"HALL OF FAME" FOR TREES 



THE WASHINGTON WILLOW 



This Washington Willow at Cotistantine, Michigan, is 

 nominated for a place in the Hall of Fame for trees with 

 a history by Paul R. Westerville who records with the 

 Association these facts: 



In the fall of 1876 the Hon. Franklin Wells and Mr. 

 John Jones of Constantine, Michigan, together with their 

 zcii'cs, visited the Centennial Celebration at Philadelphia, 

 returning by way of Washington, D. C. 



While in the capital they went to the tomb of George 

 Washittgton over zvhose grave weeping willows had been 

 slipped from those over the tomb of the great Napoleon 

 at St. Helena. The ladies desired to take a branch home 

 zi'ith them, so Mr. Jones severed a fcxv twigs with his 

 knife and gave them to the ladies. 



Mrs. Wells succeeded in keeping one alive by carrying 

 it in a well-moistened handkerchief. All others failed to , 

 survive. Upon reaching her home on Washington Street, 

 Constantine, Michigan, Mrs. Wells placed the slip in a 

 wide necked bottle of zvater and allozued it a place on a 

 soiith zvindow sill of the house shown in the picture, 

 ivhere with sunlight, air and water it flourished and took 

 root. 



THE FAMOUS WILLOW, SLIPPED FROM ONE 

 AT THE TOMB OF THE FATHER OF HIS COUN- 

 TRY, A SCION OF THE ORIGINAL NAPOLEON 

 WILLOW AT ST. HELENA. 



In the following spring of 1877 it was planted at the 

 north end of an old-fashioned English garden, where it 

 stood as a sentinel for 40 years. Early in the summer of 

 1 91 5 on a very quiet Sunday morning at church time, as 

 the minister pronounced benediction this wonderfully 

 nrll-balanced tree, after a half hour's cracking fell to 

 earth. Its loss zvas greatly mourned, but after all it is 

 not dead for Paul R. Westerville having admired this 

 tree from childhood, had taken branches to his new home 

 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, zvhere he planted them in parks, 

 cemeteries and other public places. 



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BATTLE GROUND OAK 



To mark the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Guil- 

 ford Court House, North Carolina, March 15, 1781, the 

 American Forestry Association announced that "The Bat- 

 tle Ground Oak" had been given a place in the Hall of 



Fame for Trees with a history which the Association is 

 compiling. The nomination was made by Mrs. Dorian H. 

 Blair of Greensboro, North Carolina, who is the North 

 Carolina State Historian of the National Society of the 

 Daughters of the American Revolution and a member 

 of the Guilford Battle Chapter. 



Although the surrender of Lord Cornwallis was at 

 Vorktown, many historians claim the decisive battle of 

 the Revolution zvas fought at Guilford Court House. 

 General Nathanael Greene directed the battle from be- 

 neath this tree, which is now 21 feet in circumference 

 at the base and fifteen feet in circumference at its smallest 

 part. The tree is about 75 feet high and has a spread of 

 more than 100 feet, Mrs. Blair informs the Association. 

 The battle ground is nozv a National Park. 



