Pictured abovwe for the 2008 Arbor Day Celebration are: S. Campbell-Morris, Annette Hoover, Virtue Austin, Willie Mae Evans, District 5 Councilwoman Ossia Edwards and Mayor Ron Davis.

The City of Prichard held its 3rd Annual Arbor Day Celebration on March 28, 2008 at the Prichard S.A.I.L. Community Center. The guest speaker was the principal of W.D. Robbins Elementary School, Marceletta Stewart, who was phenomenal. The school’s Choir and it’s director gave an A & B selection. Mayor Ron Davis and Prichard City Council Members: Bracy, Edwards and Towner made heart felt remarks during the program as well as Former State Rep. Bill Clark. The program was concluded by a tree planting demonstration by Michael McIntyre of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Program.

For more information contact:
Tywanda Jackson
City of Prichard
Community Development Director
216 East Prichard Ave.
Prichard, Alabama 36610
(Office) 251-452-7892
(Fax) 251-452-2875
t.jackson@thecityofprichard.org
History of Arbor Day

The idea for Arbor Day originally came from Nebraska. Among pioneers moving into the Nebraska Territory in 1854 was J. Sterling Morton from Detroit. He and his wife were lovers of nature, and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees shrubs and flowers. Morton became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, which provided the opportunity to stress the value of trees. On January 4, 1872, Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called"Arbor Day" at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for the planting of the largest number of trees on that day. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. As a result of the events great turnout, Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by Gov. Robert W. Furnas on March 12, 1874. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. During the 1870's other states passed legislation to observe Arbor
Day. Today the most common date for the state observances is the last Friday in April but a number of state Arbor Days are at other times to coincide with the best tree planting weather, from January and February in the south, to May in the far north.