Nantucketers love their coffee, but few know about the island’s serendipitous coffee connection. In 1849, three Folger brothers left Nantucket in search of gold in California. One of the brothers, J.A. Folger, split off and became partners with Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, which produced roasted and pre-ground coffee. Folger eventually bought the company and renamed it Folger Coffee Company. The firm grew dramatically and was eventually sold in 1963 to Procter & Gamble and became the top coffee brand in America. The Folger family had, and continues to have, deep roots on Nantucket, leaving an important mark on the island. A prominent whaling family, the Folgers were instrumental in the colonization of Nantucket Island in the Massachusetts colony. Adding to the family lore is the fact that Peter Folger was the maternal grandfather of Benjamin Franklin.

Nantucket’s connection to the world of coffee goes beyond just enjoying a good brew. The Folger name is seen all over the island: Folger Avenue, Folgers Lane, Folger Road, and Folgers Court, among others. Walter Folger Jr. was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Massachusetts. A Civil War Honor Roll on four sides of an obelisk not far from the Whaling Museum lists James, Charles, Edward, and Henry Folger as casualties of the war. Henry Clay Folger assembled the largest Shakespeare collection in the world, and Timothy Folger was a noted whaling captain.



Enter Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee behemoth that has dominated the premium coffee world. When Starbucks was founded in 1971, the company adopted the name from a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick. Starbuck was described as a Quaker from Nantucket and the first mate aboard the whaling ship the Pequod. The real Starbucks were known as one of the founding families of Nantucket and ultimately became a whaling dynasty. As fate would have it, in 1720, Anna Folger married William Starbuck, creating an extraordinary blend with names deeply connected to both Nantucket and the world of coffee.