Queen City Heritage

Warder, along with RobertBuchanan and Nicholas Long-worth, was active in the Cin-cinnati Horticulture Society.

Summer 1989

Dr. John Aston Warder

Dr. John Aston Warder

Roberta L. Schlachter

"CLIFTON PROPERTY FOR SALE. Abeautiful Country Seat in the town of Clifton, known as THESCARLET OAKS . . . "

So began the editor's own advertisement in theDecember 1850 issue of The Western Horticultural Review. Hewas quitting the practice of medicine to devote the rest of hislife to horticulture on a beautiful farm above the Ohio Rivernear North Bend. To him trees were earth's greatesttreasurers, and later he became recognized as "The Father ofAmerican Forestry."

More than that, like his fellow physicians, Dr.Daniel Drake and Dr. C.G. Comegys, John Warder madeother significant contributions to our cultural life in thenineteenth century. To pack into one lifetime his variedachievements would be amazing today. Yet John Warderbumped along in a horse drawn carriage over rural roads tohis committee meetings winter and summer, and he arrangedall his appointments without the time saving telephone.

Born in Philadelphia in 1812 to Quaker parents,Jeremiah and Ann Aston Warder, John Warder grew up ina family of culture and substance where a love for nature waspart of everyday life. Learned naturalists including John JamesAudubon, Thomas Nuttall, and William Bartram visited theWarder home frequently, and John had the good fortune towalk the Pennsylvania woods with them.1

In those years the agricultural college for whichhe yearned did not exist, so Warder studied medicine instead,graduating from the Jefferson Medical College in Philadel-phia. That same year he married Elizabeth Haines of theQuaker city.2 By this time the rest of his family had movedto Clark County in Ohio to develop land acquired earlier fromJohn Cleves Symmes and to become cultural and businessleaders in the city of Springfield.3

Luckily for Cincinnati young Dr. Warderdecided to begin his medical practice here, and in 1837 heopened an office at the Newport Ferry, corner of Ludlow andFront streets. For the seventeen years that he followed themedical profession he was known for his generosity in treatingindigent patients and for his competence in chairing thedepartments of chemistry and toxicology in the MedicalCollege of Ohio from 1854 to 1857.4

But while he was doctoring, he was also acharter member of the Cincinnati Society of Natural Historywhich he served as president for five years. In 1839 he becamecurator and treasurer of the Western Academy of NaturalScience.5 He was also active in the Cincinnati HorticulturalSociety, helped to organize the Cincinnati AstronomicalSociety,6 and in 1860 participated in the first Harvest HomeFestival in Cheviot, Ohio — still an annual September event.7

In addition, Warder's vital interest in educationled to his membership on the Cincinnati and Burr Oak (NorthBend) school boards. At his own expense he traveledextensively, studying school building construction andteaching methods so that he could bring back new ideas tohis home community. The founding of the first public highschool in Cincinnati in 1847 resulted from the work of acommittee on which John Warder served.8

As a practical landscape gardener he helped inthe planning of Spring Grove Cemetery. Not only did Dr.Warder help select specimens for Spring Grove, but withother volunteers he did some actual planting there. Startinga catalpa hedge around the cemetery and having unfenced lots

Roberta Schlachter, a gradu-ate of Miami University andthe University of Cincinnati, isa former teacher who pres-ently serves on the board ofthe Friends of the Library inHamilton County.

In 1837 John Aston Wardersettled in Cincinnati where hepracticed medicine until 1855when he gave it up andmoved to his new home atNorth Bend, Ohio.

Queen City Heritage

were two of his ideas. He also promoted the establishmentof a city park system of which his son Reuben eventuallybecame superintendent.9

In 1856 George Graham, secretary of theCincinnati Horticultural Society, recorded that the Societyhad arranged the purchase of the Garrard farm from JosiahLawrence in 1845 to be used for a "rural cemetery." Theadministrative Spring Grove Cemetery Society formed shortlythereafter was comprised largely of members of theHorticultural Society to which Warder belonged. As the twogroups worked cooperatively in developing the beautifulburial grounds, both deplored the fact that eleven years afterthe cemetery's founding Cincinnati, with a population of200,000 was "still without a public park."10

Meanwhile Dr. Warder seized every opportu-nity to urge tree planting in yards, along streets, on unusedprivate or public land. And our young country desperatelyneeded such a horticultural missionary. For too long settlersin their eagerness to clear land had tended to think of treesas enemies, of forests as everlasting. Wood was for burning

or building. Of erosion, soil depletion, and barren landscapesthe public seemed unaware.

