Preserving Historic Lehman Orchard

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 22, No. 2, Winter 2022.

Historic Moorpark variety apricot tree in Lehman Orchard

NPS Photo

by Meg Horner, Biologist

Lehman Orchard changed for the better this past summer. With funding from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) Conservation Initiative, park staff replaced the irrigation system, planted new fruit trees, installed new fencing, and designed and installed informational signs and a viewing platform. The upgrades and orchard restoration work completed this year will help preserve Lehman Orchard for years to come.

The history of Lehman Orchard is lengthy and not well documented. The orchard was likely planted in the 1890s soon after Absalom S. Lehman settled near Lehman Caves and started promoting the caves as a tourist attraction. Records indicate Lehman planted fruit trees and constructed an aqueduct that brought water from Lehman Creek and nearby springs to irrigate the orchard. Four kinds of fruit trees were planted in the original orchard including apricot, apple, pear, and peach. Fruit from the orchard became an important source of food for the local community and income for Absalom Lehman and his family. Remarkably, a few of the apricots planted over a century ago are believed to be the same apricots still growing in the orchard today.

Part of the historic Lehman Orchard circa 1930

NPS photo

In 1922, Lehman Caves National Monument was designated as a new monument without mention of the orchard or aqueduct. By the 1930s, the condition of many of the fruit trees had deteriorated. The Civilian Conservation Corps removed an unknown number of trees in 1934. By 1940, there were 18 trees remaining in the orchard (Superintendent Report, January 1943). Additional trees were removed for construction projects in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s and made using the aqueduct for irrigation no longer possible. The Lehman Orchard and Aqueduct were added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1975 because of their importance as a food source and an example of late 19^th and early 20^th century farming and ranching in eastern Nevada. In the two decades that followed the nomination, the National Park Service (NPS) began work to revitalize the orchard by planting new trees and adding irrigation and fencing. Additional trees were planted outside the historic Lehman Orchard near the Lehman Caves Visitor Center and at the Forest Service Ranger Station in the town of Baker.

The most recent orchard restoration and preservation efforts began in 2017 with funding from the SNPLMA program as part of the Protection, Stabilization, and Restoration of the Lehman Caves Historic Area Project. Park staff researched the history of Lehman Orchard as well as the species and varieties of fruit trees growing in the local area. A greenhouse was constructed to grow seedlings for future planting. Seeds and cuttings were collected from the historic apricots in Lehman Orchard; Marianna root stock was purchased and grafted with ‘volunteer’ apples that were discovered several years earlier growing at two historic camp sites along Baker and Lehman Creeks; and Elberta variety heirloom peaches were purchased. Pear cuttings were collected from a local ranch, but seedlings did not survive.

Lehman Orchard with historic apricots on the left and viewing platform and new seedlings on the right. Taken November 2022.

NPS Photo/Meg Horner

Twenty-two new fruit trees (apricots, peaches, and apples) were planted into Lehman Orchard in 2022, the 100-year anniversary of Lehman Caves National Monument. A new, water-wise irrigation system was installed before planting to ensure consistent water for the seedlings plus the 15 trees already established in the orchard – historic apricots and peaches, apples, and apricots planted in the 1980s and 90s. Leaf samples from historic apricot and apple trees were collected for genetic analysis. Finally, interpretive signs and a viewing platform were installed that describe orchard maintenance and pruning methods and invite visitors to relax and enjoy the view.

Initial results from genetic testing solved a couple mysteries about the heirloom varieties of Lehman Orchard’s historic trees. One of the historic apricot samples was a match for Moorpark, a very old and highly regarded apricot variety dating back to the 1600s when the trees were brought from China to England for cultivation. Several of the other historic apricots in Lehman Orchard were likely seedlings from a Moorpark variety. There were no matches for the apples that were used for grafting from Baker or Lehman Creek. Further testing is planned to identify additional varieties and help preserve the historic and genetic character of Lehman Orchard. The NPS is committed to the preservation of Lehman Orchard, the legacy of the century-old apricots that still produce fruit every few years and sharing the story of this unique resource for another 100 years.