... a wealthy man built a house and planted a vision

Colonel William Boyce Thompson was a mining promoter, financial magnate, and Red Cross officer. He fell in love with the Picketpost Mountain area when he first visited his Magma Copper Mine near Superior and chose this spot for his winter home. Before the Picketpost House was completed, the Colonel had already begun to plan the Arboretum.


Why did Colonel Thompson Start an Arboretum?
... to create a place where desert plants could be studied and appreciated

Colonel Thompson's Red Cross mission to an impoverished Russia in 1917 convinced him that growing and using plants wisely could help solve our global food problems. In addition, he greatly regretted the damage to the local area caused by mining, timbering, and overgrazing.
His concern for the land, combined with his keen interest in plants, inspired him to establish "the most beautiful and useful garden of its kind in the world."

Planning and planting a desert arboretum
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Support for the Arboretum came from many people in the scientific and business community.
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Plants were brought in from many deserts of the earth.
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Greenhouses and study centers were carefully planned and built to blend into the area and provide for the needs of research staff.
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Work on the Arboretum was done by hard-working