The CantmIre Post

William Blaxton, an eccentric loner and Anglican minister, settled Boston before the Puritans and Rhode Island before Roger Williams — and planted the first apple orchards in America. A man ahead of his time, William Blaxton was one of the first Europeans to settle in what is now the city of Boston. Arriving in 1623, he was also the first person to plant apple trees in North America. A native of England, Blaxton originally intended to settle in the area that is now Rhode Island. However, he had a falling out with Roger Williams, another early settler who established a colony there based on religious freedom. Undeterred, Blaxton moved on to Boston where he purchased land from the Native Americans. Although he had no previous experience with farming, Blaxton decided to try his hand at growing apples. He was successful in cultivating the fruit and is credited with planting the first apple orchards in America. While most of his contemporaries were Puritans who strictly adhered to religious orthodoxy, Blaxton was more tolerant of different beliefs. He even befriended some of the local Native Americans and learned about their culture and customs. Today, William Blaxton is largely forgotten but his legacy lives on in the form of the many apple trees that he planted centuries ago.