THE HISTORIC TREES OF MASSACHUSETTS 



These words were spoken by a Bostonian 

 at the annual meeting of the American Park 

 and Outdoor Art Association at Detroit, in 

 June, 1899.1 He was speaking from the 

 standpoint of the Common as a city park, 

 the first of its kind in the country; he con- 

 veyed to his hearers the thought that "the 

 trees of the Boston Common are historic 

 trees, because the Common itself is historic." 



The earhest record of famous trees within 

 the bounds of the Common is Bonner's map 

 of 1722, which gives the location of the Great 

 Elm (picturing it as of unusual size) and of a 

 group of elms at the corner of what are now 

 Washington and Essex streets. One of these 

 was the famous Liberty Tree. The scene 

 has been a constantly changing one through 

 the years that have followed since this early 

 map of Boston was made, for practically every 

 tree now standing on the "peninsula" was 

 placed there by the hand of man. The 

 Liberty Tree was destroyed by the British 

 in 1775, while the Great Elm, the true native 

 and king of the Common, survived until 



^ Edward A. Parker 



