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[53]

Some old trees.—number 2

By Sara A. Stone1

(read before the Somerville Historical Society November 7, 1906.)

Have we any old trees in Somerville? Yes, a goodly number. It is difficult to find out the exact facts in many cases, but, counting individual trees, there are over forty which are at least 125 years old, and some of them must be older. Half of the number are red cedars, which may be found in West Somerville and in the neighborhood of Albion street, the location which was formerly known as ‘Polly Swamp.’ They look worn and dusty beside the fresh foliage of the deciduous trees, and bring to mind the lines of Dr. Holmes:—

Little of all we value here
Wakes on the morn of its hundredth year
Without both looking and feeling queer.

No doubt they are more than a hundred years old. Many of them are remembered by old residents in other parts of the city. One remembers them at the corner of Highland avenue and Walnut street, and adds, ‘They were considered a natural growth.’

1 The following persons have aided the writer of this paper by suggestions and information: Mr. John F. Ayer, Mrs. Ellen P. Angier, Mr. George L. Baxter, Mr. Josiah Q. Bennett, Mrs. Martha E. Bowman, Miss Alice I. Bradford, Mr. George C. Brackett, Mrs. Hannah C. Brown, Mr. Joseph H. Clark, Mr. Richard E. Cutter, Mrs. Mary J. Davis, Mrs. L. W. Dow, Miss Frances Dow, Mrs. Helen F. Edlefson, Mr. Charles D. Elliot, Mrs. Annie L. Fletcher, Mr. Ellsworth Fisk, Mr. N. E. Fitz, Hon. William H. Furber, Mrs. Martha J. H. Gerry, Mr. Albert L. Haskell, Mr. Frank M. Hawes, Mrs. Helen E. Heald, Mrs. C. E. Henderson, Miss Bertha E. Holden, Mrs. Fannie C. Jaques, Mr. A. M. Kidder, Mr. George A. Kimball, Mrs. Eleanor G. Kirkpatrick, Miss Georgia Lears, Mrs. Martha E. Libby, Mr. Jairus Mann, Mr. David L. Maulsby, Mr. Henry C. Rand, Hon. Francis H. Raymond, Mrs. Raymond, Mr. Edwin F. Read, Mr. Aaron Sargent, Miss Ellen M. Sawyer, Miss Margaret A. Simpson, Mrs. Juliet G. Smith, Miss Susan S. Stetson, Rev. Anson Titus, Miss M. Alice Tufts, Miss Martha Tufts, Mr. Timothy Tufts, Miss Louise A. Vinal, Miss Anna P. Vinal, Miss Edith A. Woodman.

Somerville. Historical Society. , 1907.

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November 7th, 1906 AD (1)
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