Part 1 The Early Years
What’s in a name? Have you walked the paths of Secret Arboretum wondering who the man behind the name is? Edmund Secrest, Ohio’s first State Forester, established the arboretum as a living tree laboratory and urged Ohioans to “Plant Trees!” On the archival shelves of the Secrest Arboretum Welcome and Education Center rest Secrest’s personal papers long ago donated by his family. They contain forgotten gems of information about this remarkable individual. A few will be shared here and in future issues.
Born in 1882 and raised on a Kansas farm, Secrest received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1902 from Kansas Agricultural College. His papers contain a sentimental autograph book with a predictive inscription for his tenth birthday. Ola Secrest, his “loving cousin,” advised him: “Dear Eddie, speak gently ‘tis a little thing dropped in the heart’s deep well. The good the joy that it may bring, eternity shall tell.” Because of his actions and words, much good and joy followed for Ohio’s citizens, forests, and parks.
Following graduation, Secrest held important forestry positions. From 1902-05 under President Teddy Roosevelt’s administration, Secrest worked as an assistant in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. On the recommendation of renowned conservationist and U.S. Forest Service Chief Gifford Pinchot, Ohio hired Secrest, placing him in Wooster at the then Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station.
The major focus of forestry in early twentieth-century Ohio was the restoration of Ohio’s forestland decimated to 10% by years of lumbering and farming. In 1906, Secrest led a crew in horse-drawn carriages and wagons across the state of Ohio. Their goal —"to communicate with landowners” and “to survey land to assess the current condition of the state’s trees.” Secrest’s precise data revealed that most of Ohio’s timber was located on farmer’s woodlots, thus helping to determine Ohio State Forestry Policy for many decades.
Secrest Arboretum celebrates Secrest’s careful plantings and recorded observations in the originally named “Forest Arboretum,” but he was also busy with affairs across the state and nation. Two letters and a brochure suggest more.
World War I was a challenging time, but the U. S. stood ready to contribute. The pamphlet Twentieth Engineers (Forest) and How to Join It, published in 1917 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, outlines the need for skilled woodsmen, sawmill workers, and foresters to enlist and head to France to manage forests and provide lumber for the war. Listed among the Federal and State Forest Officers to whom qualified candidates can apply is Edmund Secrest, Ohio State Forester, Wooster.
A two-page letter dated September 12, 1917, comes from J.W. Hoover in Kansas. Carefully worded, it offers advice from Secrest’s father-in-law concerning whether Edmund Secrest should accept a position in wartime France. Weighing the pros and cons, Hoover concludes, “As I see it now, I should not say yes or no to this proposition, but some way the facts and pictures in my mind lean very strongly to your remaining where you are to do the best and most permanent good, not only for yourself and your home but for the public at large…”
As Ohio State Forester, Secrest became responsible for determining how much wood was needed to heat Ohio homes to replace coal, a necessary war resource. He also allocated Ohio timber for propellor blades, gun stocks, and tool handles.
Edmund Secrest not only managed trees, but he also cared for people. A June 4, 1918, letter from G.O. Cook, stationed in France, thanks “Mr. Secrest” for his May 11 letter. In eleven detailed pages, Cook describes the forest area of France, his work in the forestry battalion, how French trees compare to Ohio trees, and he reminisces about his work under Secrest in the southwestern forest areas of Ohio. His admiration of Edmund Secrest is obvious.
Up next: Edmund Secrest’s impact on Ohio’s forests.
–Pat Warner, Master Gardener Volunteer