Arbor Day

It all started when Morton and his bride, Caroline Joy French, left for the wilds of the Nebraska Territory after marrying in Detroit in October 1851. The couple settled on 160 treeless acres where Morton planted thousands of trees while carrying on a busy career and raising four sons.

The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska City, and by all estimations, nearly one million trees were planted that day. By 1885, Arbor Day was a legal holiday in Nebraska when the date for Arbor Day was changed to April 22 to honor Morton's birthday. Thousands turned out for that celebration, including 1,000 children who marched in a parade.

Within 20 years, Arbor Day was celebrated in every state in the union, except Delaware, which eventually joined the fun.

According to almanac.com, Morton was particularly pleased that schools across the country recognized Arbor Day and dedicated the trees they planted to people who were special to them.

These days, Arbor Day occurs on the last Friday in April. The purpose of Arbor Day is to encourage people to plant trees, collect litter or somehow benefit the environment.