History

Years of   lying abandoned   had   left the   truck farm to the mercy of the
sunshine, ind and occasional rains that swept across the land.   The moisture
nourished the resilient Bermuda grass that   blanketed the fertile pastures.
Near the west property line, a barbed wire fence, mostly fallen to the ground
and covered with Texas   buttercups, slowly turned to rust, a hint   of human
intervention in days gone by.   An old house had long ago been bulldozed and
stacked   into   a heap   with   some tin   and other man-made looking things
scattered nearby. To the west, tons of sawdust and other landfill products had
been dumped upon the property. To the east the bottom of the hill disappeared
into a small creek that was being escorted through the property by stately
thickets of cherry laurel, poplar and a variety of hardwoods. A healthy stand of
love grass dotted the hillside.   Wild daisies swayed back and   forth in gentle
afternoon breezes.   A long-abandoned footbridge cut across   the creek and
over a large gas line.   It might   have gone unnoticed had it   not been for an
audible hiss, a dead giveaway that   the line had a serious leak.   Across the
creek the undergrowth had matted, rendering entrance to the marshy bog
almost impossible. A real estate agent had suggested that this would be the
perfect site for a botanical garden.
The development of the East Texas Arboretum has been the    result of an
exceptional and intense   volunteer effort.   From a small group of dedicated
visionaries came the   dream   of establishing   a regional arboretum in East
Texas. The society was   incorporated   in 1991, a   five-member   Board   of
Directors was formed in 1992, and 100 acres of land within the   Athens city
limits was purchased in 1993.The land is now debt free. The purchase of the
land was certainly a leap of faith, since the organization had no funds, no
assets, and few members.    Nevertheless, with the assistance of generous
donors, grants and foundation awards, and numerous volunteers, the East
Texas Arboretum has developed into   an attraction that appeals to a wide
spectrum of visitors. Since 1993 development has included the employment
of a full-time executive director, a part-time educational director funded by a
grant from the Texas Forest Service, and the construction of a large pavilion,
a classroom/office   building, a 4,000 square ft. Woman's Building, gardens,
bridges, hiking trails, a 152-year-old historical house "museum" and many
other improvements. The Arboretum continues to move forward with its
long-range development yearly.