How One Man’s Goal Shaped a Century of Conservation at The Dawes Arboretum
The Dawes Arboretum began with a simple idea: plant trees and inspire others to do the same. What started as a personal passion for Beman and Bertie Dawes eventually grew into something much larger.
Today, almost a century later, that vision has shaped one of Ohio’s distinctive landscapes, offering conservation, education, and community connection.
Visitors walking through the Arboretum today can see miles of trails, groves of carefully tended trees, and natural and curated landscapes. But behind those views is a story that began long before the Arboretum officially opened its gates.
It began with one man who believed that planting trees was not just an act of cultivation, but a way to shape the future.
A Vision Rooted in Inspiration
Beman Dawes’ love of trees began early in life. Growing up in Marietta, Ohio, his family was connected to the lumber industry, and that exposure sparked a lifelong curiosity about forests and the role trees play in shaping the landscape. Over time, that curiosity grew into something deeper, a belief that trees were worth protecting, studying, and sharing with others.
In 1918, Beman and his wife, Bertie, purchased a 140-acre farm in Licking Township known as the Brumback farm. They renamed the property “Daweswood,” transforming it into both a family retreat and a place where they could pursue their interest in horticulture and forestry.
The rolling hills and diverse soils of the property made it an ideal location for experimentation. Beman began planting trees from across the country and around the world, searching for species that could thrive in Ohio’s climate, but his goal extended beyond the boundaries of the farm itself.
From the beginning, Beman Dawes hoped that his efforts would inspire others to plant trees.
Planting the First Seeds
The earliest organized plantings at Daweswood began in 1917 with the planting of 50 sugar maple trees. Over the following years, thousands more would follow.
Tree by tree, the property began to transform.
By the late 1920s, the scale of the landscape had grown dramatically. More than 50,000 trees had already been planted across the property, and the place itself had expanded to nearly 300 acres.
The Creation of the Dawes Arboretum
On June 1, 1929, Beman and Bertie Dawes formally established The Dawes Arboretum as a private foundation. Their purpose was clearly defined: “to encourage the planting of forest and ornamental trees…to give pleasure to the public and education to the youth.”
That purpose reflected the same values that had guided the Dawes family from the beginning. The Arboretum was not designed simply to showcase trees, but to create a space where people could learn from them.
At the time, these ideas were still emerging within the broader national conversation about conservation. Yet, the Dawes family recognized early on that protecting trees and landscapes required both knowledge and community involvement.
A Century of Growing Impact
Nearly 100 years later, the Arboretum has grown far beyond the original farm that Beman and Bertie first cultivated. What once began as 293 acres of planted landscape has expanded to nearly 2,000 acres of gardens, forests, wetlands, and natural areas.
Across this landscape, thousands of tree and plant species continue to grow, forming a living record of a century of stewardship. Yet the guiding idea behind it all remains remarkably consistent.
The Arboretum still works toward the same goal that inspired its founders, encouraging people to appreciate trees and understand the role they play in the natural world. The Dawes Arboretum is dedicated to enriching lives through the conservation of trees, nature, and history.
In many ways, Dawes reflects the long-term thinking that defines tree planting itself. Each generation builds on the work of those who came before, adding new knowledge and new care to a landscape that is constantly evolving.
A Legacy That Continues to Grow
As Dawes approaches its centennial in 2029, the work continues much as it always has: planting, preserving, and sharing knowledge so that future generations can continue to grow alongside the trees that were planted long before them. To learn more about the Dawes Arboretum’s mission, visit the organization’s website.
