Charles Lathrop Pack (May 7, 1857 – June 14, 1937), a third-generation timberman, was "one of the five wealthiest men in America prior to World War I".[1]
His financial success was built on the success of his father, George Willis Pack, and grandfather, George Pack, Jr. in the forestry sector. Growing up on the shortes of Lake Huron in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Charles L. Pack lived in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1871 until the early years of the 20th century. With investments in timber in the American South, banking and real estate,[1] Pack became a multi-millionaire. During World War I, he was a principal organizer and was heavily involved in the war garden movement in the United States.
During the 1930s, he was the president of The American Tree Association.[2][3]
Victory Gardens
In March 1917, Charles Lathrop Pack organized the US National War Garden Commission and launched the war garden campaign. After the war, he documented the victory garden movement in The War Garden Victorious.[4]
Pack's collection of postage stamps of Victoria led to his publication in 1923 of his famous book Victoria: the Half-length Portraits and the Twopence Queen Enthroned.
According to his biographer, Alexandra Eyle, Charles Lathrop Pack "spent $2.8 million on forestry conservation. This is a low figure, however..."[6]
Gravestone of Charles Lathrop Pack (GPS 43.550305, -73.808994)
Death
Pack's remains were buried in 1937 "under a stand of white pine in the Charles Lathrop Pack Demonstration Forest in Warrensburg, New York... a site of his own choosing".[7]
Eyle, Alexandra. (1992). Charles Lathrop Pack: Timberman, Forest Conservationist, and Pioneer in Forest Education. Syracuse, NY: ESF College Foundation, Inc., and College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Distributed by Syracuse University Press. Available: Internet Archive
