LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - APRIL 17, 2022 by Lynne Belluscio Probably a lot of folks have forgotten about Arbor Day. Surprisingly, the story begins in Nebraska in 1872. A newspaper editor, J. Sterling Morton, was very interested in the importance of trees and encouraged people to care for them and plant them. He became the Secretary of the Nebraska Territory, and was able to spread the word about the value of trees and on January 4, 1872 at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, he proposed a holiday to be called “Arbor Day.” In Nebraska, Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1872, and there were prizes for counties and individuals who planted the largest number of trees. It is important to remember, that Nebraska was pretty much void of trees and the agriculturalist writers were encouraging the farmers to plant trees for shade around their houses and for windbreaks between fields to prevent erosion. Small woodlots if managed properly, could provide an endless supply of fuel. In 1885, Arbor Day was declared a state holiday in Nebraska and was celebrated on April 22. By 1920, most states had begun celebrating Arbor Day. (Arbor Day was part of the school calendar in 1882.) Today, Arbor Day is usually celebrated on the last Friday in April. Conservationists already knew the results of the misuse of land, especially the removal of trees which had been witnessed in the east and the south, where “clearing the land” was part of the earliest pioneer efforts. Conservationists such as Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir acted to save much of the Far West’s forests and the redwoods of California were a symbol of their efforts. (Today, they remain in the forefront of the news as they are threatened by wildfires.) During the Depression of the 1930s, farmers had to deal with drought and sandstorms in the Midwest. By the 1950s, Urban Renewal in the cities saw devastating results for trees. (A recent article in the Rochester newspaper, illustrated the choices made to keep the old trees in the more affluent parts of the city.) Of course, in LeRoy, the tree that most people think about is the “Library Tree” but there are other trees in LeRoy’s history that should be mentioned. Jacob LeRoy had a brick wall built behind his house. Along the south-facing wall, he planted fruit trees which were “espaliered” which means they were trained to be flat against the wall in a pattern that made it easier to pick the fruit. This method of training trees was also used by George Washington at Mt. Vernon. Other trees that some people remember, were the double row of maple trees that lined East Main Street as you entered the village. Only a few of these trees remain today, having succumbed to the chain saw when Main Street was torn up and repaved by the State. Since that time, the maples have also suffered from old age and recent wind storms. It would be remiss if the trees at Machpelah Cemetery weren’t mentioned. Recent wind storms have brought down pine trees and the stately maple trees planted in the 19th century. A huge sycamore tree at the entry to the Woodward mausoleum was also taken down when its hollow core became evident. Just on the other side of the fence, next to the Jell-O factory, another sycamore was recently cut down. Another sycamore was taken down on Mill Street. The sycamore is often hollow, and early settlers used them for barrels. (There is one of these sycamore barrels in the basement of LeRoy House.) More remarkable, none of the magnolia trees in Machpelah suffered damage during the wind. And even more remarkable, is the huge Cucumber Magnolia, in Machpelah which is only a couple of inches from the New York State record. This magnificent tree, must have been planted in the 19th century, but no record indicates when it was planted. And there is another Cucumber Magnolia in LeRoy, on the corner of Church Street and East Main, at the corner of the St. Mark’s parking lot. There were elm trees along Main Street. These did not survive the Dutch Elm disease and the huge Elm tree in the middle of the park on Summit Street was cut down in 1960. It was said that around 1820, George Platt began trimming this tree. When it was cut down, it had a circumference of 18 feet. Indeed, if we ever needed an Arbor Day, it’s now. Our beautiful trees are disappearing. Consider the huge die off of Ash trees recently. And the State Environmental Agency is closely watching Hemlock trees which are being attacked by small mites. Not so long ago, all of us were wondering about gypsy moths eating oak leaves. This past spring, huge infestation of gypsy moth eggs were found on trees in Machpelah. Yes, this year we need to look around at our trees. Arbor Day may be more important than ever. And it is not just a day for children in school to recite the poem "I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree." We should remember Johnny Appleseed – John Chapman; David Thereau; John Burroughs; George Washington Carver; all men who knew the importance of conservation. We need to learn about the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and the Nature Conservancy. Arbor Day, is an investment in the future. Its celebration may be realized by generations in the future. J. Sterling Morton wrote: “Other holidays repose upon the past –Arbor Day proposes for the future.” Arbor Day This giant Elm tree stood in the park on Summit Street until 1960, when is succumbed to Dutch Elm disease. It was 18 foot in circumference and was believed to have been standing when the earliest pioneers came to the area in the late 1700s.
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