The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. I, No. 4, April 1905

by Various

THE MEMORIAL TREES AT WASHINGTON

How to identify memorial trees has become an interesting question with the Washington authorities who have charge of the public grounds. While this city has no elm under which Washington took command of the army, and no oak that saved the charter of colonial liberties, it has not a few trees about which exceedingly interesting history gathers.

The Russo-American oak, planted a year ago, by President Roosevelt, assisted by Secretary Hitchcock, in the lawn near the west terrace of the White House, has a novel history. It is a lineal descendant of a native American oak, which overshadowed the old tomb of Washington at Mount Vernon. Acorns from this oak were sent by Charles Sumner, while a Senator, to the Czar of Russia. Secretary Hitchcock thus tells the rest of the story:

“While ambassador at the court of St. Petersburg I made inquiry with respect to the acorns that Charles Sumner, while Senator from Massachusetts, sent to the Czar, and I found that they had been planted on what is known as ‘Czarina Island,’ which is included in the superb surroundings of one of the palaces of his Majesty, near Peterhof, and there I found a beautiful oak with a tablet at its foot bearing a Russian inscription which reads: ‘The acorn planted here was taken from an oak which shades the tomb of the celebrated and never-to-be-forgotten Washington; is presented to his Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of all the Russias, as a sign of the greatest respect.—By an American.’

“I was fortunate at the time of my visit, which was in the fall of 1898, in finding a number of acorns on the ground. Gathering a handful I sent them home, and secured from the seed thus planted a few oak saplings, one of which I planted, with the permission of President Roosevelt, in the grounds of the White House, while another I planted near its grandparent, which is still in existence at Mount Vernon. Both of these young trees, I hope, will reach such age and strength as will, for years to come typify the continued friendship of the Governments and people of the United States and Russia.”

A superb specimen of the Oriental plane tree (Platanus orientalis) originally planted in 1862, in the United States Botanic Garden by direction of Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, now forms one of the chief attractions of Lincoln Park. Having suffered from an overflow of the Potomac in 1870, which threatened its destruction, it was removed from the Botanic Garden to Lincoln Park, then an unimproved Government reservation. In 1872, when this park was improved with walks and ornamental plantings, a part of the plan of improvement adopted was the construction of an oval mound in the center, intended to form the site of a colossal statue of Abraham Lincoln, if an appropriation could be secured for that purpose. This tree was bare-stemmed, with a few small branches near the top, about eight feet from the original ground surface. The mound was made around it, and from this bare stem, which subsequently was covered with earth, it speedily sent out roots, and began a growth of phenomenal rapidity, which has continued till it is now over seventy feet in height, with a nearly equal spread of branches.

Trees as well as statuary may serve as monuments. In the parks and gardens of the cities of Europe there are many such trees. In Washington, the official home of our Presidents, and the temporary abiding place of so many distinguished statesmen and men of letters, exceptional opportunities have been afforded, and there are many trees notable for the historic interest attached to them.

In the grounds around the White House stands a stately American elm said to have been planted by President John Quincy Adams. It forms a conspicuous object, towering above the surrounding plantings on the mound to the southeast of the White House. An American elm was planted by President Hayes in March, 1878, near the west entrance of the north roadway approach to the White House. A sweet-gum tree was planted by President Harrison, in April, 1892, in the lawn northeast of the White House. A scarlet oak was planted by President McKinley, March, 1898, in the lawn west of the White House, bordering the walk now leading to the executive offices.

The Cameron elm, one of the old trees in the Capitol grounds, south of the south wing of the building, is made notable from the circumstance that Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, while a member of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, intervened in its behalf and prevented its destruction.

In the Botanic Garden are planted a large number of trees, memorials of men prominent in the Nation’s history. These trees are both evergreen and deciduous, and a number of them are splendid specimens. There is the Crittenden tree, an overcup oak, planted in 1863 by J. J. Crittenden, of Crittenden compromise fame. The acorns for this and a companion tree planted at the same time by Robert Mallory, a personal friend of Crittenden, were brought from Kentucky by them. Mr. Mallory’s tree was planted on what was, prior to its incorporation in the Botanic Garden, the towpath of the old Washington Canal.

The Garfield tree has this novel history: At the funeral ceremonies of President Garfield a small seedling branchlet of acacia was placed on his coffin by a member of the Masonic fraternity. After his burial this seedling plant was brought to Washington, and planted in its present location. Near this tree, on the opposite side of the walk, an acacia tree has been planted as a memorial to Albert Pike, for so many years the central figure of the Masonic fraternity in the United States. The Hoar and Evarts memorial trees are two handsome specimens of the cedar of Lebanon, planted by Senators Hoar and Evarts, close together. The Holman tree is a superb Crimean fir, planted about thirty-eight years ago by the Indiana economist, who is now almost forgotten. There are two Wahoo, or winged elm trees, planted by Lot M. Morrill and Justin S. Morrill during their terms of service in the United States Senate. These somewhat rare trees are now handsome specimens of the garden.

A Chinese oak with a novel history grows near by; many years ago a friend of Charles A. Dana, travelling in China, picked up a number of acorns under a tree growing by the grave of Confucius, and brought them to America for Mr. Dana, who planted them in his grounds. This tree was grown from one of these acorns.

There are also a number of other memorial trees planted in these grounds; among the most notable are a British oak commemorating the settlement of the Alabama claims, and two American elms, seedlings from the Washington elm growing at Cambridge. And there are many more.

Evening Post, N. Y.