Dreer, Henry Augustus–(1818-1873)–Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–was born in Philadelphia on August 24, 1818.  He was the son of a German immigrant cabinet maker and opened his seed and florist store, Henry A. Dreer, Inc., in 1838.  Dreer saw the need for demonstration and experiment farms.  From 1839-1850, his nursery was on the estate of William Hamilton, known as “The Woodlands.”  His six small greenhouses were at 35th Street for twenty-three years until 1873 when they were moved to three hundred acres at Riverton, New Jersey.  He was a pioneer in introducing color printing to the trade in his bulb catalog for 1865.  That catalog contained an illustration in six colors, printed from electros reproducing the original wood cuts.  He wrote frequently for The Saturday Evening Post.  He was a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and was treasurer from 1862-1873.   He died in Philadelphia, December 22, 1873.   His son William F. Dreer carried on the business in Philadelphia and Riverton, New Jersey.  The business was incorporated in 1892.
Sources:  Plants; Bailey; PHS1; CHSJ-Apr. 1966; SW1; GT; Hedrick; FlorEx-Nov. 3, 1906