Monday, February 15, 2010

Pine Hill

view from Pine Hill


Pine Hill begins at the hair pin turn and ends behind 71 Pine Hill Drive in Alfred. Before the land was bought by the university in 1846 settlers migrated to land that they could farm. The trees needed to be cleared from the land so the settlers could farm. The settlers would burn the stumps of the trees in the spring which would make potash. Potash was sold by the settlers for use in gunpowder and soap. The soil in Alfred including Pine Hill was not fertile enough to grow wheat so the farmers changed to dairy farms. Cheese making became a big industry in Alfred till the railroad was built which brought change. The railroad brought economic growth through transportation of lumber.

There where many different varieties of trees that grew on Pine Hill before the construction of the university and growth of farm land. When Jonathan Allen became president of the university he wanted to make the school grounds to look more inviting. In 1874 the students held a planting bee and planted several trees around the campus. University Tree Day was formed and lasted several years, each year a tree would be planted by the students. Around the same time Mrs. Kenyon planted and maintained the flower beds around campus. In 1903 the pines at the top of Pine Hill where cut down for lumber.

These pines where mentioned in the alma mater which was written in 1900. Thousands of trees where planted on pine hill to create a forest again. One of those trees that still stands today next to the Powell Campus Center and is the umbrella elm or weeping elm. This was the idea of four college students in the 1930's to bring back what was cut down. Pine Hill has been used for activities like camping, hiking, picnics, cross country skiing, pine hill derby. Pine Hill is still being developed and changing to accommodate society.





Work Cited:

Sloane, Kristin. "Are The Pine There Now?" Thesis. Alfred University,

2000. Herrick Memorial Library. Alfred University. Web. 14 Feb. 2010.

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