From the Civil War era into the 1880s, the “Southport Globe” onion changed the tide for Westport/Southport. Flat, wind-sheltered fields along Hillspoint, Greens Farms, and the Saugatuck River produced endless rows of onions that were picked and packed into local oak barrels. Coopers, teamsters, and captains moved the onions through Saugatuck and Southport harbors to New York as the onion’s durability made it ideal for long storage and voyages.
The onion boom peaked from 1860-1890, due to specialized tools, reliable barrel making for storage, and rail links that widened the market. By the 1890s, the industry faltered as pests, low yield and Midwestern competition undercut many of the farmers profits. Many farms changed to dairy, other crops, or suburban subdivision, leaving only the traces of Westport’s brief reign as an onion capital. However, the sales of these onions built many family fortunes across the shoreline we see today.
