Ridgeland names pecan official tree
RIDGELAND — In honor of the remnants of of the old pecan groves and orchards planted by the first settlers of Ridgeland, city officials named the Pecan Tree the official city tree.
The resolution comes as part of the city’s celebration of the 125th anniversary this year which will include the roll-out of a virtual history room on the city’s website and 22 historical markers through out the city marking the Ridgeland History Trail.
“In honor of Ridgeland’s designation as Tree City USA and to mark its 125th anniversary, do hereby proclaim the pecan tree as the Official Tree for the City of Ridgeland,” the resolution reads in part.
Director of Public Relations Kim Cooper said she hoped to unveil the virtual tour of the history room at City Hall in a few weeks. She said all 22 of the signs for the history trail have been approved and are in production.
A historic marker with the history of the pecan tree will go up at Freedom Ridge Park.
Alderman-at-Large D.I. Smith commended Cooper for her work on this project, commemorating the city’s history.
“Kim has done a heck of a job,” Smith said.
The pecan tree is one of the first documented crops planted in the Highland Colony of Ridgeland, the resolution said. By 1898, nearly 1,400 pecan trees had been planted, 100 acres of which were planted by Gorton Nichols and R.H. Thompson, two of the owners of the Highland Colony Company. The Nichols and Thompson’s Grafted Stock Pecan, as they named it, was a large, fancy, paper-shelled pecan that they believed to be the beginnings of a lucrative industry.
Today, the remnants of the old pecan groves and orchards planted by the first settlers of Ridgeland and the Highland Colony are scattered throughout the city. Notably, one such orchard can be found at Freedom Ridge Park. Many pecan trees would have been planted circa 1896, making them over 125 years old today.
Cooper presented the resolution to the aldermen at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 16. The item was unanimously approved. The anniversary planning committee joined for photos to commemorate the occasion, which included the reading and signing of the Resolution.
Cooper said the pear tree was also considered.