Arbor Day 1982

Here’s a look back at 1982 when a man helps a group of children plant a tree in honor of Arbor Day. Arbor Day originated in Nebraska in 1872, when the State Board of Agriculture adopted J. Sterling Morton’s resolution that April 10 of that year be set aside for tree planting. The board awarded premiums for the greatest number of trees, cuttings, and seeds planted. More than a million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.

In 1874 Governor Robert W. Furnas issued the first proclamation designating Arbor Day. The day became a legal holiday in 1885 when the Legislature set aside April 22, Morton’s birthday, as Arbor Day. A decade later, the Legislature passed a resolution that Nebraska would be known as the Tree Planter’s State.