In 1844 residents of Clifton discovered thatthey had an unusual new neighbor — a medical JohnnyAppleseed. That year Dr. Warder and his wife purchasedtwenty-nine acres of the 500 acre Clarkson farm that theLafayette Bank was then subdividing. This farmland waslargely denuded, so Warder immediately began planting treesand shrubs, not only on his own acreage which extended fromLafayette Avenue to the canal, but on his neighbors' placesas well.11

Many of these trees were his favorite scarletoaks, and he chose to name his residence after them. Laterwhen Mr. Schoenberger built his castle on the site of theWarders' cottage, he kept the name. Today the MethodistHome there is still known as "Scarlet Oaks," whilesurrounding Clifton has some of the finest trees in Cincinnati,thanks to John Warder.12

For almost a decade John and ElizabethWarder enjoyed their steep roofed house with its acute gables

Dr. Warder and his wife pur-chased twenty-nine acres inClifton and for almost adecade the Warders enjoyedtheir steep roof residencewhich he named ScarletOaks.

Summer 1989 Dr. John Aston Warder

DEVOTED TO

HORTICULTURE, POMOLOGY, GRAPE CULTURE, WINE MANUFACTURE,RURAL ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE GARDENING,

ENTOMOLOGY, METEOROLOGY, ETC.

J. A. WARDER, M. D., EDITOR,

VOLUME I.

FROM OCTOBER, 1850, TO SEPTEMBER, 1851, INCLUSIVE

CINCINNATI:MORGAN & OVEREND, PRINTERS

1851.

In 1850 Warder began theWestern Horticulture Reviewwhich continued for fouryears.

that overlooked the beautiful Mill Creek Valley.13 Half adozen children romped on its comfortable piazza by the timeDr. Warder decided to give up his medical practice and devoteall his time to his first love, horticulture.

In 1855 he bought more than 300 acres nearNorth Bend, Ohio, from President William Henry Harrison'swidow who, like many early settlers, was land poor at thetime.14

At first the large Warder family occupied aframe house on their property with its lovely view of the river.But soon work began on a splendid new home, "Aston," builtin the style of an English manor house. From his own IndianCreek (on which Harrison and Symmes both had mills at onetime) Warder obtained stone for the dwelling.15

Necessary timber came from his woodlands, ofcourse. Ethel Perkins, once owner of the Warder property,wrote: "A saw mill was set up to saw the oak, walnut, chestnut,and cherry for the floors and woodwork."16

One acre of the front lawn was laid out as aformal rose garden, while choice iris bordered the driveway.Beyond stretched fruit orchards and plantings of ornamentaltrees and shrubs of which Warder made a systematic studyduring the following years. Essentially this farm was the firstagricultural experimental station in the United States thoughit was never actually called that.17

From 1850 to 1854 during the transition periodfrom Clifton to North Bend, John Warder published amonthly magazine of forty-eight pages called The WesternHorticultural Review. There followed an excellent manualcalled Woody Plants of Ohio, and a Report of the Flax and HempCommission published by the Department of Agriculture. In1867 after sixteen years of study and experimentation Warderfinished his most ambitious book, American Pomology —Apples, in which he accounted for more than 1,500 varietiesof apples. This work was long an authority in its field.18

Over the years he also made repeated trips westlecturing farmers on what trees to plant and how to plant themin order to save and to enrich their lands. Repeatedly heencouraged them to grow "living fences" of draught-enduringtrees such as catalpa and alainthus. Warder also urged farmersto use "nurse trees" such as willow and box elder beforestarting hardwoods and evergreens. When the latter becameestablished and no longer needed protection, the "nurse trees"were to be destroyed without fail.19

During the 1850's Cincinnati was one of thegreat fruit and vegetable markets in the United States, andthe Cincinnati Horticultural Society sponsored localhorticultural exhibitions, usually in the spring and fall, that

Queen City Heritage

were spectacular. Dr. Warder played a prominent role inplanning these events which sometimes lasted several weeks.

