Nix v. Hedden official state vegetable. Nix v. Hedden Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that, under U.S. customs regulations, the tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit. The Court's unanimous opinion held that the Tariff Act of 1883 used the ordinary meaning of the words "fruit" and "vegetable," instead of the technical botanical meaning. John Nix founded the John Nix & Co. fruit commission in New York City in 1839. The company became one of the largest sellers of produce in New York City at the
Gilbert Hedden became plant manager of the "Hedden" works. On May 8, 1928, he read an article on Oak Island in "The New York Times Magazine." Hedden was fascinated by the story and determined to purchase the island and search for the treasure. He spent much of his fortune in search of the treasure. His search lasted from 1934 to 1936, when he helped arrange for New York University engineering professor Edwin Hamilton to take over. Hedden bought the east end of the island in 1935 and attempted to drain the so-called Money Pit with a pump. His discoveries during the search