Early plans for the arboretum began in 1858 when
Jesse W. Fell, founder of
Illinois State University, contacted landscape designer
William Saunders (botanist). Saunders planned a layout for what would eventually become The Quad for the university's campus. In 1867, Jesse Fell obtained $3,000 from the state legislature for campus landscaping. The arboretum is an ArbNet Level II accredited arboretum. ==Samples==