John Adlum

John Adlum
John Adlum by Charles Wilson Peale
Born	(1759-04-29)April 29, 1759 York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 14, 1836(1836-03-14) (aged 76) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Oak Hill Cemetery
Residence	"The Vineyard", Georgetown, D.C., U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Viticulturalist, winemaker
Years active	1814-1830
Known for	Father of American viticulture, discoverer and promoter of the Catawba wine grape
Spouse(s)	Margaret K. Adlum (née Adlum)
Children	Margaret Catherine Adlum and Anna Maria Adlum
Parent(s)	Joseph and Catherine (née Abbott) Adlum

John Adlum (April 29, 1759 – March 14, 1836) was a pioneering American viticulturalist who was the first to cultivate the Catawba grape. He is known as "the father of American viticulture" (grape-growing). He also served in the American Revolutionary War; was a well-known surveyor; was one of the first associate judges in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania; and served in the United States Army in the War of 1812.

Adlum was born on April 29, 1759, in York, Pennsylvania, to Joseph and Catherine (Abbott) Adlum. His father was the sheriff and coroner for York County, and Adlum was raised in York. He was 15 years old when the American Revolutionary War broke out, but nonetheless organized a company of fellow teenagers from York County to help prosecute the war. Most of these fought with the Pennsylvania Blues, a volunteer state militia group. But Adlum led the rest to Philadelphia and volunteered to join the nascent American national army led by George Washington. He volunteered for duty on July 7, 1776, and was assigned to the Flying Camp. Commissioned a corporal when his training was complete, he helped build Fort Lee in New Jersey. He was captured by the British on November 6, 1776, at the Battle of Fort Washington, but was imprisoned along with many American officers in homes in New York City where he had relatively good freedom of movement. He was released on parole in February 1777.