16 Comments

Jane - Great article! Thanks. There is a huge willow tree on Ironstone Farm's property. I think at one time the diameter measurement set a record. I don't know anything more regarding it's history or if it even has one. But, it is a beautiful tree in Andover!!!

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Willow trees grow "wicked" fast, I think. I have a lot to learn, but thankfully there are lots of local experts I can call on for information. Thanks for reading.

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Thank you, Jane. I look forward to the next installment.

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Thanks for reading! Do you remember the "Hollow Tree" in the West Elementary woods? We need to get working on a West El history before the old barn is torn down.

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I’m thinking the same thing. I haven’t been in that building in Al least sixteen years and I should have a remembrance for posterity.

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No, I don’t. It’s story might be an interesting re my embrancecto share.

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Wonderfully written and such interesting history! Thanks Jane! 😊

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Thanks for a wonderful article, Jane. Can't wait for the next one.

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Who knew a tree could have a history. Always something new to learn.

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Hope you're planning to include the Bicentennial Elm, on the south side of the Library on the Phillips campus. Paula Trespas wrote about it in the Andover alumni Bulletin about 10 years ago.

Dick Howe

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Such a rich, detailed piece on a tree - and a unique lens to learn New England's history. I am new to Massachusetts and look forward to more essays about her varieties and their stories. Thank you, Jane!

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Lovely article!

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Nobody writes history like Jane! Such a rich and well-told story. My hometown of Londonderry NH is known as an apple tree town with all its many orchards. Now I want to look into the "roots" behind that. I just never thought to wonder how it all began! Thank you, Jane!!

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OK, now you've got my mouth watering for fresh-picked apples. Love Mack's!

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Nice piece on the story of the Centennial Elm. Happy that Cummings didn’t live to see her demise. Thanks for the feel good moment at the end that its “twin” lives on in Andover.

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Well done, Jane! What a lot of research must have gone into this piece. I'm impressed that so much is known about the story of Andover's first apple tree, and it provides a lens through which to explore the history of the times.

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