Theodore Lukens

Infobox Person
name = Theodore Parker Lukens


caption =
birth_date = 1848
birth_place = Ohio
death_date = 1918
death_place = Pasadena, California
other_names = " Father of California Forestry"
known_for = tree horticulture, conservation
occupations = Citrus grower, forester, mayor of Pasadena
nationality = American

Theodore Parker Lukens (1848 - 1918) was a conservationist, citrus grower, real estate investor and civic leader. He believed that burned over mountainsides could again be covered in timber and watersheds protected. To this end, he collected seeds and cones and experimented with them on the mountain slopes above his home. His perserverence earned him the name "Father of California Forestry." A conservationist, he pushed for reforestation and was a leader in the crusade of watershed protection. [Godfrey, Anthony "The Ever-Changing View-A History of the National Forests in California" USDA Forest Service Publishers, 2005 ISBN 1-59351-428-X pp. 34-35]
He founded Henninger Flats, a tree nursery which provided seed stock for an estimated 70,000 trees. [ [http://www.sbnfa.org/documents/Angeles_2006_08.pdf Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association Newsletter, August 2006] p.4 of PDF]

He was active in banking, real estate and local government and served as president of the City Council of Pasadena, California in 1890-92 and 1894-95. Lukens remained prominent in civic affairs in Pasadena until his death in 1918. [http://www.environment.net/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html Sierra Club's John Muir Exhibit] ]

Lukens moved to Pasadena from Ohio in 1880 at the age of 32, then with his real estate earnings in the boom of the 1880s, was able to semi-retire by 1886. He built a large home on Molina Avenue in Pasadena and became active in business and municipal affairs.
He joined the Sierra Club in 1894, met and became lifelong friends with conservationist John Muir. At Muir's urging, Lukens became actively involved in early Sierra Club campaigns to purchase privately-held toll roads for public use, return Yosemite Valley to federal government protection, and to protect Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite. [ [http://www.pbagalleries.com/catalogs/curcat96-5.html PBA Galleries'website.] ]

Lukens was also a forester and worked for the US Forest Service from 1905 to 1907 as Acting Superintendent of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Forest Reserves. He was fired a year or so later when he disagreed with the agency's decision to reduce manpower and was accused of

"inciting local groups such as the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce against the policies of the Forest Service." wrote Leo E. Pendergrass in his book, "The Forest Service in California: A Survey of Important Developments and People from 1905 to the Present"(1985). Pacific Southwest Archives, USDA Forest Service, Vallejo, CA

[Godfrey p. 77]

After leaving that agency, Lukens, together with fellow conservationist Abbot Kinney, devoted a considerable amount of time and money to planting trees, including Eucalyptus trees, on the mountainslopes above Pasadena. Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot applauded these efforts. [Godfrey p. 94] With an intense interest in trees and a practical background in horticulture he became a passionate advocate of reforestation and conservation in the mountains. Lukens founded a tree nursery and reforestation project at Henninger Flats, in Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains, which provided seed stock for 53,000 trees and another 17,000 in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. Lukens and Muir corresponded for 20 years about trees and conservation action. Lukens sent Muir stacks of photographs, sometimes 100 to 200 at a time, documenting tree species and their habitats, which Muir used in his articles.

Unfortunately, the tree planting efforts on the national forest lands were deemed a failure by Assistant Chief of Silviculture T.D. Woodbury in a 'doleful' report written in 1912. The Forest Service's determined efforts to convert indigenous chaparral into forests fell short due to rabbits, small rodents and a baking-hot sun and the project was eventually abandoned. [Godfrey p.95]

