Gilbert Onderdonk and Nursery, Texas

Pioneer horticulturist Gilbert Onderdonk (1829-1920) exhibited early talent in his native New York, developing new varieties of potatoes that earned him recognition when he was still a teenager. After graduating from the New York State Normal School in 1849, he sought a warmer climate due to health concerns and moved to Texas, arriving at the port of Indianola in 1851. He was employed as a teacher and ranch worker at Green Lake in Calhoun County. His health improved and he soon met Martha Jane Benham. They married in 1855 and moved to Mission Valley in Victoria County, where Onderdonk established his first nursery east of Coleto Creek. After serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Onderdonk returned to his family and his nursery business. A new railroad line connected Victoria and Cuero in the 1870s, and in 1883 Martha Onderdonk purchased 100 acres nearby for a branch of the Onderdonk Nursery. A post office named Nursery soon opened, and Gilbert Onderdonk served as both postmaster and Wells Fargo shipping agent, a position he used to advantage in his mail order nursery business. The small town of Nursery grew up around the railroad, post office and nursery operations, and a new bridge built over the Guadalupe River in 1895 helped bring more settlers to the area. The Onderdonk family donated land for a Methodist church in 1901. Gilbert Onderdonk was highly successful in developing new varieties of peach and other fruit trees, earning many accolades and a national reputation. He died in July 1920 at age 90 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria. (2007)

Gilbert Onderdonk and Nursery, Texas is a historical marker in Nursery, Victoria County, dedicated in 2007. It is one of 99 historical markers documented in Victoria County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 240 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 28.9211, -97.0992 near Nursery. The nearest cataloged historic site is Murphy Home (historical marker), about 0.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Kyle, Billy, Ranch House, Nursery Cemetery, and El Camino Real in Victoria County.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507013954. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.