When did the Massachusetts commercial cranberry industry start?
In 1816, a retired sea captain named Captain Henry Hall became the first to successfully cultivate cranberries in Dennis, Massachusetts (Cape Cod). Captain Hall noticed that the wild cranberries in his bogs grew better when sand blew over them. He began transplanting his cranberry vines, fencing them in, and spreading sand on them himself. When others heard of Hall’s technique, it was quickly copied. Continuing throughout the 19th century, the number of growers increased steadily.