The "Father of California Forestry" Theodore Lukens is memorialized today with: renaming Sister Elsie Peak to Mount Lukens by the Forest Service in the 1920s. Mount Lukens is also the highest point within the city limits of Los Angeles at an elevation of 5,066 feet. Robinson, John W. "Trails of the Angeles" Wilderness Press, sixth ed. 1990 p.47] [ [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=108:2:3946098761178210::NO::: USGS official website ] ] Also, his home on 267 N. El Molino Ave in Pasadena is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to the list on March 29, 1984. [ [http://www.nr.nps.gov/iwisapi/explorer.dll?IWS_SCHEMA=NRIS1&IWS_LOGIN=1&IWS_REPORT=100000046] National Park Service, National Register Information System search results for "Lukens"]

Henninger Flats

William K. Henninger was born in Virginia in July of 1817 and was among the pioneers arriving in California in the 1800s. Henninger was instrumental in the discovery of the first major gold strike is the San Gabriel Mountains and became a squatter in the small hanging basin above Altadena, California. The landowner was businessman Peter Stiel who had acquired the parcel through the Homestead Act. In August, 1893, Steil then sold it to his friend Henninger who had been a squatter on the land since 1884.

From 1884 until 1891, Henninger was the primary occupant of the 120-acre area. Henninger called the flats Clara Basin in honor of a grandchild, but this name died with him. He developed a water system and erected lodging. He also planted some trees and gardens.In 1889 the Pasadena and Mt. Wilson Toll Road Company was incorporated, and constructed the first four-foot-wide toll road that went to Mt. Wilson via the Henninger Flats and was completed in 1891. Mt. Wilson is home to the Hale Observatory and is at an elevation of 5,710 feet.In 1892, Henninger was visited by Lukens and R. J. Busch and with Henninger's permission, they started the first experimental reforestation in California on the property by planting some selected conifers there.

Henninger died two years later in 1894, and his daughters inherited the property. The property was then sold in February 1895, by auction, to Harry C. and Harriet M. Allen of Pasadena. Selling price was $2,600. In October 1895, the Allens sold the property for $5,000 to four men (W. Morgan, J. Vandevort, J. Holmes and W. Staats). These four men then sold the property in December 1895 to the Mt. Wilson Toll Road Company for $76,600. [ [http://www.fire.lacounty.gov/Forestry/OpsHenningerHistory1800.asp Los Angeles County FD History webpage] ] The price of this parcel had increased by 2800% in a single year.
The area was mostly unoccupied until Lukens returned in 1902. He discovered that many of the trees he had planted earlier were still alive at Henninger. Due to this survival, without care, and the willingness of the Toll Road Company to provide water and improve the water systems, Lukens decided to make Henninger Flats a high elevation nursery. With permission from Chief Forester of the US Forest Service Gifford Pinchot, Lukens signed a lease with the Toll Road Company in October 1903, for the clearing of five acres. Lukens and his men planted more than 62,000 experimental tree seedlings at Henninger Flats. Most of the 51,000 trees that were planted in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino reserves for the Forest Service were grown at the nursery during 1903-1907. Due to the success of reforestation at the nursery, Lukens received many orders for seed and seedlings from foresters worldwide. Some of these seed orders came from as far away as Chile and Sidney, Australia. In 1907, John Muir visited Henninger Flats and was greatly impressed by the work that had been done at the site.

Unfortunately, due to its expense to operate, the nursery was moved to Lytle Creek in 1907, and closed at Henninger in 1908.The Mt. Wilson Toll Road Company were the owners until it was purchased by Los Angeles County in 1928 and still own it today.The county fire department manages the site, which is now known as the Henninger Flats Conservation Center and operates a museum, campground, and tree nursery. [ [http://www.fire.lacounty.gov/Forestry/OpsHenningerHistory1800.asp Los Angeles County FD History webpage] ]

Footnotes

References

Godfrey, Anthony "The Ever-Changing View-A History of the National Forests in California" USDA Forest Service Publishers, 2005 ISBN 1-59351-428-X

Robinson, John W. "Trails of the Angeles" Wilderness Press, sixth ed. 1990

External links

[http://www.environment.net The Sierra Club Homepage.]