Forestry

History

Urban Forestry History

Select a link to see the Urban Forestry history for that time period.

1889 - 1929  |  1930 - 1939  |  1940 - 1959  |  1960 - 1969  |  1970 - 1989  |  1990 - 2001

1889 - 1929 Timeline

1889Wisconsin Legislature passes an act authorizing the Governor to designate Arbor Day
1890 La Crosse observes Arbor Day by planting 400 trees
1892 Milwaukee hires the prestigious firm of Fredrick Law Olmstead to design Lake Park 1911 Milwaukee establishes a tree nursery at Evergreen Park, planting 32,000 trees
1918 Milwaukee forestry program begins when Otto W. Spidel is hired as city forester with a salary of $2,025 and a budget of $15,000 to purchase all necessary forestry equipment and hire staff
1919 City of Milwaukee plants 4,000 elm, Norway maple, ash and linden; forestry budget $17,419.61
1925 Green Bay initiates first street tree planting program
1929 Green Bay establishes tree nursery at Murphy Park

 

The first nursery and planting a large tree in Green Bay.

 

1898 Wage Increases
City of Milwaukee

Park Laborers$1.25 to $1.50 per day
Assistant Foreman$1.50 to $1.75 per day
Teamsters – with a team$3.00 to $3.25 per day

 

1920 - Rules and Regulations Governing Tree Work in the Plantation Borders of Highways in the City of Milwaukee

  1. Planting: Trees must be not less than TWO inches in diameter and the hole for the same must not be less than two feet deep and not less than four feet square.
  2. All two or three inch trees to be protected and supported by tree guards. When guarded with one stake only, the latter must be towards the curb, tied with suitable #8 tie.
  3. The following distances must be adhered to: Elm or sugar maple – 40 feet Norway Maple, linden or ash – 35 feet Horsechestnut or hackberry – 30 feet
  4. Varieties not suitable for highway plantings: soft maple, ailanthus, boxelder, catalpa, mountain ash, beech, willows or conifers.
  5. Clearance from sidewalk to lower branches – not less than ten feet.

 

City of Milwaukee 1911 Budget for Evergreen Park Nursery (first year of operation)

Maintenance:

Cultivating and pruning$302.75
Sprinkling$72.30
Weeding$208.26
Collecting seeds$7.84
Seed frames$11.02
Manure$30.50
Pipe for treating manure$12.57
Material for general care of plants$35.85
Total$681.09
 

Outlays:

Preparing Soil$114.00
Manure173.86
Trees & Seed$279.67
Duty & Freight on Trees & Seed$40.95
Seeding & Planting$430.93
Total$1039.40
Grand Total of Green Bay$1720.49
Last Revised: Monday July 30 2007