CHAPTER XIX 

 THE ELM AT COURT SQUARE, SPRINGFIELD 



And I, who have always known 

 Peace with her dove-like ways, 

 Am gripped with his martial spirit 

 Here in the after days. 



Richard Burton 



THE city of Springfield has, from early 

 times, possessed large numbers of 

 beautiful trees, mostly elms. The 

 old Springfield Elm, now gone, was famous 

 throughout Massachusetts, and another tree 

 not quite so large is mentioned by Holmes in 

 his comments in the "Autocrat" on elms of 

 the second class, as "the queen of them all." 1 

 There was also a "giant celtis," often mis- 

 taken for an elm, according to some authori- 

 ties the finest tree of its kind in this part of 

 the country. At West Springfield there was, 

 until quite recently, a great tree known as 

 the West Springfield Elm. 



1 Dr. Holmes considered a circumference of 14 ft. at 5 ft. 

 from the ground, large, for elms; 16 to 18 ft., very large; 20 ft. 

 exceptional. 



