first christmas tree

There may be truth in the story but it isn't the origin of the 'first' Christmas tree (though it may have been the first one in Wooster, OH). My guess is that the immigrant was German. The tradition of bringing evergreens indoors at the Winter Solstice to represent the persistence of life through the dark days of winter has its roots in pre-Christian tradition and the Christianisation of many pre-Christian rituals by the early church meant that many of the traditions associated with them also survived. The Christmas tree seems to have been popularised in Britain in the mid 19th Century when it may have been introduced by Queen Victoria's beloved husband Albert but the tradition of decorating with winter greenery (holly and ivy and mistletoe) is as old in England as it is in Germany. Some Americans may have brought that tradition with them when they emigrated from Britain but it's almost certain that the tradition of the decorated tree arrived in the US with Northern European settlers (probably of German origin, though I believe the custom existed in Scandinavian countries as well).