281 . HARK AND CEMETERY. 
BIRTH OF CITY FORESTRY IN CHICAGO 
Paper of J. H. Prost, City Forester of Chicago, at 
Cincinnati Convention of American Civic Association. 
The pioneers of Chicago inform me 
that before the fire of 1871, the then 
residence streets of Chicago were -so 
well planted with trees as to suggest 
the civic motto “Urbs in Horto,” a City 
Set in a Garden. 
After the fire the largest majority of 
these magnificent trees were never re- 
placed, and Chicago, in its rapid com- 
mercial and industrial development, 
sought to supply its aesthetic needs and 
uphold this civic motto by establishing 
elaborate playgrounds, beautiful parks 
and extensive boulevard systems ; and 
while these really are necessary and 
beautiful features of which we may well 
feel proud, yet in accomplishing all 
this we have thoughtlessly neglected 
w^hat may be considered the back yard 
or living portion of the city, overlook- 
ing these features of the “City Beauti- 
ful,” which become a joy and comfort 
to the masses. 
In Chicago we have some fifty or 
more civic improvement organizations, 
covering all parts of the city, and these 
are again affiliated, forming a league of 
Improvement Associations. 
These associations have long realized 
that the street tree is an indispensable 
factor in making the city more habit- 
able and essential to an ideal residence 
street. In 1904 a Chicago “Tree Plant- 
ing Society” was organized to promote 
the planting and care of street trees. 
It published and distributed a circular 
setting forth the reasons why trees 
should be planted. 
But definite results were not obtained 
until January, 1909, when the Chicago 
Woman’s Club put forth determined ef- 
forts to establish an office for the mu- 
nicipal control of street trees; by call- 
ing a meeting at which there was ap- 
pointed the Chicago Tree Committee 
made up of thirty citizens representing 
many prominent clubs and societies, 
with Franklin MacVeagh, now Secre- 
tary of the Treasury, as chairman. 
This body proposed to Mayor Busse 
the adoption of an ordinance concern- 
ing trees and shrubbery in the streets 
of the city. The proposition was ap- 
proved by the Mayor and on his rec- 
ommendation the City Council March 
22d, unanimously adopted an ordinance 
as drafted by the Tree Committee. 
It was agreed by the Mayor and cit- 
izens interested that the work ought to 
be placed in charge of the Special Park 
Commission, as its work for small parks 
and playgrounds already extended over 
the entire city, besides possessing the 
necessary facilities and experience in 
the subject. 
The ordinance accordingly gives con- 
trol of the trees in the streets to the 
Special Park Commission, authorizes it 
to appoint a City Forester, who is to 
direct, assist and advise persons wishing 
to plant trees, and to have general 
charge of the care of the trees in the 
streets. 
The ordinance further provides that 
the City Forester shall superintend, 
regulate and encourage the preservation, 
culture and planting of shade and orna- 
mental trees and shrubbery in the park- 
ways of the City of Chicago. 
It shall be the duty of owners of 
lots within whose lot lines trees are 
growing to keep them trimmed so that 
they shall not interfere with the pas- 
sage of light from the street lamps, and 
that dead or living limbs shall not over- 
hang the street or sidewalk so as to 
interfere with the proper use of the 
same. 
Before planting trees in the parkways 
of the city’s streets a written permit 
must be obtained from the City Forester, 
this being for the purpose of controll- 
ing the variety, size and character of 
tree planted. Trees must not be plant- 
ed nearer together than twenty-five feet 
in any case. 
No one shall, without a permit from 
the City Forester, remove or cut down 
any tree or in any way injure trees in 
the parkway nor hitch horses to them 
nor allow horses to stand near enough 
to bite them, nor fasten any rope, wire, 
sign, poster or hand bills to them nor 
interfere with any guard put up to pro- 
tect the trees. 
Gas Companies, upon notice, must re- 
pair any leak in their gas pipes that 
may endanger the trees in the park- 
ways. 
No stone, cement or other material 
shall be permitted in the parkways 
which may endanger the life of trees 
in such parkways. An open space not 
less than two feet in width must be left 
around any tree planted in the side- 
walk space. 
-Persons carrying on building opera- 
tions must protect exposed trees in the 
streets with guards so that they shall 
not be injured. 
Violations of the ordinance are pun- 
ishable by a fine of not less than $5.00 
nor more than $100 for each offense. 
Upon assuming the duties of the office 
in May, 1909, it was found that a Spe- 
cial Park Commission, by the passing 
of this ordinance, had added to its su- 
pervision about 1,486 miles of parkway 
lying along improved streets, and 1,370 
miles of parkway lying along unim- 
proved streets and 1,415 miles of alley. 
Eighty thousand would be a fair 
guess as. to the number of trees growing 
in the parkways of Chicago. At the 
request of the Special Park Commis- 
sion the Superintendent of the Bureau 
of Streets co-operated with the Com- 
mission by instructing the thirty-five 
ward superintendents to make an offi- 
cial count of the dead trees in the park- 
ways. This census shows that there 
are more than 3,000 dead trees standing 
in the streets. In addition there are a 
larger number of trees which are part- 
ly dead and badly in need of trimming. 
The condition of the city’s finances 
was such that the only appropriation 
which could be made in this year’s bud- 
get was for the salary of a Forester 
and sundry expenses. Thus the work 
has been confined to the supervision 
and direction of private effort, the pro- 
tection of existing trees and the collec- 
tion of information regarding the num- 
ber, location and condition of trees ex- 
isting in the city. 
The department was immediately 
called upon to give advice to citizens 
planning the planting of trees and 
shrubbery in the parkways, to consult 
with neighborhood and street improve- 
ment associations who desired advice 
on planting, and these clubs also ar- 
ranged for meetings of property owners, 
where an outline of the purpose and ac- 
tivities of the office were given in addi- 
tion to information on street tree plant- 
ing. Our efforts were next directed 
toward informing citizens, police de- 
partment and public utility corporations 
of the passage, purpose and contents of 
the ordinance, and to arouse an appre- 
ciation of the services this new depart- 
ment could render our citizens. 
Realizing the vast importance of this 
work, the extent of territory covered, 
and the unlimited possibilities, I was 
determined to fortify the office with as 
much available information on Gity 
Tree work as could be gathered. To 
this end the officers of the American 
Civic Association courteously gave me 
invaluable information and sugges- 
tions. 
A hurried trip was made to a num- 
ber of the Eastern cities where inval- 
uable information and suggestions on 
City Forestry work wes found avail- 
able and courteously supplied. Wash- 
