158 Nebraskaland • April 2021
rbor Lodge State Historical Park in Nebraska City
features a small house that became a 52-room mansion.
It belonged to Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton and
later to his son, Joy, the founder of Morton Salt.
When was Arbor Lodge built? That's complicated. It began
as a two-room house in 1855. During the elder Morton's
lifetime, the house was remodeled seven times, evolving in
style as it grew in size. After Morton's death, a majo r addition
by Joy more than doubled its size and further altered its
appearance. The Morton family donated the mansion to the
state in 1923; it is open for tours and fi lled with authentic
furnishings and artifacts.
History Nebraska curator Gail DeBuse Potter told the
story of Arbor Lodge's evolution in the Summer 1992 issue
of Nebraska History Magazine. This series of photos from
History Nebraska's collections tells that story in brief.
N
To see a digital version of this 1992 story, visit
history.nebraska.gov/publications/nebraska-history-magazine
Becoming
Arbor Lodge
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
A
The original house had
already grown by the time of
this 1864 photo, which shows
an addition to the rear. Julius
and Caroline Morton didn't yet
have children when the house
was fi rst built. From the start,
they planned to expand both
the house and the family.
HISTORY NEBRASKA, RG2993-1-3
