greenhouse and florist shop until 1901. He then sold the 64 Dwight Street shop to Nellie M. Nolan. The greenhouse was sold to Field & Sinclair in 1905.
Mr. Howland died in 1905. In addition to being a distinguished florist and grower, he was remembered for his outpouring of generosity and kindness, often donating flowers and his skills to charitable and other worthy causes.
His legacy lived on for nearly another century through a succession of owners, and their stories will be told in the forthcoming chapters.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
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