History of Trees in Communities

Records of intentional tree planting in cities extend back to 1400 BC in Egypt. In the 1500’s, the first of several distinct landscape elements appeared in Italy, the garden allée which is a tree-lined pathway. A new type of allée, the wall promenade, was constructed in France and elsewhere late in the 16th century as military tactics changed. Double rows of trees were planted on ramparts that replaced masonry walls; thus public open space was created. In the 1700’s street trees became commonplace in many European cities. Trees were thought to promote public health by purifying the air.

In America, settlers had to clear trees from the wilderness, but also valued their use for buildings, implements, and fuel. Their European experience was tempered with attitudes about freedom, independence from European domination, and beliefs in private property and free enterprise. So our public spaces developed differently, though with some European influences.

In Boston the first public planting of trees in 1646 was for the relief of travelers, and included the famous “Liberty Elm”. Trees played a significant role in Pennsylvania’s history. Even the state’s name means Penn’s Woods. William Penn in 1681 stated his Greene Countrie Towne “will never be burnt and always be wholesome”, which predated European references to healthfulness.

In Philadelphia tree planting was ordained in 1700, and by 1750 the public became involved in planting city trees. In 1896 the city hired an arborist with the title of Chief Forester, perhaps the first urban forester, long before this term was conceived. Other American cities such as Washington, DC, Savannah, and Sacramento, also were planting trees in the 1700’s. In 1857, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux employed the naturalistic, picturesque European style to design Central Park in New York City. They invented the name “landscape architect” to convey their intent to design, just as an architect designs buildings. They believed the parks would promote social progress and greater tolerance among diverse people.

Especially noteworthy is the empowerment of municipal tree commissions by states, starting with New Jersey in 1893. Tree commissions are reminiscent of Andrew Jackson Downing’s Ornamental Tree Societies. What’s significant is that tree commissions transfer advisory or operational responsibilities to citizen volunteers, which apparently is uniquely American.

Modern municipal tree management practices got underway in the 20th century. Early recommendations for inventorying and managing urban trees were made already in 1895, and inventory data became much more useful with the advent of computers in the last two decades. Yet accomplishments in the early 1900’s were remarkable without sophisticated records. For example New York City in 1910 had a forester and about 600 workers to care for 150,000 street trees. Unfortunately, tree care declined in most cities during the middle of the last century.