Background
Childs was born in Franklin County, Maine, and grew up in Buckfield.
Childs was born in Franklin County, Maine, and grew up in Buckfield.
In addition to a widespread reputation for being a zealous ornithologist, Childs is also credited with founding the first seed catalog business in the United States. His career in horticulture began in 1874, when he took a job with C. L. Allen of Queens. Soon afterwards he began renting, then buying land in nearby East Hinsdale, Queens County, near other nurseries.
Business
Within five years of building his own seed and bulb business and starting America"s first seed catalog business, Childs established a bustling business.
The volume of his business is attributed with the expansion of the Floral Park Post Office and nearby village businesses. Additionally, Childs was responsible for building more than 20 buildings in Floral Park, including hotels, lumber mills and his own printing press
He also provided a public park for the community, built the first school in town, and served as the first village president, which later became the office of mayor. Politics
He ran twice unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States. Congress.
Land holdings
Childs bought a great deal of land in the area around Floral Park.
His extensive land holdings related mainly to his seed catalog business, with more than 1,000 acres (40 km2) used for that purpose near Saint James, New York and eastern Long Island. Today, "Flowerfields" is an area within Saint James that was originally founded by Childs around 1909. Ornithology
Childs maintained one of the largest private ornithology libraries in the United States, and had more than 700 personally collected specimens in his collection.
Childs died aboard a New York Central train from Albany to New York City in 1921.
His company continued to operate in the 1920s, only stopping in the Great Depression. Childs’ realty holdings were sold in the mid-1930s, valued by the broker at $2,000,000.
Childs"s ornate 18 room Victorian house in Floral Park was torn down in 1950.
He was a Republican member of the New York State Senate (1st Doctorate) in 1894 and 1895, and during his term he ferried a bill establishing a State Normal School in nearby Jamaica.