Early Years of Indiana’s Forestry Movement - John P. Brown and The First Indiana Forestry Association – Part 1

By Bill Hoover and Robert Mayer

1842-1915 John P. Brown Source: Brown, John P. 1906. Practical Arboriculture, (p. 456) The Henneberry Press, Chicago, 459 p.

Very few leaders in Indiana at the end of the 19th Century were concerned about the impact of “exploitative” harvesting of timber. A national forestry movement had been ongoing since at least 1875 when the American Forestry Association was established. The first American Forest Congress was held in 1882 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Charles Schenck, Director of Biltmore Forest School published in 1905 his Lectures on Forest Policy. The Second Part summarized Forestry Conditions in the United States. His review of the forestry movement in Indiana was “recent, but energetic propaganda, influenced by John P. Brown (of Connersville), State forest association.”

The movement developed slowly in Indiana because of the economic importance of clearing forest land. The first history of Indiana (Haymond, S. A. 1879. An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana, 3rd ed., S.L. Marrow & Co., Indianapolis, 798 p.) reported 5 million acres of improved farmland in 1850, 8.2 million in 1860, and 10.1 in 1870. Farm woodland in 1870 was estimated at 7.2 million acres. (p. 319) Neither the significance of Indiana’s forest resource, nor woodland conversion are discussed. Forests and forest products are discussed in detail in a 1915 history. (Cottman, George S. 1915. Centennial History and Handbook of Indiana. Max R. Hyman, Publisher. 202 p.) My focus in this article is the role of John Pickney Brown in the early forestry movement. Arguably, he initiated it in Indiana.

In his time John Pickney Brown (Brown) was nationally recognized as a leading advocate for forest conservation in general and tree planting in particular. The clear-cut timberland he observed in his travels throughout the United States and demand for railroad ties and timbers convinced him that a timber famine was eminent. His solution was tree planting, using catalpa where feasible. Advocacy of catalpa had been on-going for many years before Brown’s advocacy.

His network of contacts and associates included many of the major advocates of forest conservation. At the time of his death in 1902, J. Sterling Morton was President of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) founded by Brown, replacing the short-lived Indiana Forestry Association (IFA). Morton founded Arbor Day in 1872 in Nebraska and was US Secretary of Agriculture from 1893 to 1897. Other advocates included Will Cumback, Indiana Representative to 34 Congress, 1855 to 1857, and Lt. Governor 1868. Brown knew President Harrison well enough to get his support, and with Secretary of Agriculture, John W. Noble, to obtain a position within the US Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Forestry. In 1890 Brown was employed in the Department of the Interior at Washington, while John W. Noble was Secretary of the Interior. Indiana native, Benjamin Harrison was U. S. President at the time. The President was an advocate for forestry, creating the first national forest reserves, later to become National Forests. Brown’s major benefactor was William J. Palmer, railroad tycoon and founder of the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Palmer also served as ISA President.

Brown is essentially lost to history because he’s not viewed as having had a significant impact in Indiana. Although he established IFA, followed by ISA; both were short lived. Additionally, he lived outside Indiana for many years and traveled extensively. Closing IFA and starting ISA caused hard feelings among Indiana colleagues. The seminal Indiana Forest Classification Act (I.C. 6-1, 1-6) passed in 1921, well after Brown’s death, was a revision of an earlier act credited to IFA, i.e. An Act for the Encouragement of Forestry (S.L. Ch 256, p. 570), 1899. Its provisions were too cumbersome to be effective. It was repealed on February 27, 1905 (S.L. ch 49, sec 3, p. 64)¹, it was the first act in the nation providing a fixed assessment for forest land. It required County Auditors to conduct inspections of land to be enrolled to determine the number of trees and their health. He and other IFA leaders also played a leading role in passing the act establishing the Indiana Board of Forestry, of which he was expected to be secretary.

