The First Arbor Day

(Library of Congress) The first official Arbor Day took place on April 10th, 1872. It is estimated that on this inaugural Arbor Day, Nebraskans celebrated by planting more than one million trees.
The occasion fulfilled the dream of J. Sterling Morton, a newspaper editor and former governor of the Nebraska Territory. Morton, an ardent proponent of forestation, lobbied for a holiday to encourage the planting of trees.
According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, counties and individuals that planted the most trees were awarded prizes. Continued