Hidden Valley Nursery was established in 1980 by M.L. (Sam) Scott, his first cousin Melvin Scott and his son Nathan. Originally the nursery was located on 125 acres next to the Collins River just off Highway 56 in Grundy County. This property was sold in 1982 and the nursery was relocated to Highway 30 in Rock Island. Due to poor health, Sam Scott sold his interest to Melvin and Nathan in 1983. The nursery continued to grow and introduce newer varieties to sell and it soon became apparent that more acreage was needed for expansion. Having worked for many years for the USDA, Melvin was acutely aware of the difference in productivity of the various soil types in this county and began to look toward the bottom lands south of Viola for available acreage to purchase. The first farm was purchased in 1987 with several larger farms purchased thereafter. In 1999 Melvin became ill and passed away. At that time Nathan became the sole owner of Hidden Valley Nursery, LLC. The office and shipping yard were relocated from Rock Island to Viola in 2000.