For example, at the fall exhibit in 1855, held onVine Street between Fourth and Fifth streets, over 1,900 platesof fruits and vegetables were displayed. Showings of plantsand plant products from all over the world were enhanced bylarge fountains and pieces of sculpture. Visitors marveled ata seven foot leaf of the Victoria Regina Lily and at an Arabianplant specimen, dry and dormant since 1832, that had revivedin water. During the second week of the exposition all wasconverted into an art gallery with hundreds of paintings,engravings, photographs, and daguerreotypes relating tobotany. The third week from Monday to Wednesday gateswere closed to prepare for a grand ball, concert, and a"banquet of fruits and vegetables on the tables."20

September, 1856 brought an equally spectacu-lar exhibition to which the editor of Cincinnatus "took painsto escort thither his 'wee toddlin' things,' in order thatsomething of the fragrance and freshness of the place and thebeauty of its adornings might be infused into their buddingsensibilities." And when after viewing the displays his familygot hungry: "Behold, close at hand we perceived fine lookingladies who, like ministering angels, were dispensing ambrosiacongealed into the actual presence of ice cream, and pouringout libations of nectar bearing the aroma of Java andMocha."21

Dr. Warder probably enjoyed a cup of one orthe other because at eight o'clock one evening after Menter'scornet band finished "discoursing most eloquent music withinthe pavilion," gas light transformed the interior into a fairypalace, and throngs entered to hear "Professor Warder, the

At first the Warder familyoccupied a frame house ontheir new property near NorthBend. (Picture courtesy MiamiPurchase Association)

Summer 1989 Dr. John Aston Warder

distinguished savant and horticulturist of the West deliveran address. His subject — 'A Review of the Progress ofHorticulture Among Us.'" Later the commentator noted: "Weknew that no notes could do justice to the agreeable style andtenor of thought which characterized the effort. The addresswas well conceived, well written, well delivered, and wellreceived."22

Even with such undertakings and a family ofseven children, Dr. Warder still found time and energy formuch more. During the Civil War he was Brigade Surgeonof the First Brigade of the Ohio militia.23 He served on theboards of the Wine Growers' Association and of the AmericanPomological Society, and he was on the Ohio AgriculturalBoard. Warder was also the first to describe the CatalpaSpeciosa, a tree not previously identified as a distinct species.24

In 1871 he served on the Fruit Committee whenthe "Dr. Warder Strawberry" or Seedling 315 by Louis Ritzwon the silver cup of the Cincinnati Horticulture Society asthe best seedling. Rivalry among strawberry growers wasintense locally with Nicholas Longworth one of the chiefcontenders. An anonymous gardener rhapsodized about hisown fruit:

"Our berries are not soured from having beenpicked some twenty or thirty hours ago and carried eight orten miles to market . . . Evening comes, and our oldest boyis dispatched to Madam Louderback's for some of her choicestcream, and then what a sight! How well the vanilla scentedcream harmonizes with the 'Longworth Profile' or the'McAvoy Superior.' At such an hour one would scarcely thinkthere should be such a thing as 'strawberry quarrels.' . . . Itwould seem a fitting occasion to have Hovey, Longworth,Warder, and all the gentry together that their difficultiesmight be settled without even a sour look of one at theother."25

Yet throughout his life Dr. Warder's labors inforestry were paramount. In 1873 he was appointed UnitedStates Commissioner to the Vienna World's Exposition. Afterthe sessions there Warder spent additional weeks visitingEuropean (especially German) forests and consulting withforesters. That enlightening experience convinced him thatnational legislation would be necessary in the United Statesfor the forestry movement to make headway. As he wrote hisofficial report in which he listed European forestry schoolsand associations of "forest managers," he noted that there wasnot a single organization concerned with forest conservationin the .United States.26

So Dr. Warder's participation in the ViennaExposition speeded the founding of the American Forestry

Association at Chicago in September 1875. In its seventy-fifthanniversary issue the American Forestry Association'smagazine American Forests, stated: "The vigor and zeal withwhich the American Forestry Association launched its'forestry and timber culture' crusade in 1875 was due in largepart to the leadership of John Aston Warder . . . whose fameas horticulturist, forester, author, and physician had fannedout to distant areas of the nation. He crystallized publicopinion on the need to protect forests, and his pleas forlegislation were heard in Congress."27

