The History of Arbor Day Farm:
This land that makes up Arbor Day Farm today was originally part of Arbor Day
founder J. Sterling Morton's agricultural estate. J. Sterling Morton homesteaded
this area in 1854. Mr. Morton and his new bride, Caroline, traveled to Nebraska
from Michigan, leaving the beautiful wooded areas of that state to come to our
treeless plains. After building their four-room cabin on the site of the present
Arbor Lodge mansion, they set about planting trees and landscaping their property.
J. Sterling Morton planted trees. Caroline planted trees. The Mortons had four
boys and, as their boys grew up, they helped to plant trees too.
