Dr. Levi Leslie Lamborn (1827-1910) was a man of many talents and interests. He came to the Alliance area about 1849 after studying to become a physician. He practiced medicine for many years. He and his wife Maria Grant Lamborn had seven children together, six of whom lived to adulthood. All the children had the initials "L. L. L."

Along with his medical career, Levi Lamborn was a businessman, a newspaper publisher, and a horticulturist. He propagated the "Lamborn Red," otherwise known as the Scarlet Carnation in his greenhouse at W. Main Street and N. Union Avenue. The Scarlet Carnation is why Alliance is the Carnation City.

Dr. Levi Leslie Lamborn (1827-1910) was a man of many talents and interests. He came to the Alliance area about 1849, after studying to become a physician. He practiced medicine for many years and built a beautiful home on the NW corner of Main Street and Union Avenue. He and his wife Maria Grant Lamborn had seven children together, six of whom lived to adulthood.

Dr. Lamborn had many other interests besides his medical career. He started the first newspaper in Alliance in 1854, served as clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1859, opened a hospital in his home during the Civil War, and had numerous local business interests. In company with Elisha Teeters, Hugh Bleakley and others, he developed several large real estate additions to the city of Alliance and enticed Thomas R. Morgan to bring his company to Alliance and the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad to locate their division headquarters here.

At his home, he constructed a conservatory and began cultivating flowers, especially carnations. In 1866, he purchased carnation plants grown from the first carnation seeds germinated in America; he would go on to write a book called American Carnation Culture, which would see four editions.

In 1876, Dr. Lamborn decided to run as the Democratic nominee for the U. S. congressional district seat. His opponent was a Republican from Canton named William McKinley. According to Lamborn, the campaign was “fervent but friendly.” Even though they differed in politics, the two were personal friends. They canvassed the district making speeches, and it was at this time that Lamborn first presented McKinley with a carnation for his lapel. The future President took a liking to the flower and considered it a good luck charm. McKinley won the 1876 election, the two men continued to be friends, and McKinley would often be seen wearing a carnation as his political career progressed.

Dr. Lamborn died in 1910, having lived to see his carnation named the state flower and his family greenhouse business grow and flourish.

25 Top Historical Events in Alliance – Levi Lamborn, Alliance Historical Society. April 17th 2020. Accessed September 22nd 2021. https://alliancehistory.org/25-top-historical-events-in-alliance-levi-lamborn.