L. L. Langstroth

Who was L. L. Langstroth?

Rev. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, apiarist, clergyman and teacher, is considered the "Father of American Beekeeping."

L. L. Langstroth was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a youngster, he took such an extraordinary interest in observing the habits of insects that he was punished for wearing holes in the knees of his pants while learning all he could about ant life. He graduated from Yale University in 1831, and subsequently held a tutorship there in 1834-1835. After this he was pastor of various Congregational churches in Massachusetts, including the South Congregational Church in Andover, Massachusetts in May 1836. In 1848, Langstroth became principal of a young ladies' school in Philadelphia. He took up beekeeping in part to distract himself from severe bouts of depression. He married Anne Tucker of Massachusetts. They had three children, all born in Massachusetts: James, Anna and Harriet A..

The Leaf Hive, invented in Switzerland in 1789 by Francis Huber, was a fully movable frame hive, but had solid frames that were touching and made up the "box". The combs in this hive were examined like pages in a book. Langstroth acknowledged Huber's contribution: "The use of the Huber hive had satisfied me that, with proper precautions, the combs might be removed without enraging the bees, and that these insects were capable of being tamed to a surprising degree. Without knowledge of these facts, I should have regarded a hive permitting the removal of the combs as quite too dangerous for practical use." ²²