Wonderland of Past and Promise

(Note: I originally published much of this article in Roswell Now Magazine through the Roswell Chamber of Commerce.)

Stepping through the doors of Roswell Seed Company is like stepping into a wonderland where Roswell’s rich history and promising future collide. Even the most recalcitrant among us can’t help but dream when confronted with the decades-old seed shelf and its rows of colorful seed packets adorning the front of the wooden drawers. From the commercial farmer to the windowsill gardener, there is something for everyone. We find hope, wonder, and industry in one fabulous store.

John and Walter Gill opened Roswell Seed Company in 1898 as a produce company, buying produce from the fertile Pecos valley and selling it in Oklahoma or further east. John Gill would walk through an apple orchard or field of onions and offer a flat rate for that year’s harvest. From those early beginning as a produce market to the present store, the Gills have operated the business with an unusual mix of kindness and experience. One customer may come in with a problem in a backyard tree, while the next has 120 acres of seed they’ve captured, saying they need it cleaned and processed. Sometimes they need the seed stored for the following year’s planting. Regardless of the size of the account, every customer is treated with care backed by over 100 years of the Gill family’s experience in agriculture.

Still a family owned and managed store Roswell Seed keeps the window of honor for local youth sports sponsorship. They donate to schools with projects in agriculture and gardening and have even favored local efforts in the arts with donations and support. I understand they may even have access to Uncle George’s hidden suitcases promoting the current production for Roswell Community Little Theatre.

At the original publication of this article, Roswell Seed Company was known as the oldest family-owned business in New Mexico. But Jim Gill was careful to mention that there may be similarly long-lived family businesses that we just didn’t know about. Jim’s great-grandfather, John B. Gill, came from Arkansas to New Mexico in 1890. Jim would tell you with a mischievous grin that his great-grandfather settled in Hagerman because that was where the “nice” people lived.

John Gill was an apple orchardist. When he came to New Mexico, he intended to continue working with apples. In the late 1800s, the Roswell area had many fine apple orchards. John Gill could walk through an orchard and tell how many boxes of apples the orchard would produce. John would then offer to buy the harvest according to this calculated production and would seal the deal with the grower using a handshake and a silver dollar. It was a binding contract, and growers were never mistreated. John’s word was stronger than any written document.

Jim Gill shared the story of his great-grandfather learning about business in those first years. John packed a boxcar full of apples for a customer, but when the apples arrived at their destination, the customer had changed his mind. From that day on, John would “hitch” a ride in the caboose of the train and accompany his apples. If the customer didn’t take the entire load, or if John thought there was a market elsewhere, John would sell the apples directly from the destination.

Originally the store stood on the corner that Ancient’s of Days now occupies. Roswell Seed Company has survived two world wars, The Great Depression, more wars and economic crises.

According to family history, John Gill started the store with five hundred dollars in the 1890’s. Back then Roswell Seed and Produce was a grocer and a seed store. Today, Roswell Seed also sells garden plants, flowers, fertilizers, and bee packages. But what the home gardener and commercial farmer most appreciates is the wealth of experience, up-to-date information, and professional care that the staff offers. From guidance on reviving an ailing garden plant to cleaning and processing seed, Roswell Seed Company consistently advises based on a century of experience and continued zeal for agriculture.

Among the many wonders in the store, if you manage to peek into the Gills’ office, you will see an old mantle clock still working. In a time before computers and wristwatches, Jim’s grandfather would step out the back door on a Sunday to see the train arrive and set first his pocket watch and then the mantle clock. Folks in Roswell counted on the clock at Roswell Seed to know the time. The people of Roswell continue to count on Roswell Seed Company. Through the store, the Gill Family has faithfully stewarded agriculture, the Roswell business community, and the people of the Roswell area.

Even if you aren’t a gardener or farmer, come into this store for a taste of wonder and a look at how a business with a lot of history and heart can truly serve a community.