John Cooper’s Christmas Tree Dream
Zea Gevert
November 06, 2007
Silviculturist and WWII veteran John Cooper had a vision to create an idyllic Christmas tree farm where families from around West Virginia and the Ohio Valley could come each year to find that perfect Christmas tree. His dream started in 1971 when he purchased a scenic lot in Evans, WV and called it Santa’s Forest. After preparing the land, he planted his first trees in 1973. The dream came to fruition in 1981 when the first crop of trees was sold. More than 25 years later, the legacy he created has taken a leap forward with the help of new ownership and the information superhighway.
As a military veteran, John Cooper has always been well aware of the power of technology. At the end of WWII, John Cooper was in the position to be possibly the first man to receive communication from Radio Japan that the Order of the Rising Sun unconditionally surrendered to the United States and its Allied forces. The Showa Emperor of Japan had recorded a message in which he personally accepted the Allied surrender terms. John was taking a break in the radio room of the Battleship New Jersey when he heard the signal. He copied the transmission and relayed it to the rest of the fleet. After the war, John Cooper had the privilege of meeting Army General Douglas MacArthur at Supreme Allied headquarters in Tokyo, next to the emperor's palace. From that formative experience on the Battleship New Jersey through his work on Santa’s Forest, Cooper has always taken advantage of new opportunities, whether they were technological or related to silviculture.
John Cooper understood that in the 21st century Santa’s Forest could benefit from new methods of communication. In his business he had always taken pride in his ability to extend his hand to others and, through his Christmas trees, brings joy to the world. Cooper was the President of the West Virginia Christmas Tree Association and a representative to the National Christmas Tree Association. He was invited to the White House during the Carter administration to present a Christmas tree to the First Lady on his state's behalf. John Cooper is considered by the United States Department of Agriculture as one of West Virginia's finest silviculturists.
Well past the typical retirement age, John’s passion for his farm did not dim, but his physical ability to work the trees diminished. Therefore, in early 2006 he began a quest to find the perfect family to take over the business. He refused offers to sell to anyone who wouldn’t maintain his dream’s standards. By the end of the year he met Washington, DC entrepreneurs Luke & Jenna Wilbur. He had found the ideal buyers for his company. The energetic couple owned FreshChristmasTree.com, a successful online company that offers customers from around the country the ability to receive a fresh cut Christmas tree, delivered straight to their doors. When the farm formally changed hands in June 2007, John Cooper stayed on as a consultant to pass along his expertise on crops and land management. The Wilburs have expanded Santa’s Forest by combining their successful mail order business with a traditional cut-your-own tree farm.
The Wilburs’ farm, thanks to the hard work of John Cooper, provides customers with a wide variety of trees, including Scotch Pine, Balsam Fir, Canaan Valley Fir, Colorado Spruce, Fraser Fir, and White Pine. Wreaths and garland are also available. John Cooper’s dream of families gathering around a tree from Santa’s Forest lives on through the Wilburs and www.FreshChristmasTree.com. Santa’s Forest is a USDA registered farm and a member of the National Christmas Tree Association. Santa’s Forest follows sustainable growing guidelines that protect our environment. The Wilburs are very proud to carry on Cooper’s legacy by providing a quality product to families near and far.
For more information, please visit:
www.freshchristmastree.com
A one hour video interview with John Cooper is available upon request.
Tours of Santa’s Forest are available. Evans, WV is located 45 minutes north of Charleston, WV.
As a military veteran, John Cooper has always been well aware of the power of technology. At the end of WWII, John Cooper was in the position to be possibly the first man to receive communication from Radio Japan that the Order of the Rising Sun unconditionally surrendered to the United States and its Allied forces. The Showa Emperor of Japan had recorded a message in which he personally accepted the Allied surrender terms. John was taking a break in the radio room of the Battleship New Jersey when he heard the signal. He copied the transmission and relayed it to the rest of the fleet. After the war, John Cooper had the privilege of meeting Army General Douglas MacArthur at Supreme Allied headquarters in Tokyo, next to the emperor's palace. From that formative experience on the Battleship New Jersey through his work on Santa’s Forest, Cooper has always taken advantage of new opportunities, whether they were technological or related to silviculture.
John Cooper understood that in the 21st century Santa’s Forest could benefit from new methods of communication. In his business he had always taken pride in his ability to extend his hand to others and, through his Christmas trees, brings joy to the world. Cooper was the President of the West Virginia Christmas Tree Association and a representative to the National Christmas Tree Association. He was invited to the White House during the Carter administration to present a Christmas tree to the First Lady on his state's behalf. John Cooper is considered by the United States Department of Agriculture as one of West Virginia's finest silviculturists.
Well past the typical retirement age, John’s passion for his farm did not dim, but his physical ability to work the trees diminished. Therefore, in early 2006 he began a quest to find the perfect family to take over the business. He refused offers to sell to anyone who wouldn’t maintain his dream’s standards. By the end of the year he met Washington, DC entrepreneurs Luke & Jenna Wilbur. He had found the ideal buyers for his company. The energetic couple owned FreshChristmasTree.com, a successful online company that offers customers from around the country the ability to receive a fresh cut Christmas tree, delivered straight to their doors. When the farm formally changed hands in June 2007, John Cooper stayed on as a consultant to pass along his expertise on crops and land management. The Wilburs have expanded Santa’s Forest by combining their successful mail order business with a traditional cut-your-own tree farm.
The Wilburs’ farm, thanks to the hard work of John Cooper, provides customers with a wide variety of trees, including Scotch Pine, Balsam Fir, Canaan Valley Fir, Colorado Spruce, Fraser Fir, and White Pine. Wreaths and garland are also available. John Cooper’s dream of families gathering around a tree from Santa’s Forest lives on through the Wilburs and www.FreshChristmasTree.com. Santa’s Forest is a USDA registered farm and a member of the National Christmas Tree Association. Santa’s Forest follows sustainable growing guidelines that protect our environment. The Wilburs are very proud to carry on Cooper’s legacy by providing a quality product to families near and far.
For more information, please visit:
www.freshchristmastree.com
A one hour video interview with John Cooper is available upon request.
Tours of Santa’s Forest are available. Evans, WV is located 45 minutes north of Charleston, WV.
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