Indiana County, PA is "The Christmas Tree Capital of the World"
Indiana, Pennsylvania, the Christmas Tree Capital of the World, is located just one hour east of Pittsburgh at the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. Growing Christmas Trees, as a farm crop in Indiana County, started in 1918. The Association is comprised of local tree growers dedicated to the promotion of Christmas tree farming in Indiana County. Each year, visitors and residents alike drive out to their favorite Christmas tree farm to select their favorite FRESH tree to enjoy during the holiday season. Embrace your Christmas traditions or start a new one by selecting your Christmas tree from one of the many Christmas tree farms throughout Indiana County, PA. Indiana County, PA is also home to the First Commonwealth Bank "It's A Wonderful Life" Holiday Parade & Festival.
In December 2023, KDKA visited Indiana County to learn more about the tree growing industry.
Watch the segment: https://youtu.be/hCvamwz1S_M?si=_SqfqaqY4BlBurdT
Also in December 2023, TribLive.com featured Indiana County, PA as a "Daycation Destination". Read more: https://triblive.com/local/regional/daycation-destination-indiana-pa-is-the-christmas-tree-capitol-of-the-world/
A little bit of history about the Christmas tree growing industry....
The process of growing Christmas trees as an agricultural crop began in 1918 in Indiana County when Mr. Silas C. Streams first planted Norway Spruce trees to be sold during the Christmas season. History has it that as early as 1906, a “man from the east” was advocating to Judge Elkin and Matthew Streams (father of Silas “Si” C. Streams) the planting of pines. They were very reluctant to turn “good farmland” into pine productions, but Si capitalized on this opportunity and received permission to plant one thousand seedlings. None of them were cut and most are still growing, now 50 feet and more in height. In 1918, Si Streams started planting regularly. By 1926, Si started selling Christmas trees at .40 to .50 cents each, one good and three bad per bundle. Gradually, other pioneers started plantations, including: Murray C. Stewart, Sam Dible, Walter Schroth and Fred Musser.
The Christmas tree farming industry experienced significant growth following World War II. In 1956, when the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers’ Association was organized, an estimated 700,000 trees were cut in Indiana County and sometime during this period, Indiana began to be touted as “The Christmas Tree Capital of the World”, according to an Associated Press Dispatch. “Other states may produce more, but we were the first. Some of Silas Streams’ trees continue to grow on farms that he once owned in the Five Points area,” said Gregg Van Horn, President of the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers’ Association.
5601 Highway 954 North
Creekside, PA, 15732
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Phone: 724-388-8572
capitaltrees@gmail.com
christmastreecapital.org/
