THE PIONEERING AND NOMADIC LUMBER INDUSTRY 27 



culture and later became U. S. Secretary of Agriculture. The idea of 

 planting trees on the great central plains quickly became popular. 

 The observance of this day has grown rapidly and spread to every 

 state in the union, our territorial possessions, and many foreign coun- 

 tries. Kansas and Tennessee proclaimed Arbor Day in 1875, North 

 Dakota and Ohio in 1882, and thereafter the other states throughout 

 the nation. Usually the day is fixed for each state or arranged by 

 proclamation or at the option of the governor. 



Arbor Day has had a profound influence in spreading a better 

 knowledge of trees and an appreciation of their value. Although trees 

 originally were planted for shade and windbreak purposes, the realiza- 

 tion of their significance and importance in the life of our people has 

 been given great impetus by an annual observance of this day. Pro- 

 gressive educators have come to realize the need of presenting the 

 forest problem in the schools. This has resulted in the creation of a 

 very helpful understanding among the future citizens of the country. 

 It has no doubt contributed very materially in formulating a favor- 

 able public sentiment. This, in turn, has made federal and state 

 legislation for the protection and care of our forests much more simple 

 and easy. 



2. THE PIONEERING AND NOMADIC LUMBER INDUSTRY 



The American lumber industry is the oldest and one of the largest 

 and most representative industries. From the earliest days it has 

 pioneered in cutting down our forests to provide shelter for our rapidly 

 increasing population. Next to food, shelter is the most urgent neces- 

 sity of mankind. The lumber industry developed primarily along 

 readily available systems of water transportation. This continued 

 almost unbroken during the pioneer and the colonial stages of devel- 

 opment until about 1860, when railroad facilities began gradually to 

 replace water transportation in moving logs and lumber to market. 



For many years the center of the lumber industry was in Maine. 

 The first sawmill was established in Berwick, Maine, in 1631, although 

 there were said to be sawmills installed after the settlement of James- 

 town, Virginia, in 1609, and those driven by the wind in 1622 to 1630 

 on Manhattan Island, New York City. Until 1840, the lumber in- 

 dustry was centered largely in Maine and New England. Virgin white 

 pine trees were often found from 130 to 160 feet in height and from 

 40 to 50 inches or more in diameter. It is reported that some even 

 attained a height of 250 feet and a diameter of 80 inches. 



In 1850, New York became the leading lumber state of the nation. 



