THE HISTORIC TREES OF MASSACHUSETTS 



IT IS claimed that Massachusetts has a greater number 

 of historic or otherwise famous trees than any State 

 in the Union, and this claim is strongly supported in 

 a very beautiful book just from the press of Marshall 

 Jones & Company, of Boston. It is called, "The Historic 

 Trees of Massachusetts," and was written by James 

 Raymond Simmons, of Syracuse, New York, Secretary 

 of the New York State Forestry Association. Mr. Sim- 

 mons, who was formerly Assistant State Forester of 

 Massachusetts, writes with enthusiastic interest in his 

 subject, and he has made a point of historical accuracy 

 in his presentation. 



A tree to be of historic value must be closely connected 

 with men or events, and the very human sketches of the 

 lives of these justly famous trees will hold the interest 

 and attention of tree lovers from the beginning to the 

 end of the book. "Speaking from the standpoint of 

 trees as individuals," says the author, "we find that 

 certain of them are identified with events of nation-wide 



and even world-wide importance. An historic tree com- 

 mands in us the same quality of admiration which we 

 feel for a great mind; it has been associated with the 

 noted characters of its time ; it is related to events whose 

 results have affected the life and development of the 

 community; it has demonstrated its ability to stand like 

 a conqueror in the face of storm and adversity and has 

 arisen superior to opposing forces of every description. 

 We, therefore, honor its excellence and cherish its 

 memory with that of our heroes !" 



The book is beautifully illustrated, the photographs 

 having been taken by the author intimate studies of 

 trees he loved. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. Simmons and his pub- 

 lishers, American Forestry is privileged to reproduce 

 here excerpts from the book and illustrations. All of 

 these trees have been entered in the American Forestry 

 Association's Hall of Fame for Trees. 



AT the right is shown the entrance to the beautiful stand of 

 white pine at Abington, which has come to be known locally 

 as Island Grove, but more generally as Abolition Grove, and is 

 often pointed out to the stranger as "the place where the Civil 

 War began." Here, in the open air, sheltered only by the 



whispering pines, great men, and women, too, stood and delivered 

 speeches in the cause of abolition. Webster, "a man who 

 loved mountains, and great trees, wide horizons, the ocean, 

 the western plains, and the great monuments of literature and 

 art," spoke in this historic place. Garrison was heard by the 



worthy people of 

 Abington and the 

 surrounding 

 towns beneath 

 these same white 

 pines. The full 

 list of those who 

 spoke here in- 

 cludes some of 

 the greatest 

 minds of the 

 Civil War period. 

 A huge boulder 

 within the grove 

 marks the spot 

 where the 

 tors were 

 to stand 

 speaking. 



ora 

 wont 

 when 



iiiiiiiiniiiii 



lllllllllllllllllllflllllllllllllll! 

 Illlllllllllllt 



T^HE Black 

 Walnut at 

 West Medford is 

 famed for its 

 size and sym- 

 metry as well as 

 its c o n n e c tion 

 with local his- 

 tory. It is four- 

 teen and a half 

 feet in circum- 

 ference, eighty 

 feet in height 

 and seventy-five 



THE BLACK WALNUT, WEST MEDFORD feet in spread. THE ENTRANCE TO ISLAND GROVE 



213 



