August 4, 2010

The construction of the railroad in Benton County in the 1880s sparked a growth in the apple industry, leading to the exportation of the fruit all over the nation. By 1901, about the time this photo was taken of W. E. Brown’s orchard in Rogers (Benton County), the county led the nation in apple production with 2.5 million bushels. Such success led to the construction of evaporators, canning factories, distilleries, and vinegar plants. It did not take long for the county to earn the nickname of the “Land of the Big Red Apple.”