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Known as the Father of Forestry in Texas, W. Goodrich Jones came to Temple in 1888 as a banker. He planted the first tree in town, a pecan, and this led to the establishment of Arbor Day in Texas in 1889 through legislation introduced by Sen. Geo. W. Tyler. In 1914, Jones organized the Texas Forestry Association, which saw the creation of the 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, and his family established a fellowship in forestry conservation and research.
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Temple, Texas · United States
