Arbor Day Farm

History:

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.