Residents of the eastern and western United States too often take trees for granted. But what would our ancestors have done if trees had suddenly disappeared?
In a sense, they did disappear on the Great Plains. In the mid-19th century, pioneers in the Nebraska Territory had trees on their mind as they longed for lumber, fuel, shade, protection from wind, and anything to break the monotony of the plains.
Sterling Morton
Among the pioneers moving into the area in 1854 was J. Sterling Morton, who had emigrated from Michigan. Morton and his wife planted trees, shrubs, and flowers around their new Nebraska home. A journalist, Morton became editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper. Through his articles, he spread his enthusiasm for trees. Morton encouraged men such as Nebraska Governor Robert W. Furnas to plant what would become great commercial orchards in eastern Nebraska.
Morton didn’t stop at encouraging individuals to plant trees. He enjoined schools, civic organizations, and other groups to follow suit. Morton also encouraged planting trees as memorials.
Arbor Day
Morton’s influence grew when he became Secretary of the Nebraska Territory. In the fifth century, residents of a small town in Switzerland set aside an annual holiday for planting trees. On January 4, 1872, Morton proposed the first “Arbor Day” in the United States at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for properly planting the largest number of trees on that day.
The first Arbor Day was observed in Nebraska on April 10, 1872. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska that day. Nine years later, Arbor Day was declared a legal holiday, to be observed in Nebraska on April 22.
In 1893, Morton became Secretary of Agriculture under President Grover Cleveland. From his new office, Morton promoted Arbor Day nationwide.
Today, every state observes an Arbor Day or Arbor Week. The observance is promoted by the National Arbor Day Foundation from Morton’s former estate at Arbor Lodge in Nebraska City.
Past and Future
Though Nebraska is now known as the Cornhuskers State, it was earlier the Tree Planters State. But the earlier nickname speaks to the future as well as the past. In the words of J. Sterling Morton, “Other holidays repose upon the past— Arbor Day proposes for the future.”
Nebraskans observed their Arbor Day Centennial in 1972. On March 23, they adopted two official trees. The green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) was designated the Arbor Day Centennial Tree. But to recall the past and lead them into the future, they adopted the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides).
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - Paperback