One statesman who heard those pleas wasGerman born Carl Schurz, then serving as Secretary of theInterior under Rutherford B. Hayes. Schurz was influentialin getting Congress to appropriate $6,000 in 1877 to lay thegroundwork for a Division of Forestry.28

In 1881 additional impetus to the forestrymovement came from a visiting European, Richard Baron vonSteuben, superintendent of Prussian crown lands. Authoritiesin Washington had invited him and two other grandsons ofGeneral von Steuben of Revolutionary War fame to attend theCentennial Celebration of the surrender of Lord Cornwallisto General Washington.29 After the ceremony at Yorktown onOctober 19, 1881, the von Steubens accepted an invitationfrom prominent citizens of German extraction to visitCincinnati. So it was that Oberfoerster Richard von Steubenfound himself discussing forestry here with Judge WarrenHigley, Colonel William L. DeBeck (philanthropist andnewspaperman), and others. Von Steuben told them he hadnoted the distress of American woodlands as he traveled, andhe urged measures be taken for their conservation andrenewal. Also he attributed much of the heavy flooding of theOhio River to the fact that its banks and the adjacent hills hadbeen stripped of trees. He expressed disbelief that our nationalgovernment had taken no action to prevent furtherdevastation. Von Steuben strongly urged the formation of anAmerican Forestry Congress that would combine thestrengths of Canada and the United States in furthering thecause of forestry.30

These ideas Judge Higley immediately sharedwith concerned friends who resolved to hold a meeting at theGibson House on January 4,1882, for the purpose of enlistingthe support of as many prominent and public-spirited citizensof the area as possible. At that enthusiastic gathering acommittee was organized to arrange for the founding sessionof an American Forestry Congress at Music Hall the last weekin April. Mr. John Simpkinson was chosen to be president,Judge Higley to be vice president, and Colonel DeBeckpublicity chairman. The meeting closed with the appointment

of John Warder to plan the literary program for the event.31

That committee sprang into action andaccomplished wonders within three months. From all over theUnited States and from Canada delegates thronged intoMusic Hall for that first American Forestry Congress the weekof April 25, 1882. Extremely well organized, the meeting"dramatized forestry as never before . . . laid the foundationfor a national forestry structure, and brought about a mergingwith the American Forestry Association."32 Graciously Dr.Warder, who had been president of the American ForestryAssociation since its inception in 1875, stepped aside to makeway for a new leader of the combined group.

Sharing the spotlight with the Congress onApril 27, 1882, was another event of significance that had todo with trees. Again Dr. Warder was involved, this time withDr. John B. Peaslee, the conservation minded superintendentof the city's public schools who had been helping with plansfor the congress.

Warder heartily endorsed Dr. Peaslee's pro-posal for a many faceted Arbor Day celebration to coincidewith the forestry convocation. True, the distinction of havingthe First Arbor Day in the United States belonged to Nebraskawhich in 1872 had set aside a special day to encourage treeplanting on its windswept prairies.33 But Dr. Peaslee wantedto encompass much more than the physical planting of trees.

Peaslee proposed a Cincinnati Arbor Day thatwould involve all school children and would climax their studyof the practical and aesthetic values of trees. More than that,every school and department in the public school systemwould choose an author or a statesman, a pioneer or a militaryhero to memorialize in its part of the ceremony. (Ralph WaldoEmerson died during the same hour in which Hughes High

Queen City Heritage

School students planted their trees in his honor.)In the classroom children were to study the

lives and writings of these distinguished Americans. And soDr. Peaslee, Dr. Warder, Colonel DeBeck, SuperintendentStrauch of Spring Grove, and other leaders saw Cincinnati'sfirst Arbor Day as a culmination of learning for boys and girls— learning about nature, about literature, and aboutcitizenship.

Their challenge brought spirited response, andthe success of that Arbor Day celebration on April 27surpassed expectations. The Ohio Legislature proclaimed thelast Friday of every April as Arbor Day, and the local boardof education declared a two day holiday. About 7,000 childrenparticipated, many of them joining the long parade that beganat Fourth and Plum streets. There were bands, of course, andmarching civic groups, and carriages filled with dignitariesincluding leaders of the American Forestry Congress that hadbeen established only hours before at Music Hall.