John Pinkney² Brown was born January 19, 1842 in Rising Sun, Indiana, an early settlement on the Ohio River at the Ohio border. He married Mary Ellen Stevens (1848-1928) in Baldwin, KS on March 18, 1868. They had three sons and seven daughters. Daughter Mary E. Brown was a supporter of his forestry campaign. She served as a Christian medical missionary in Korea, explaining Brown’s interest in this country and the many photos from Korea included in “Arboriculture.”³ A great grand-daughter, Sherry H. Olson, authored The Depletion Myth: A History of Railroad Use of Timber. In her acknowledgement she described Brown as “A peculiar responsibility must be attributed to my great grandfather, John Pickney Brown, the ‘Johnny Catalpa Seed’ of the railroads, and author and publisher of Practical Arboriculture (Connersville, IN 1906).”

The Indianapolis Star published a long article about him that included a description of his personality: “The personality of Mr. Brown’ kindly and helpful is known throughout the length and breath of the middle West. No surgeon hurrying to the bedside of a patient has greater anxiety than possesses Mr. Brown when hastening to examine a sick forest or to the first aid of a distressed tree planter.”⁴

James H. Bowditch, Chairman, Massachusetts Forestry Association, in an August 6, 1902 letter to the editor of “Arboriculture” praised Brown:

“Mr. Brown’s name is a common one, and he has the good gift of seeing and handling common things in a masterly way. Practical, businesslike, tireless; one day perhaps in California, next week in Boston. Distance seems to lend enhancement to the view, and his far-reaching grasp of the situation is interesting and inspiring. Presidents of great railway systems employ him as an expert on growth and encourage growth of tie timber. Mine owners of the West accept his forestry advice. Their acceptance means they see a business end to his advice. ISA is made up almost wholly of men and women who believe that Mr. Brown can and will manage their public and private forestry affairs conscientiously and well.”⁵

Bowditch advocated joining both ISA and the American Forestry Association (AFA). ISA competed with AFA, founded in 1875 in Chicago.

Brown described in a 1905 article in the ISA magazine “Arboriculture”⁶ how he became interested in trees and forests generally, and catalpa specifically. His interest started as a school boy and his knowledge was acquired by observation, not books or universities. The woods were a greater attraction than social functions or employments. One source reported that he briefly attended Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana, where he studied civil engineering. Another implies that he graduated from Hanover. Regardless, he referred to himself as a civil engineer, specifically a railroad engineer. The archivist at Hanover found no record of his having ever attended.⁷ We found no explanation of how he acquired railroad engineer skills. He served in the Sixteenth Indiana Regiment during the Civil War. He died at age 72 on November 15, 1914, in Norwood, Hamilton County, Ohio⁸ and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.⁹

Daniel Den Uyl, Purdue University, Department of Forestry, frequently mentions Brown in his “History of Forest Conservation in Indiana.”¹⁰ He refers to Brown’s article “An Enlarged Forest Area a Necessity to the State,” published in the Transactions of the Indiana Horticulture Society in 1898. Also, that an IFA representative was a designated member of the State Board of Forestry established by the Indiana State Legislature on March 1, 1901.

Noted jurist and historian, Daniel Wait Howe, authored a frequently cited history of the founding and early years of the State of Indiana, and its first capital in Corydon, “Making a Capital in the Wilderness.”¹¹ Howe describes the region’s “wonderful resources” with a quote from Brown’s paper read before the Indiana State Board of Commerce, February 8, 1900. Brown was introduced in the quote as IFA Secretary. Based on the speeches and papers he offered, Brown was recognized as the major authority on Indiana’s forests and its wood products industry. Purdue University was at this time just starting to become a factor in the understanding of the state’s forest resources.

