Posted by Jack Wooten '25
Dehn's Flowers is located on the West Side of Saratoga Springs at 180 Beekman Street. Situated slightly north of the area known as the Arts District, the business–established in 1892 and run by the same family for five generations—has a rich cultural heritage as part of the broader Beekman Street neighborhood. After speaking with John Mishoe, one of the current owners of the business, I learned about Dehn’s connection to the Second World War.
When I spoke with him on one occasion, John showed me a framed collection of historical objects pertaining solely to Dehn’s (left figure). These framings were done by the past owners of Dehn’s who felt it was important for future generations to hold onto these artifacts and treasure them. John is married to Terri Dehn, a co-owner and great-great granddaughter of Christian Dehn who began the florist business. I was struck by one of the photographs of Charles “Charlie” Dehn, Jr. (Terri’s grandfather) taken in 1943 (middle figure). In the image, Charlie was riding a bike that belonged to the shop. The caption stated that he was gas rationing. The caption stated that he was gas rationing. The Dehn’s Flowers logo on the bike closely matches the one included on a brass sign off a truck from the same era (see below).
Moving on, John explained that Richard Dehn (Terri’s great-uncle) was stationed in New Guinea during WW2. Richard worked with fellow servicemen to send home flower orders to their loved ones. John pointed out an example order form that Richard would have used (right figure). Being able to have tangible evidence as a connection to the past is deeply profound. While dealing with the fallout of war, soldiers found solace in sending flowers home to loved ones in Saratoga Springs. Fighting a war requires collective involvement. Some were involved at home by rationing fuel like Charles, and others served as soldiers overseas like Richard. Both Charles and Richard Dehn did their service for their country, and both helped deliver flowers with messages for family and friends in the community. This continuous level of American patriotism, though perhaps hard to find now, should always endure. I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson through my research at Dehn’s
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