Their destination? Eden Park had been chosenas the site for the memorial groves, partly because hillsidesthere which had been part of Mr. Longworth's vineyards weredenuded. At least 25,000 spectators (some estimated 35,000)were waiting on those slopes when a thirteen gun salutesignaled the parade's arrival. Appropriate songs and speechesaccompanied the initial planting of "Authors' Grove,""Pioneer Grove," "Presidents' Grove," and "Battle Grove."That afternoon must have been a highlight of John Warder'slife as well as John Peaslee's.

News of this unique Arbor Day celebrationspread quickly and within a few years it was copied in variousplaces all over the world and became known as "TheCincinnati Plan." Locally the second Arbor Day celebrationwas held outdoors in Eden Park like the first, and before longobservances were conducted in the individual schools.34

On the same day that Cincinnati celebrated itsfirst School Arbor Day a similar ceremony took place at theRoyal Forest Academy of Therandt, Saxony, the mostrenowned forestry school in the world at the time. Followingthe "Cincinnati Plan" the Germans planted a grove of 100catalpa trees and dedicated the grove to the Queen City. Thetrees, sent by Dr. Adolph Seue, Cincinnati naturalist, camefrom Dr. Warder's farm at North Bend. This marked theintroduction into Europe of the American Catalpa Speciosa.*5

How did John Warder manage financially tosupport a wife and seven children, publish his writings, travelextensively at his own expense, and give lectures andconsultations free of charge? Dr. Eslie Asbury suggests thathe and his wife had modest inheritances and that his writings

He later built a splendid newhome "Aston," in the style ofan English manor house withfield stone quarried from hisown Indian Creek. (Picturecourtesy Miami PurchaseAssociation)

Summer 1989 Dr. John Aston Warder

and North Bend property yielded some income.However, Asbury also contends there were

sizeable returns from the Cincinnati-Little Rock SlateCompany of which Warder was president. On one of hiswestern trips Warder had discovered a rich deposit ofcarbonaceous limestone close to the surface of the ground inArkansas. After devising a technique for cutting this slate intothin sheets he found he could deliver his product to a readyCincinnati market (slate roofs were popular then) forconsiderably less than the cost of Pennsylvania slate.36

Shortly after the eventful year of 1882 Dr.Warder received an appointment to work as an agent of theDepartment of Agriculture in preparing a report on forestryin the northwestern states, but illness overcame him beforehe could complete the assignment. He died on July 14,1883.37

Modest and unassuming in life, Dr. John

Warder requested a simple service with no eulogy, and hisbody was borne by his four sons to its resting place near ascarlet oak he had planted in his beloved Spring Grove. InSection 65 of the cemetery is the marker, the "WarderBoulder," as it is designated on the cemetery map. Only thename WARDER has been chiseled into this large polishedblock of granite brought from Dr. Warder's nativePennsylvania. Behind the boulder in a gentle curve is a seriesof footstones, each bearing only the initials of the deceased.They mark the graves of his wife, his seven children, and othermembers of the Warder family. Fittlingly, John Warder'sburial plot is adjacent to that of his friend and co-worker, Dr.Daniel Drake.

Following Dr. Warder's death Dr. FranklinHough, editor of the American Journal of Forestry, wrote: "Ofno one can it more truthfully be said that his life was a blessing

Frank Leslie's IllustratedNewspaper published severalsketches of Cincinnati's firstArbor Day celebration whichbegan with a parade and cul-minated with the planting oftrees in Eden Park.

10 Queen City Heritage

OR

SEEDLING 315,To which the Silver Cup of the Cinc. Sort, Soc. for the best

Seedling was awarded in 1871.

This remarkable Berry was raised fromseed in 1866 and is a cross of the FILLMOBEand the VICTORIA OVATA.

The plant is of vigorous habits, foliagelarge and healthy, not suffering from theextremes of winter and summer; the fruitstem is very strong, standing erect, highabove the foliage, the blossom is staminate,the berry is very large, conical, regular anduniform in size, except the size be enorm-ous, when it will cockscomb; bright red,flesh red, very firm, a good shipping berry,flavor good. Every blossom will perfect aberry and the last berries are large enoughto be send to market. There is no varietythat combines so many good qualities oryields such a great proportion of largeberries.

