Wilbur R. (Wilbur Reed) Mattoon

Wilbur R. Mattoon was an American forester and writer whose career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service stretched for nearly 40 years. A 2023 U.S. Forest Service history describes him as an energetic inspector, administrator, researcher, extension agent, and educator who traveled widely, with especially strong influence in the South through his work promoting reforestation and farm forestry.

He wrote or co-wrote a wide range of practical guides on trees and woodland management, including Forest Trees and Forest Regions of the United States, Forestry Lessons on Home Woodlands, and state-focused manuals such as Forest Trees of Florida, Forest Trees of Oklahoma, and Forest Trees of the District of Columbia. His writing was aimed at helping ordinary readers identify trees and understand how forests could support farms, communities, and conservation.

Mattoon is sometimes remembered as “Mr. Forest Service” for his friendly, on-the-ground approach and his role in encouraging forestry where formal programs were still taking shape. For readers today, his work offers a glimpse of an era when forestry was being explained not just to specialists, but to the broader public.