John Milton Earle

Who was John Milton Earle?

John Milton Earle was an American businessman, abolitionist, and statesman who founded the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1829.

He was born in Leicester, Massachusetts to Pliny Earle, and therefore a member of the prominent Earle family. He was educated in common schools and at the Leicester Academy. He was the editor and publisher of the Massachusetts Spy from 1823 to 1857. The publication was called the Daily Spy after July 22, 1845. The offices were in the Butman Block on Main Street. He loved and enjoyed the sharp encounter of harmless wit. Although not a technical Garrisonian abolitionist, he was an early pioneer in Anti-Slavery movement first as a Whig, then as a Free Soiler. He tried to make Worcester County the stronghold of conscientious and determined political opposition to slavery. He was a member of the Massachusetts General Court, or state legislature, for several years, serving in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. He was also a city alderman, postmaster, state commissioner on Indian affairs, and founder of the Horticultural Society. He died in Worcester, Massachusetts and was buried in the Rural Cemetery in Worcester, Massachusetts.