Indiana’s centennial celebration included the publication of the Centennial History and Handbook of Indiana.¹² Indiana forests are the focus of the natural resources chapter. The negative impact of forest “destruction” is discussed in two categories: the reduction in timber available for manufacturers, and environmental impact on the balance of nature and effect on climate, conservation of soil and water, and reduction in productivity of farms. The discussion of the forestry movement in Indiana includes the influence of IFA, Albert Lieber president and Brown secretary. The author emphasized that one of IFA’s purposes was to promote the passage of a forestry law. A result was the statute establishing a State Board of Forestry. The board members included by statute an IFA representative. The extensive Who’s Who in Indiana appended to the Centennial History included Albert Lieber, an Indianapolis brewer, but not John P. Brown.

Brown was introduced at presentations and referred to in newspaper articles as a forestry expert. At the August Wayne County Horticulture Society, he was introduced as “regarded as Indiana’s most eminent authority on the timber question.”¹³ On his visit to Mexico the President of Mexico invited him to a meeting.¹⁴ He was frequently asked by investors to inspect forest holdings in the West.¹⁵ He knew many because of his railroad work and relation with Palmer.

He worked as a civil engineer in the survey of the Pacific Railway east from California in 1866, the survey of the state line between California and Nevada in 1866, and on various railway engineering projects. He surveyed the boundary of the Crow Indian Reservation for the Federal Government in 1890. He made forestry studies in the field, including the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and southeast. His work with railway companies provided him with train passes. He originated the plan for extensive tree planting by railroads for timber purposes with twenty-five million planted. He traveled over five hundred thousand miles in North and Central America in the study of forests. In 1902 he established the magazine “Arboriculture,” devoted to economic forestry. Articles and editorials advocated tree planting by the federal and state governments, corporations, and individuals. It was published monthly from 1902 until May 1906, and bimonthly thereafter. Publication ceased in 1908. Brown was the author of most of the articles. It was not an academic journal.

He had no formal forestry training, but, his enthusiasm for forest conservation and preservation is evident in his presentation to the State Horticulture Society of Michigan in 1900. His introductory points show a recognition of the economic impact of the timber industry and wood processing, forests as a regulator of climate, and ecological conditions.

Scientific forestry focused on conditions in the U. S. was in its infancy at the end of the 19th century. The primary source was the work in Europe and silvicultural recommendations based on observations of existing forests and the effects of manipulations. The depth of Brown’s knowledge is provided by a paper he presented to the Indiana Horticultural Society in 1898.¹⁶ He starts with an assessment of what we would now refer to as the ecological impacts of reduced forest acreage. He pointed out that a result was an increase in noxious insects in fields, orchards and gardens resulting from the loss of forest habitat for birds. Also, increased temperature and reduced precipitation and a significant increase in soil erosion, especially in the rolling hills of southern Indiana.

Emulating European foresters and as a welcomed harbinger of modern forestry, Brown provided recommendations on species to plant based primarily on their market value. His focus was intensively managed monoculture plantations. Small trees had value because they were used for small parts of wagons, fence posts, bent wood for furniture and horse rigging. He included in “Arboriculture” his estimates of the rate of increase in girth for thirty species. He held that a primary reason for land clearing in the post-pioneer period was the taxation of crop and forest land at the same rate. He hypothesized that leaving an acre of forest land for every ten acres of crop land would provide a better financial return than crops alone. He estimated that ten acres of any of the prime species in twenty years would have a value of $1,000 “at interest,” but his estimates didn’t include the time value of money. Planted walnut groves in 25 years would have a value of $75 per thousand board feet, or more than $2,000 per acre. He discusses the establishment, uses and management of wild black cherry, American chestnut, larch, and mulberry. He also discusses nursery practices focusing on seed collection, preparation and planting in nursery beds.

His work to improve conditions in his community and state predates his work leading to the bills providing tax relief for timberland owners and establishment of the Indiana Bureau of Forestry. In the late 1800’s landowners could pay their property taxes by working on nearby roads. As the importance of roads increased with the growth of the economy it became obvious that adequate roads were not possible with only tax-paying laborers. Brown was a founder and vice president representing the Fifth District of an association organized at the 1892 Road Congress.¹⁷ It was called the Indiana Highway Improvement Association. He gave papers in many locations promoting a requirement to pay property taxes in cash.

