Dates

1923 created

History

On February 29, 1924 The Morton Arboretum's founder, Joy Morton, wrote to Charles Sprague Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, describing his plans for a path:

We have made quite extensive plans for the Arboretum. One is for a group of European trees. Another is a Japanese Island. And the other chief planting is a path leading from my house down to Lake Marmo. This follows the ravine; Sargent Glade will be on the west of it and a form garden to the east. We are going to have fine specimen trees and shrubs all along the path, which is well protected on all sides and I think will ultimately become one of the prettiest parts of the Arboretum.

This path became a favorite of Joy Morton's and consequently received the name Joy Path. Construction of the path began in 1923, and in 1939 it was black-topped. After a day in the city, Joy Morton would stroll along this downhill path to refresh himself with the beauty of the country. Today the Joy Path is a paved path beginning at the Thornhill Education Center, winding down the West Side's gentle hill to connect with the Main Trail.

Sources

1. Godshalk, Clarence. "The Outline of The Morton Arboretum Development." The Morton Arboretum Records. Sterling Morton Library, The Morton Arboretum. 1972.
2. "Local History and Arboretum Development." Sterling Morton Library Monthly Profiles. The Morton Arboretum Records. Sterling Morton Library, The Morton Arboretum. September 2014.
3. "Thornhill." The Morton Arboretum Quarterly 1, no. 1(1965): 8-11.