The Peppermint Industry
The American commercial mint industry had its beginnings in western Massachusetts in the early 1800's. The growing of mint, distilling of it to get the fragrant oil was done by a few men near Ashfield, Massachusetts. Mint oil was then sold by a peddler - in the tradition of the "Yankee Peddler." Mint as a product could be used as a medicine, as a taste for tea. The peddlers fanned out to sell their wares and the mint market expanded into Western New York.
Two Massachusetts peddlers of mint found their way to the Finger Lakes area about 1815 and decided that mint would grow well in the rich soil. Archibald and Nahum Burnett bought farms - Archibald in Junius, Seneca County and Nahum, near Alloway in what is now Wayne County - and planted their mint crops, thus establishing the mint industry in New York. The mint farmers traded or sold their product to local store owners.
The mint industry expanded and distilling methods improved, but marketing of the product in those early days was a problem. The American oil did not find ready acceptance in the export trade and the market was limited to local consumption.
The marketing problem was solved by a merchant, Hiram G. Hotchkiss. In 1828, Hiram G. Hotchkiss and his brother and cousins opened a general store and flour mill in Vienna (now Phelps). It was the practice of mint farmers to exchange their oil at the general store to obtain goods they needed. About 1837, Hiram began accepting peppermint oil and storing it in jugs. When nearly 1200 pounds of oil had been accumulated, he went to Lyons, loaded it on a canal boat and went to New York City to try to market the oil. The New York dealers rejected the oil and Hotchkiss returned to Lyons with all 1200 pounds.
Hiram and his brother then bottled some of the oil and shipped it to dealers in Germany. The German dealers accepted the oil and said further supplies would also be purchased. In 1839 the first export shipments were made. Hiram began to devote more and more time to the mint industry. In 1841 he dissolved the partnership with his brother and moved to Lyons to open his own peppermint oil works. Hiram Hotchkiss went into the mint business as grower, distiller and seller.
In 1846, nearly 40,000 pounds of oil were produced in the area. By 1895, the average annual yield of peppermint oil in the county was 150,000 pounds and most of that was controlled by Hotchkiss. Each acre of peppermint would yield approximately 25 pounds of oil.
Production of peppermint increased in Wayne County until the 1890's. As the mid-1800's passed, Lyons, New York was the undisputed mint oil capital of the United States and Hiram G. Hotchkiss was the industry's leader.
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