Some Historic Trees
One of a historical series, this pamphlet is publishedunder the direction of the governing Boards of the PublicLibrary of Fort Wayne and Allen County.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SCHOOL CITY OF FORT WAYNE
- B.F. Geyer, President
- Joseph E. Kramer, Secretary
- W. Page Yarnelle, Treasurer
- Mrs. Sadie Fulk Roehrs
- Willard Shambaugh
PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD FOR ALLEN COUNTY
The members of this Board include the members of the Board of Trustees of theSchool City of Fort Wayne (with the same officers) together with the followingcitizens chosen from Allen County outside the corporate City of Fort Wayne:
- James E. Graham
- Arthur Nieneier
- Mrs. Glenn Henderson
- Mrs. Charles Reynolds
FOREWORD
From earliest times, trees have served and interestedman. Primitive man found trees to be a source of food, fuel,clothing, and building material. In the dim, distant pastcertain trees were considered sacred as the habitat of woodlanddeities. Today, some giants of the forest are knownfor their great age and as landmarks; they are often associatedwith historical events.
The first portion of this pamphlet was published in theFORT WAYNE SENTINEL on July 11, 1891, and describeshistoric trees of the Colonial and Revolutionary periods.Grammar, spelling, and punctuation have been changed tocorrespond with current usage. The second part was writtenby the Library Staff; stories of notable trees of the OldNorthwest are related.
The Boards and the Staff of the Public Library of FortWayne and Allen County present this publication in the hopethat it will prove entertaining and informative to citizens ofthe Summit City.
There has been no Methuselah since the flood. Manseldom lives longer than one hundred years. Only the elephantand the tortoise feebly imitate the longevity of the antediluvians.But there are living things that outlive themall—things far more stately than the tallest man or largestquadruped—living things that were companions of the graybeards before the flood and lived to bless their grandchildren.
The only living links between us and the remote pastare trees—grand old trees with clustering memories liketrailing vines. In the shadows of the dark forest, in the lightof the lofty hills, in the warmth and beauty of the broad plainsof the great globe, they stand in matchless dignity. But theyare few. They are patriarchs of the vegetable kingdom, receivingthe homage of myriads of children. With what muteeloquence do they address us? With what moving pathos dothe trees of Olivet discourse of Jesus, his “beautiful life andsublime death”? How the cedars of Lebanon talk of Solomonand Hiram, and the great temple of Jerusalem! In our owncountry and in our own time, ancient trees have been, andstill are, intimately connected with our history as coloni