Arbor Week in Michigan Starts Monday!

I was curious about the evolution of Arbor Day. Googling Arbor Day History in Michigan,  this is what I found. In 1885, the Michigan Legislature requested the Governor to call attention to the importance of planting trees for ornament and replacement and by naming a day to do so Arbor Day was created in Michigan, 13 years after Nebraska started Arbor Day.

Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus

1965, Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas were celebrating Arbor Day at different times because of the sometimes extreme differences of weather conditions for planting. Then, Governor George Romney, to help unite the two peninsulas, declared Michigan would celebrate the last week of April as Arbor Week. The official day would be the last Friday of April. So Monday, April 23,  starts Arbor Week in Michigan and Arbor Day is Friday April 27th.


I then really became interested in how Nebraska would be so ahead of Michigan for declaring a day to plant trees that I 'dug' a little more in the history and here is what I found.


In 1854, J. Sterling Morton and his family moved to the Nebraska Territory. What makes this story so incredible is that Morton and his family were from Detroit, Michigan. Morton, born April 22, 1832, Jefferson County NY, was brought to Michigan by his father to start a business and they lived in the Monroe area. Morton attended private school in Monroe. He attended Albion College, class of 1850 and attended The University of Michigan. 6 weeks before he was to graduate, Morton was expelled for his outspoken views and controversial behavior. He then excepted a job working as a reporter for a newspaper in Detroit. He was later granted  undergraduate degrees from the University and Union Colleges in Schenectady NY.

 From Detroit, he moved his family to Nebraska, to a landscape that was flat, treeless and an open prairie. He and his wife, Carolyn, were nature lovers, they missed the variety of trees, forests and flowers Michigan and the East coast had to offer. So he and his wife, quickly started to plant trees and shrubs and flowers.

Morton was a journalist. Through the newspaper where he worked, he put his talents to use and spread his knowledge and enthusiasm for gardening and agriculture, especially for planting trees. Morton encouraged not only individual families to plant trees for wind breaks, shade and future building materials, he encouraged organizations and prominent businesses to do the same.

Morton soon became the Secretary of the Nebraska Territory, where he still encouraged the planting of his precious trees. On January 4, 1872, to the now State Board of Agriculture,(Nebraska became our 37th State on March 1, 1867), Morton proposed a tree planting holiday to be called 'Arbor Day'. April 10, 1872 was the day designated to celebrate. Prizes were awarded for the most trees planted on that day. It was estimated that the people of Nebraska planted over one million trees that day.

Jumping on the band wagon of the success of  the first 'Arbor Day', Robert W. Furnas, the now  Nebraska State Governor, declared that 'Arbor Day' was to be observed on April 10, 1874. It again was such a success that the next year it was declared a legal holiday in Nebraska. April 22, 1875 was the first legal holiday 'Arbor Day' in honor of Morton's birthday.

A huge celebration was held. The students planted more trees, a parade was held and Morton addressed the students at the overflowing and crowded Opera House. A quote from Morton's speech is "Each generation takes the earth as trustees". To view historical pictures of Morton, click here.

During the 1870's other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day. In 1882 the tradition began in schools nationwide. The most common agreed date for numerous state observances is the last Friday of April.

Check the list for events in your area for Arbor Day. Follow in the spirit of Michigander, J. Sterling Morton and go plant a tree a native tree to Michigan. For a selection of trees to choose from go to   https://www.msu.edu/~linnellw/Michtree.htm.