Temple in Bell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

W. Goodrich Jones

(1860-1950)

Photographed by James Hulse, September 28, 2022

1. W. Goodrich Jones Marker

Inscription. Known as "Father of Forestry in Texas". Came to Temple, 1888, as a banker. Planted first tree (a pecan) in town; this led to establishing Arbor Day in Texas in 1889, through legislation introduced by Sen. Geo. W. Tyler.

In 1914 Jones organized Texas Forestry Association, which saw creation of Texas Department of Forestry signed into law in 1915 by Gov. James E. Ferguson.

For 60 years, Jones advocated conservation. A state forest at Conroe and this park bear his name. A fellowship in forestry conservation and research has been established by his family.

Erected 1970 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 2849.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 31° 5.517′ N, 97° 21.338′ W. Marker is in Temple, Texas, in Bell County. It is at the intersection of West Avenue H and South 23rd Street, on the right when traveling west on West Avenue H. The marker is located on the southwest corner of the Jones Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1102 West Avenue H, Temple TX 76504, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Santa Fe Memorial Hospital, Inc. (about 800 feet away, measured

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in a direct line); 36th Division, 143rd Infantry Regiment, Company D Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Cora Anderson Negro Hospital (approx. half a mile away); Ralph Wilson, Sr. (approx. half a mile away); Immanuel Baptist Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Bernard Moore Temple (approx. 0.7 miles away); First Lutheran Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); Grace United Methodist Church (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Temple.

Also see . . . Jones, William Goodrich (1860–1950). Texas State Historical Association

During his early years Jones made repeated trips through East Texas, observing the developing lumber industry, which followed the penetration of the piney woods by the railroads. In 1898 B. E. Fernow, chief of the United States Bureau of Forestry, made a trip to Texas and asked Jones to make a survey of the region and write a report on the condition and future of forestry in Texas. The resulting document became a blueprint for conservationists in Texas. Jones denounced the haste and waste of the large logging operators and predicted that
Photographed by James Hulse, September 28, 2022

2. W. Goodrich Jones Marker
under current methods the great forest would disappear within twenty-five years. He recommended that the state and federal governments cooperate to regulate a planned-cutting, sustained-yield, systematic reforestation program that would prolong the life of the Texas forest indefinitely.

(Submitted on October 6, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the W. Goodrich Jones Marker in the Jones Parks image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 28, 2022

3. The view of the W. Goodrich Jones Marker in the Jones Parks

Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 548 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 6, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.