History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Suel Foster
SUEL FOSTER was one of the pioneer horticulturists of Iowa. He was born at Hillsboro, New Hampshire, on the 26th of August, 1811, and on his mother's side was related to George Bancroft the historian. He was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. In 1836 he made the journey to Rock Island. Mr. Foster and his brother purchased a sixth interest in the town of Bloomington for $500, which then consisted of one hundred sixty acres of land upon which were two log cabins. Here Mr. Foster made his permanent home and here the city of Muscatine grew up. In 1852 he began to plant a nursery and to give his attention to experimental work in horticulture. He became a well-known writer on fruit and forest growing, contributing to the principal journals of agriculture and horticulture in the West. Mr. Foster was one of the founders of the Iowa Horticultural Society and a life-long member. As early as 1847 he began to advocate the establishment of a State Agricultural College, similar to institutions existing in Germany. He gathered information relating to the European schools of agriculture and was a strenuous advocate of the establishment of one in Iowa to be supported by State aid. He assisted in preparing a bill which was introduced into the Legislature by R. A. Richardson in 1850, for the creation of such a college. When the Seventh General Assembly provided by law for a State Agricultural College, Suel Foster was made one of the trustees and was for five years president of the board. To the end of his life he continued to work in experimental horticulture and by his pen advocated industrial education.