SCHULWALD

In the 1850's pine seedlings were brought from Canadian forests near Ebenerzer, NY, because Iowa had no native pines. Wood was very important to the community, especially for buildings and crafts. Groves of white, spruce, and larch pines were planted and maintained by the school children in South Amana, East Amana, and Amana. These seedlings were from one of the Ebenezer, New York villages. These " school forests" or Schulwalden were special places where children played, families had picnics, and couples took long walks there. The last Amana Schulwald pine trees were downed during World War II,  but South and East Amana's still stand. Homestead has its own pine grove now, planted in the 1940's. In the 1970's a small grove was planted by a local teacher and her students on the banks of Price Creek, where one was originally planted in 1860's. These are all very stately groves.