Focusing on the work on Carl Alwin Schenck, the noted German forestry expert and professor, this online exhibit and archive created by the North Carolina State Library Special Collections Department (with the assistance of The Biltmore Company and the Forest History Society) offers a broad perspective on the Biltmore Estate Forest in North Carolina and the founding of the first school of forestry in the United States. Begun in 1898 by Dr. Schenck, the Biltmore Forest School operated on the grounds of the massive Biltmore estate in North Carolina, where Schenck had previously designed a forest management plan for the 100,000 acre estate. During the school's 15 year existence, Schenck trained over 300 foresters, including Gifford Pinchot. The site itself features several historical essays on Schenck, the Biltmore Forest School, and the Biltmore Estate Forest. Additionally, there are several excellent photo archives of the Biltmore Forest School available for perusal, a collection of oral histories dealing with early forestry education in North Carolina, and the forestry lectures of Dr. Schenck. Overall, this is a fascinating resource for those with an interest in the history of forestry in the United States.
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