Which tree is commonly called “the pioneer tree” and why?

Answer 1

The 'Cottonwood'

The broad Kansas prairie was often foreign and intimidating to settlers moving west from the Ohio valley, the Appalachian Mountains or New England. The landscapes they had left back home were covered with trees that provided wood for building homes, fuel for cooking, fuel to warm the hearth during a harsh winter and shade to protect them from a hot summer sun. Following the Oregon and Santa Fe trails west, trees were in very short supply.

When a cottonwood tree was spotted, thoughts of shade, water, wood and back home filled the minds of weary travelers. The cottonwood gave those traveling through the state a respite from the summer sun and the courage to continue west.

Those staking out a new life on the Kansas prairie routinely planted the fast-growing cottonwood to provide the shade, warmth and cooking fuel they had left in the east. Because of the part played by the tree in the early days of settlement, the cottonwood has been called the pioneer tree of Kansas.

Answer 2

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