Show Only Live Oak Oal Trees Over Century Old Are Eligible for This Unique Society Its President Is Elected By Girth By ELMO ELl SCOTT VATSON WATSON Released by Western Newspaper Union HE recent celebration tion of T THE the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Live LiveOak LiveOak LiveOak Oak Society of Louisiana unique organization fathered by the late Dr Edwin L. L Stephens has called attention again to some of the famous trees that serve as living monuments monuments monuments mon mon- to important events in the history of the United States Dr Stephens who was for many years president of Southwestern Louisiana institute institute institute tute originated the Live Oak society while gathering data on the historical trees of his state during 1935 It shortly became famous throughout the world Only live oaks with an established established established age of at least a century are admitted to the society The president is elected by girth The Locke Breaux oak on the Mississippi river in St. St Charles parish Louisiana has held the office office of of- I fice by reason of its size ever everI I since the society was first organ organ- This oak is said to be the largest in America having a girth of 35 feet at a height of four feet above the ground and standing 75 feet high with a spread of feet It was beneath this moss- moss draped giant that LaSalle and his band of French explorers are said to have knelt to offer thanks for their safe arrival on their voyage down the Mississippi river in a aland aland aland land where the fruit trees bear bearin in winter High on the list of charter members of the society is the Evangeline oak in old St. St Martinville Martinville Martinville Mar- Mar where descendants of the original Acadian exiles from Nova Scotia still carry on the traditions traditions traditions tra tra- tra- tra and customs of their French forefathers Under this oak the heroine of Longfellow's Evangeline met again the lover she had sought through weary months and perilous journeying only to find that he had another sweetheart I Famous too are the duelling oaks in New Orleans In another era these trees looked down on many gallants who sought to avenge real or fancied insults with blades that flashed in the rays of the early sun Often the spreading branches of these oaks sheltered a duellist who lay on the field of honor as his opponent strode off victorious Pay Dues Dues' With Acorns Dues of member trees are acorns payable in November of every year The acorns are planted plant plant- ed in the society's own nursery and the young trees treasured by garden and horticultural societies societies societies soci soci- because of their distinguished distinguished distinguished distin distin- parentage are used for planting highways college campuses campuses campuses cam cam- and parks Other offspring of these aristocrats aristocrats aristocrats aristo aristo- of the live oak family have traveled to many far-away far lands Some of them now stand on estates estates estates es es- es- es tates in South America Others have crossed the Pacific to take root in the soil of Australia Still others cast shadows over the bright tropical bloom in Hawaiian gardens and so provide a link between between between be be- tween tree lovers of this Pacific island and the United States Live oaks are admitted to the society upon presentation of their family tree by someone who serves as an attorney Each new member is inducted with fitting fitting fitting fit fit- ting ceremonies arranged by the garden clubs of Louisiana and ir it which state officials take pan part However these Louisiana live oaks are not the only arboreal aristocrats of this country having havinga a genealogy rooted in centuries when America was an uncharted wilderness and beneath whose branches have been enacted human human human hu hu- hu- hu man dramas that changed the course of the nations nation's history Probably most famous of all historic American trees is the Washington elm in Cambridge Mass It was beneath this tree that Washington took command of the Continental army on July 3 1775 The tree is thought to be bea a survivor of the primeval forest that once covered the region and andin andin andin in its youth was almost feet in height with a branch spread of 90 feet When in 1872 one of the largest of the trees tree's branches fell as a result of a storm the wood was used for a pulpit in a nearby chapel Maryland's Liberty Tree Even more ancient is the history history history his his- tory of the Liberty tree at Annapolis Annapolis Annap Annap- olis Md This tree an immense poplar stands on the campus of St. St Johns John's college and is entitled to fame both on account of its great age and s size e and because of the historic events that took place beneath it Tradition records records records re re- re- re cords that in 1 1652 52 a treaty was made under the Liberty tree between between between be be- tween white settlers and the Sus- Sus fin F K M I I I a p p Dr Edwin L. L Stephens standing beside the Locke Breaux oak in St. St Charles parish La president of the Live Oak Society of Louisiana Indians thereby assuring assuring assuring as as- suring the settlers of safety which left them free to develop the land and build homes and ties When the colonists were discussing discussing discussing dis dis- cussing problems which led to revolt against England patriotic meetings were held in the shade of the Liberty tree out of which arose its name Later still General General General Gen Gen- eral Lafayette was er entertained beneath its shade when he visited Annapolis in 1824 The Royal Oak or Tree of the Lighted Lanterns near Easton Md also stands as a living memorial to this country's fight for independence and the right to her own trade During the War Var of 1812 a British ship came to anchor at night opposite the town of St. St Michaels in Talbot county and began to shell the town The townspeople who were unprotected ed hung lighted lanterns in the tops of the high tree and so deceived deceived deceived de de- de- de the enemy into mistaking 0 k y yx x t Historic Evangeline Oak in St. St Martinville 1 La them for lights of the town with the result their shots passed harmlessly overhead A stalwart oak at Chesterfield S. S C. C which was already a lordly tree in 1852 played a role inthe in inthe inthe the Civil war The first flag bearing bearing bearing bear bear- ing