Morton, Julius Sterling (1832-1902), an American political leader and nature lover, established the first United States observance of Arbor Day, a day for planting trees (see Arbor Day). Morton was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1893 to 1897 in President Grover Cleveland’s Cabinet. He was secretary of the Nebraska Territory from 1858 to 1861 and also served as acting governor of the territory for several months.
Morton was born in Adams, New York, on April 22, 1832. He received degrees from the University of Michigan and Union College. He died on April 27, 1902. A statue of Morton represented Nebraska in the United States Capitol from 1937 to 2023.