The Dr. Warder commences to ripenabout the time the Wilson Albany Is in itsprime, and continue for nearly two weeks,<so that it may be set down as a very latevariety, being much later than the Ken-tucky.

As No. 315 or the "Dr. Warder" lias beenon the fruit tables of the Cincinnati Horti-cultural Society for the last six year.*, wegive some extracts from the Secretary'sReports of that Society.

June 17th 1867.;'Xn. 315." Seedling by Louis Kirz,large, conical, bright red, very promising,flavor good."

WM. HEAVER, ]M. MCWIIXIAMS, ! Fruit ,J. E. MOTTIKR, .' Committee.FRANCIS PKXTXAXD, J

In 1868 and 1869 it was entered for the$50 Silver Cup, Premium offered for thebest new seedling, having superior meritto any variety in cultivation—but no re-wards were made.

Dr. J. A. Warder, who visited mygrounds in 1870, refers to this berry in hisreport to the Cine. Hort. Society as follows :"No. 315", a seedling of Louis Ritz, vigor-ous foliage large, firm, staminate, pro-ductive, fruit very large, conical, regular,bright red, showy, flesh red, very good andpromising.

CINC. HORT. SOCIETY, June 8th, '70."Mr. Ritz showed a number of seedling*.

No. 315, is large, conical, bright red, firm.quality good, very promising."

June 22<i 1870."Xo. 315." This -variety is in still better

condition than when exhibited before; ifseems to be very. prolific, large, conical,bright red, flesh red, flavor good, cerinfti li-very promising.

J . Bl,ACKBUKX, ]DR. J . A. WARDKR, j FruitF. PKNTI.AND, j Committee.M. McWlTXTAMS, I

ofJune 7th 18*1.

"By Louis Ritz a very fine displayhandsome fruit, among which his 3154*>Sgreat beauty and of fine size, to which tli«<Silver Cup offered in 1808 for the be^t seert-lin<r is awarded."

In 1871 the "Dr. WarderStrawberry" or Seedling 31 5received the silver cup of theCincinnati Horticulture Soci-ety for being the bestseedling.

Summer 1989 Dr. John Aston Warder 11

to mankind. Constantly he tried to make others happy byhelping them to appreciate the bounties of nature . . . Hesupported any interest tending to diffuse knowledge orpromote science . . . And his studies led him not to thecheerless regions of unbelief, but to a deeper recognition ofthe Creator."38

All seven of the Warder children shared theirparents' commitments, but two sons were outstanding in theirachievements. After serving as superintendent of parks inCincinnati, Reuben Warder filled the same assignment inChicago where he also was responsible for planning andbuilding the Lincoln Park Zoo. Robert Warder taughtchemistry successively at the University of Cincinnati,Haverford College, and Purdue University. In 1887 he joinedthe faculty of the pioneer Negro school, Howard University,in Washington, D.C.39

Today Hamilton County has only one publicreminder of Dr. John Aston Warder's name. Behind the ThreeRivers Middle School at 8575 Bridgetown Road is the Warder-Perkins Audubon Sanctuary that comprises approximatelytwenty-six acres. These originally were part of Dr. Warder'sNorth Bend estate. In 1970 Ethel Perkins donated this areato the Audubon Society for a nature preserve. She and herhusband, Arthur Perkins, had bought the Warder propertybetween River Road and Bridgetown Road from JohnWarder's heirs in 1922. Of that acreage all except the AudubonSanctuary presently belongs to Carl Hunsicker and DanielWhalen.40

In need of renovation, the handsome Warderresidence still stands and is on the National Register ofHistoric Places. No longer are there any remnants of the fruitorchards, but how pleased John Warder would be with thetowering tree that his beloved American Forestry Associationhas designated as the largest English oak in the United States.And nearby stands the largest buckeye tree in Ohio.41

Part open ground, part shady forest, theAudubon Sanctuary provides varying habitats for birds,animals, and plant life. The crown of the deciduous woodlandis somewhat open due to destruction caused by the 1975tornado. Certain tree specimens are huge with a red oak thatmeasures forty-eight inches, a blue ash forty-four inches, ahackberry forty inches, and a linden thirty-six inches. Thetallest trees reach 120 feet. So at least a few of Dr. Warder'sown trees are now part of the kind of conservation programhe worked so hard to promote.42