the words Immediate Separate Separate Separate Sep Sep- arate State Action was fastened to its branches and fluttered there until General Sherman took the town and ordered the flag down Even before gain gaining g fame fame i in the Civil war me tree iree had been marked as as one of Chesterfields Chesterfield's historic points of interest as it had served as a place for Indian parleys parleys parleys par par- leys and their pipes of peace together together together to to- gether with stores of arrowheads were found buried beneath it New York cherishes as its oldest oldest oldest old old- est tree the Inwood tulip tree on the northern end of Manhattan island Said to be more than years old the tree was in its youth when Henry Hudson made hi his memorable voyage of discovery discovery ery on the river that bears his hi name Corydon Ind claims one of th the country's famous trees the Constitutional Constitutional Constitutional Con Con- elm beneath which on June 10 1816 members of the Constitutional convention met to deliberate on the articles of law to be adopted for the government of the new state of Indiana This tree is protected by law against depredations Roosevelt Oaks Even in our own modern era trees have their place in current history When the final plans were drawn for the library of President Franklin D. D Roosevelt at Hyde Park in which his papers papers papers pa pa- pers will be kept for posterity the President decided to preserve the landscaping of the grounds so that future generations see sec seethe seethe the place just dust as it exists today Thus the landscaping plans necessitated necessitated necessitated ne ne- ne- ne preserving in appearance appearance appearance appear appear- ance at least the six great oaks which surround the front of the library These trees have stood for several hundred years and it was because of their beauty the library was erected on the present present present pres pres- ent site Accordingly President Roosevelt decided to have young oaks planted next to each of of the theold the theold theold old oaks so that when the old ones finally died and were removed removed removed re re- re- re moved the young ones would grow In hi their corresponding places The oaks chosen were a group of year old trees that had been planted by the Presidents President's Presidents President's Presidents President's dents dent's daughter Anna Roosevelt Boettiger Of even more historic interest is the use of the trees which grew about the groups of Lincoln's childhood home to flank the white marble walls of the memorial to the Great Emancipators Emancipator's mem mem- ory It was under these same trees that the boy Lincoln spent his childhood summers learning to read and write Two of the huge shade trees which have been included in the landscaping were those under which two of the historic historic historic his his- Lincoln-Douglas Lincoln debates were held A tree which needed neither age nor historical background to bring it fame is the unique Apple Ap ClAp Apple pIe Annie tree which marks the grave of Mary McGrath for years a familiar and colorful figure figure figure fig fig- ure in the theatrical district of Broadway Mary McGrath walked New Yorks York's Great WhiteWay White WhiteWay Way Vay for years selling apples to passersby who included many of the great theatrical names of her herera herera herera era as well as the less great She inspired a story and subsequent photoplay and when she died a afew afew afew few years ago the Broadway theatrical world mourned her passing A group who had known Apple Annie through the years planned a unique memorial memorial-a a tree composed of the seven varieties varieties varieties vari vari- vari- vari of apples which had constituted constituted constituted her wares The tree which bears Astrachan Gravenstein Fall Pippin Baldwin Greening Russett and King apples now is planted on her grave In addition to serving as monuments monuments monuments ments historical trees have themselves themselves themselves them them- selves inspired monuments A Abronze Abronze Abronze bronze monument marks the site of the old Liberty elm in Boston The tree was planted by a schoolmaster schoolmaster schoolmaster school school- master long before the Revolution Revolution Revolution tion and dedicated by him to the independence of the colonies was wasa a favorite meeting place for pa pa- When at last it fell L the theL bells 01 OI of au all Boston oston ChurChes were tolled A monument was erected to the memory of a tree which in its turn had served as a living memorial to the fight our fo forefathers forefathers fore fore- e- e fathers waged to make this a free and independent nation Modern methods of tree surgery surgery surgery sur sur- gery have helped to preserve many historic trees which without without without with with- out mans man's help would have died of the ravages of time storms and insects The new tree surgery surgery surgery sur sur- gery with rubber originated by the noted horticulturist George Van and subsequently developed developed developed de de- de- de by engineers of the B. B F. F Goodrich company was used to preserve the life of the old Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington walnut tree in New Jersey Tradition has it that the first President frequently hitched his horse to an iron ring embedded in the tree wh when n he hc commanded the American Revolutionary forces For more than years the tree withstood onslaughts of weather A few years ago decay set in and it seemed that the tree would go the way of other historically historically his his- famous trees which have disappeared from the earth The TheVan Van method of tree surgery was employed a new type of interlocking rubber blocks b being ing used to fill up cavities in the tree caused by decay Whereas concrete fillings formerly former former- ly used in tree surgery give the tree a rigidity which makes it impossible for the tree to bend with the wind in a severe storm these rubber blocks have such such pliability the danger of the tree cracking when buffeted by a a wind was eliminated In addition bark grows more easily over rubber as the tree scar heals After the insertion of the filling tic wax was injected by steam pressure to kill any lurking decay germs Today the Washington walnut tree gives promise of remaining remaining re re- re- re as an historic landmark for another century or so f o 6 |