Arbor, a hamlet in Lancaster County, Nebraska, was named from “Arbor Lodge,” the home in Nebraska City of J. Sterling Morton, once U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, a prominent citizen of Nebraska and founder of Arbor Day. His eldest son, Joy Morton, owned the land on which Arbor was established. The Morton family owned land in and around the saline basin in unsuccessful attempts to profitably develop salt production.
In its heyday, Arbor consisted of a siding on the Chicago and North Western Railroad, a RR station, grain elevator, post office, School District 109, and residences. School District 109 building now houses the Raymond Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Arbor Station facility.
After his father passed, Joy Morton finished Arbor Lodge in the architecture we see today. He gave his family home and its surrounding arboretum to the State of Nebraska in perpetuity as our first state historical park. Joy established the Morton Salt company, produced Argo Cornstarch and developed the first teletype messaging system. Joys greatest gift to the public is the Morton Arboretum, a 1700 acre tract now surrounded by Chicago, Illinois suburbs. Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized tree-focused botanical garden and research center.
I wanted to find a home for this cache on Arbor Road in homage to J. Sterling Morton and Joy Morton.