On this very special Earth Day, CCHC honors Chester County’s conservation and forestry pioneer Joseph Trimble Rothrock.
As a sickly child in Mifflin County, Rothrock spent his early years exploring the forests around him. As an adult, he put that love of the outdoors to use as an explorer and botanist, mapping the fauna of the Alaskan and western wilds. His love of a lady from West Chester named Martha May brought him to Chester County, where he began advocating for the conservation of Pennsylvania’s desolated old growth forests. By the end of the 19th century, Rothrock led the charge to restore and preserve the state’s wild areas, and in the process, became known as the Father of the Forest.
This presentation will discuss Rothrock’s early life, his medical career and influence on the treatment of tuberculosis, his work as Forestry Commissioner and activist, and his role as husband and father in West Chester.
About the Speaker: Jennifer L. Green graduated from University of Delaware with majors in anthropology and history, and earned her Master’s degree in American History at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She has conducted research and written for websites like ExplorePAHistory.com and the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, and is the author of two local history books. She is Director of Education at the Chester County History Center.
Admission is Pay as You Wish! Your donation is greatly appreciated. All proceeds benefit the development of future programming and the preservation of the History Center and its collections. The History Center is home to over 750,000 manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, and 70,000 artifacts. Your donation helps us to preserve and share those resources. Register here for this pay-as-you-wish event
Presentation is via Zoom, and will be recorded and available for 7 days for all registered participants. We will email out a Zoom link the day of the presentation, and email a link to the recording within 24 hours. Note: the Zoom link emailed out the day of the presentation only takes you to the live presentation; the link emailed out the day after will contain the recorded version.
This presentation is made possible by the generous support of The Haverford Trust Company.
225 N. High Street, West Chester, PA 19380 | 610-692-4800
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