Obituary for a Fine Old Elm

I am saddened to announce the passing of one of the last remaining elm trees in my area. The tree, which has been a neighborhood landmark for nearly a century, finally succumbed to some combination of age, drought, disease, and the stresses of urban life. It is certainly one of the last remnants of the scores of elms that shaded the neighborhood before they were felled by the Dutch Elm blight in the sixties. We will miss its incredible crown of branches, its shade, and the character it leant to the block on which it grew.

We had an opportunity to speak with the homeowners this evening as we stood contemplating the remains of the tree, and it was evident that they were deeply affected by its loss. Because it grew between the sidewalk and the curb, the city will be planting a replacement tree. The crew that came to fell the dead tree allowed the owners to keep much of the wood and offered to cut them a slab from the base so they could count the rings and perhaps have a table made some day.

Elm has a reputation for being cantankerous, its grain tightly interlocked so as to resist easy splitting. It was, for this reason, the wood of choice for the hubs of wooden wagon wheels. I took away two small logs with the thought that I might make something from the wood in a few years. I can, at least, preserve its memory in that way. Ars longa, vita brevis...