A Man of Salt and Trees: The Life of Joy Morton Review

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A Man of Salt and Trees: The Life of Joy Morton ReviewIf you have an interest in how Chicago got to where it is today, this is a great read. The author does a wonderful job of working with letters written by and to Morton family members to present the detailed life story of Joy Morton from his youth in Nebraska City to his life and death as one of Chicago's leading corporate citizens.
This story really starts in the pioneer days before the Civil War and winds its way all the way to the depression years. Joy Morton is the oldest boy in a remarkable family. His father, J. Sterling, is a frustrated politician and the moral compass in Joy's life. Although never successful with voters, J. Sterling does become the Sec of Agriculture in the Cleveland administration. He is also the "author" of Arbor Day.
Joy starts his business career after a modest education in Nebraska as a banker and works his way to Chicago to become the partner of Ezra Wheeler in the salt business. Joy is the junior partner but through grit and hard work ultimately takes over CEO responsibilities and buys out Wheeler's widow upon his death. He successfully builds what becomes Morton Salt Co. over the years (not to mention his role and interest in many other business interests and civic activities) and gradually turns his focus to building his legacy. Seeking to escape the noise and dirt of the city, he purchases property in Lisle, IL which becomes his Thornhill estate.
Joy's involvement in the day-to-day management of Morton Salt becomes minimal as he focuses his energies on developing his arboretum, which begins with property he acquires adjacent to Thornhill. He manages this development process the same way he managed Morton Salt, delegating key responsibilities to trusted friends, family members and professionals, but always overseeing the process. His focus is always long term with the idea of creating something that the public at large can enjoy.
Joy Morton was a man of vision and integrity that loved and respected his roots in Nebraska as well as his adopted City of Chicago. His involvement in the Chicago Plan Commission and his creation of the Morton Arboretum leave a lasting and interesting legacy for all Chicagoans.A Man of Salt and Trees: The Life of Joy Morton Overview"A Man of Salt and Trees" is the first full-length biography of Joy Morton (1855-1934), founder of The Morton Arboretum - an internationally acclaimed outdoor museum of woody plants - and Morton Salt - the brand that for over a century has been a household name in the United States. Joy Morton's story begins in the pre - Civil War Nebraska Territory and concludes in the midst of the Great Depression in Chicago, the city in which he lived for over a half century. Using the voluminous correspondence of the Morton family, Ballowe tells the story of the Nebraska farm boy who grew up to be a small town banker who became a leading citizen of Chicago and Illinois and a major figure in the nation's economic and technological development during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Morton left his mark in several areas, from business and city planning to transportation and environmental preservation. He was a contributor to the development of Daniel H. Burnham and Edward Bennett's 1909 Plan of Chicago, which continues to affect the way Chicagoans protect the Lakefront and approach transportation and park issues throughout the region. During the last three decades of his life, Morton served on the Chicago Plan Commission. His interest in transportation led him to become an investor and a director in railroad transportation and a champion of inland waterway traffic. He also single-handedly financed early advancements of the teletype, a technology that advanced the economic and cultural development of the 20th century. Toward the end of his life, Morton funded the University of Chicago's explorations of Mississippian Indian culture in central Illinois and traveled throughout the world visiting ancient as well as modern cultures and gardens. The Morton Arboretum stands today as a natural expression of a desire Joy Morton had from childhood, when he learned from his father, the founder of Arbor Day, and his mother, a dedicated gardener, that a necessary complement to a good life is the cultivation and preservation of the environment. This is the first-ever biography of the man who founded Morton Salt and the Morton Arboretum.

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