An
Abundant
Arboretum
Thompson's winter home, Picket Post House, was built in 1923.
The Early Years of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum Text by Sylvia Lee, BTA Historian
N
ow that the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) is entering a new phase of its life in being an independent entity once again, it seems fitting to talk about the history of the institution. As the docent historian and author of An Abundant Arboretum, a book of the history of BTA from pre-inception through 1976, I thought I would write about the fascinating early years in this column. The founder was a self-made millionaire by the name of William Boyce Thompson. The arboretum, however,
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was not named for the founder but in honor of his parents. “Boyce” was his mother’s surname and “Thompson” was, of course, his father’s. It just so happened that his parents had stuck “Boyce” in as young Will’s middle name and thus, these days, people often think the name of the founder was “Boyce Thompson,” but it wasn’t. Young Will was born May 13, 1869, in a copper mining area of northern Montana. His father