Brown used the term “arboriculture” in his later years to capture his work. The modern definition is the science of and practices related to the cultivation of trees and shrubs for ornamental purposes. It contrasts with “forestry,” the science of and practices related to the management and development of forests. Brown used the term more broadly.¹⁸

His introduction to “Arboriculture: A Monthly Magazine,” defines arboriculture as “. . . a science that teaches how great are the influences which forests or trees exert upon a community; not only from the economic uses for which wood is adapted for man’s benefit, but in their far-reaching effect upon climate and thus the welfare and permanence of nations and peoples.”¹⁹ “Ecosystem services” captures these points. He listed the topics related to arboriculture: economics, entomology, ornithology, fire protection, irrigation, planting trees, nurse trees, wood preservation, how soils are made, river navigation, levee systems, watersheds, permanence of springs, and underground rivers. His book and magazines include articles on all these subjects.

“Arboriculture” did, however, publish many articles about what is now called “urban forestry.” “Shade Trees for Town and City Streets” went into detail on why trees were important, problems encountered in the planting and care of trees, and details on the major species suitable for city streets.²⁰ He included numerous full-page photos of exemplary trees in city settings. Brown was a pacesetter.

William L (Bill) Hoover is a Professor of Forestry, Emeritus at Purdue University. During his tenure, Bill was a leader and nationally known expert in the application of the federal income and estate tax laws to family forest owners. Robert W. Mayer, MS is owner and operator of Mayer Forest Product Services located in Connersville, Indiana.

Footnotes

1 Fairchild, Fred R. 1935. Forest taxation in the United States, US Dept. Agr. Misc. Pub No. 218.

2 Both Pickney and Pinkney are common spellings in references

3 The Indianapolis Journal, Indianapolis, IN, March 1, 1904, p. 3.

4 The Indianapolis Star, November 6, 1909, p. 6

5 “Arboriculture.” 1902. 1(1):7

6 “How I became interested in the Catalpa tree: The story of John P. Brown.” 1905. “Arboriculture.” 4(4):89-97. 7 Jennifer Duplaga, Archives and Public Services Librarian, Duggan Library, Hanover College, 812-866-7181, duplaga@hanover.edu , contacted February 7, 2019. https://www.indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/sixteenth-indiana-regiment-muster-roll-1863.pdf Accessed October 18, 2019.

8 State of Ohio, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death No. 60988.

9 Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18313507/john-p_-brown, accessed 2/8/2020. Find a Grave Memorial #18313507, Plot: Section 113, Lot 228

10 Proc. Indiana Academy of Sci., Vol 66 (1956), pp. 261-267.

11 “Indiana Historical Society Publications.” 1908. IV(4):299-338. Indianapolis, E.J. Hecker.

12 George S. Cottman and Max R. Hyman, editors. 1915. Max R. Hyman publisher. The Hollenbeck Press. Indianapolis, IN, 463 p.

13 Timber Supply Worries Brown. The Richmond Item, August 12, 1907, p. 2.

14 Mr. John P Brown Returns. The Indianapolis Journal. August 10, 1903, p. 8.

15 The Columbus Republican, Columbus, Indiana. June 4, 1903, p. 1. This article appeared 2 other papers.

16 Brown, JP. 1898. An enlarged forest area a necessity to the state. Proceedings of the Indiana Horticultural Society, Indianapolis, Dec. 6 – 8, 1898. IN “Transactions of the Indiana Horticultural Society for the Year 1898.” P. 152 -161.

17 The Rushville Republican, Rushville, IN. December 20, 1892, p. 4.

18 The Republic, Columbus, IN. December 29, 1898, p. 2.

19 Brown, John P. 1902. “Arboriculture,” 1(1):5-7. International Society of Arboriculture, Chicago, IL.

20 “Arboriculture.” VI(6):353-391. November 1907.