In 1967 Laura Stockton V. Banks wrote that shehad seen only one of her great grandfather's personal letters.Written in 1870 from "Aston" to his wife of thirty-four years,it reveals John Warder's sensitive nature and is eloquenttestimony to a fulfilling marriage:

We hoped you had as good a breakfast at

Harrisburg as we have had here . . . Fresh currants were ready

on the breakfast table and lovely roses, but you were not here to

appreciate them . . . At dinner a choice assortment of raspberries

— large and luscious, one to the spoonful. . . We dwell upon thy

reminder as to the beauty of our view here, and think it well deserved

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Reuben H. Warder, one of Dr.Warder's sons, becameSuperintendent of Parks inCincinnati.

12 Queen City Heritage

this afternoon when the shadows are all so sharp, the air so clear,the foliage so green and fresh after the storm . . . Dearest, there'sno use telling thee how much we miss you, but that idea will continuewhenever I dip the pen. We wander in and wander out, but donot find a trace of your footsteps . . . .but love to thee pours forththe same from thy own husband.

Jno. A. Warder43

1. L.H. Bailey, The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture (New York, 1914),p. 1602.2. Otto Juettner, Daniel Drake and His Followers (Cincinnati, 1909), p. 225.3. William A. Kinnison, Springfield and Clark County, (Northridge,California, 1985) p. 25.4. Juettner, p. 226.5. Walter B. Hendrickson, "The Western Museum Society," Bulletin of theHistorical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, vol. 7, no. 2, (April, 1949) p. 105.6. Dr. Franklin Hough, "In Memoriam," American Journal of Forestry ,August 1883, p. 2.7. Marjorie B. Burress, It Happened Hound North Bend: A History of MiamiTownship and Its Borders (Cincinnati, 1970), chapter 25.8. Ibid.9. Dr. Eslie Asbury, "Dr. John Aston Warder," a paper presented to theCincinnati Literary Club, October 24, 1977, p. 2. Manuscript collection,Cincinnati Historical Society.10. The Cincinnatus, published at Farmers' College, College Hill, Ohio, vol.1, January 1856, p. 18.11. Asbury, p. 5.12. Ibid., p. 6.13. John A. Warder, "The Frontispiece," Western Horticultural Review,December 1850, p. 137.14. Hough, p. 3.15. Miscellaneous Notes on Symmes-Harrison Mill on Indian Creek,manuscript collection, Cincinnati Historical Society.

16. Letter by Ethel Perkins, John Warder Papers, Miami PurchaseAssociation.17. Cincinnati Times-Star, 100th anniversary edition, 1940, agriculturesection, p. 3.18. Hough, p. 4.19. Laura Stockton V. Banks, "John Aston Warder," American Forests,November 1967, p. 66.20. The Cincinnatus, January 1856, pp. 20, 21, 22.21. Ibid., October 1856, pp. 466, 469.22. Ibid., p. 471.23. John Warder Miscellaneous Papers, manuscript collection, CincinnatiHistorical Society.24. Hough, p. 4.25. The Cincinnatus, March 1856, p. 153.26. "The American Forestry Association Organized," American Forests,centennial issue, October 1975, II.27. "Milestones Are Its History," American Forests, October 1950, p. 56.28. Ibid., p. 13.29. John B. Peaslee, Thoughts and Experiences In and Out of School(Cincinnati, 1900), pp. 104, 105.30. Ibid., p. 106.31. Ibid., pp. 108, 109.32. "Milestones Are Its History," American Forests, October 1950, p. 14.33. Nort Baser, "Arbor Day," American Forests, April 1949, p. 22.34. Peaslee, pp. 110-119.35. Burress, chapter 25.36. Asbury, p. 10.37. Hough, p. 4.38. Hough, p. 4.39. Banks, p. 68.40. Paul X. Hellman, "The Warder-Perkins Audubon Sanctuary," paperprepared for the Cincinnati Audubon Society, p. 2.41. Carl Hunsicker, present owner and registrant of the Warder propertyin North Bend.42. Hellman, p. 5.43. Banks, "John Aston Warder," American Forester, p. 68.

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During the Civil War heserved as Brigade Surgeon ofthe First Brigade of the OhioMilitia.