The Original Bowman Family Farm​

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The original farm on Route 303, just east of W. 130th Street in Hinckley, consisted of 108 acres which were purchased by Arthur W. Bowman in March, 1914. There was a farmhouse, large bank-barn, chicken coop, and several outbuildings (one which served as an airplane hangar)! Arthur and his wife, Nettie, raised four sons—Ralph, Earl, Howard, and Ward. At Arthur's death in 1948, the farm was divided; 94 acres were bought by Howard and he carried on general farming (that property was later sold in 1964 to the Lutheran Cemetery Association of Cleveland). The remaining 14-acre parcel was purchased by Ward, and he named it Hillside Orchard (the farm and orchard that exists today), as he planned to continue cultivating the farm’s fruit trees. Ward and his wife, June, built a new house on the property for their family of three sons—Allen, Wayne, and Thomas.

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Humble Beginnings

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Fresh fruit and vegetables have been sold at Hillside since 1948, when Rt. 303 was only a narrow country road. Ward Bowman set a long board on top of two cement blocks, arranged his apples, and instructed his three little boys to watch for customers—those were the humble beginnings of Hillside Orchard.

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From 1948 to 1960, Ward expanded the orchard by adding more peach and apple trees until they filled the property all the way to the road! In 1975, Ward and June's oldest son, Allen—and his wife, Judy—closed their tire stores and began to help full time on the family farm. By that time, the original "board and blocks" front yard display had long been replaced by a roadside stand, which evolved into a 16 x 8-foot structure. Customers stood outside in all kinds of weather, making their selections from plentiful fresh fruits and vegetables! In fact, those were the days of large volume seasonal purchases, as housewives would routinely can or freeze produce such as corn, beans, tomatoes, pickles, applesauce, etc., to feed their families until the next "fresh season."

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In 1977, the planting of 175 new peach trees was completed, but very few of them survived the harsh winter that followed. Also, older 20-foot apple trees were removed while numerous dwarf apple trees were planted to continue expanding the number of varieties grown—including Ohio’s official state apple, "Melrose!” At its height, the orchard had over 400 trees, consisting of 23 apple varieties, peaches, pears, plums, and grapes—some of those trees are still producing today!

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A New Face With The Same Focus

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As more people moved into the area, the business grew and the need for a larger building was evident. In 1982, the present pole-barn market was erected and opened that August. Del Donohue, from Channel 3's "Del's Folks," made Hillside Orchard a destination for family outings and gave us a bit of TV coverage!

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Our new farm market building allowed for more display area plus a 16 x 20-foot walk-in cooler, which served to keep our just-picked produce as fresh as possible. In addition, Judy obtained licensing from the State of Ohio for her home kitchen and began to supply the market with homemade baked goods. Soon after, an automatic donut machine was purchased to provide delicious cake donuts to complement Hillside's sweet apple cider. Jim McIntyre, Judy’s father, donated all the old tools that add interest to our walls and local crafters brought in their wares! While the larger farm market brought many new and exciting changes, our primary focus has continued to be the cultivation of thriving orchard trees and berry patches!

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Annual Events

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During the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s, lush strawberry beds invited young and old alike to fill quart baskets in the warm summer sun. Presently, those who enjoy Pick-Your-Own, head to our beautiful blueberry patch throughout the month of July! And since 1999, U-Pick Apples has been an annual event—typically the first two weekends in October—which attracts hundreds of families each year!

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Since 1985, Hillside has offered autumn field trips to children from public and parochial schools, homeschool groups, as well as day care centers and nursery schools. Each year, about 1400 children enjoy hayrides through the orchard with lessons about the history of our farm and how our fruit is farm-to-table cultivated; much is learned and wonderful memories are made!