From the Border Cities Star – September 27, 1926:
Staunch Old Elms Planted in 1865, to Fall
- Hydro railway workmen will soon dig their axes into the trunks of these two fine old elms, located at the corner of Park street and Victoria avenue. The trees, which have stood as shady landmarks for 61 years, were planted by Alex Black, retired Windsor assessment commissioner when he was an employee of the old dry goods firm of Cameron and Thorburn, predecessor to the present firm of Bartlet, Macdonald and Gow. The elms were planted on May 24, 1865, together with a small hawthorn that stands further down the street. Mr. Black brought them in from a bush south of Tecumseh road. The trees adjoin the residence of Mrs. F. H. Mann.
I personally would like to see some posts featuring some of the fine old trees of Windsor. A city’s vegetation is no less important than it’s architecture in determining the sense of place. The stretch of Ontario street between Windermere and Argyle had a graceful arching canopy of Elms, reminiscent of the vault of a Gothic cathedral. I remember the first time I rode my bicycle out that way. I was awestruck. There ain’t much there now. Dutch Elm disease decimated most of North America’s native Elm population in the ’50s and ’60s. The disease was spread by Japanese Beetles and some of you may remember the funnel-like traps that were placed in backyards all over town in a futile attempt to hold off this plague. A few trees have survived though. There’s a fine specimen at Bruce Ave and Grove St., and another nice one on the north side of Erie, at Bruce. Windsor also has some impressive Oaks here and there. If you want to see a truly magnificent old specimen, there is one in a vacant lot on the east side of Caron St, 500 block, just north of Wyandotte. An interesting looking 19th century house next door, too, though its been cut, pasted, and grafted, rooming house style. I don’t know what the city’s official policy is but this tree (and others, no doubt) needs to have some kind of protected heritage status to prevent anyone from messing with it. These trees are living history. There was a beauty in Mitchell Park at the edge of the long gone wading pool which I used to check on every time I was in town. A few years ago I was horrified to find a round depression full of wood chips and empty air where this old giant had once ruled.
I totally agree with windsorite-in-exile… That would be a grand post. There are very few elms left, one of the last remaining South Windsor elms was just cut down within the last year. It was on Cabana Rd W. near Dandurand (if I recall), south side of the road. Many of these giants have been taken down, mainly because they become hazard trees, and are unmanageable. The elm canopy that grew on both sides of the road over Ouellette Avenue near the overpass at Jackson Park was a glory to drive through in the 1950’s and 1960’s… now long gone, it has been taken over by planted Kentucky Coffee Trees.
Windsor’s policies for trees is shit.
I had stunning horse chestnut trees on my property. One had a small split in the trunk that closed up in the spring through fall. There was very little rot in the main trunk. The city wanted to cut it down but I asked about “banding”. The city stated they don’t band trees because if it fell down the city might be “liable”.
I had pictures and took them to an arborist. He said the tree could have lasted another 30 years! The city chopped it down.
Now, want to know what the city does to replace them?
I couldn’t get another horse chestnut because they stated they rot over time (doesn’t every tree??). The trees were over 100 years old! So my options were:
Lilac Tree (nice)
Golden locust (messy and ugly)
Some variety of maple (but not the nice ones because they too rot??)
Bradford Pear.
I chose the Bradford Pear as it too blooms. However, they are notorious for only lasting 30 years and usually lose massive limbs due to high winds. This is because the tree has branch issues.
Would you rather have majestic trees that wille ventually rot in 100 years or trees that are cut down every 30 years?
I used to have 3 mature trees. Now I have none! Thanks Windsor!
I hate the fact that they plant trees so close to the road on Ouellette i often wonder what the city will do in 30-40years when these trees mature and the sidewalk or roads heave from the roots….i know they’ll cut them down there is a tre planted in front of OHSHI’S and every time the bus stops there it hits this tree with it’s mirror i mentioned it to a parks a rec employee and he didn’t seem to care that the tree was getting trashed
Thanks Scott, for the reminder of the vanished Elm canopy in Jackson Park. One of those trees survives to this day on the east side of Ouellette, quite close to the road, just south of Tecumseh, a truly majestic example, quite prominent because it stands alone. Most folks don’t even notice it.
Gary, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but then I don’t live there no mo’. I don’t remember any trees on Ouellette “close to the road”, except for the Jackson Park Elm which was established long before the road went through there. Maybe you’re talking about some small ornamentals that are typically planted in downtown areas and pedestrian malls to soften the atmosphere and provide shade? Kinda like big houseplants? Usually a non-native species, these are pleasant enough for a while but are easily damaged by vandals, drunken teenagers, and errant vehicles. In a rough town like Windsor, they don’t have much of a chance. I doubt that they’ll grow big enough or live long enough to heave up the pavement.
When they get to be a problem, the city just rip’s ’em out, fills the hole and covers it over with asphalt, a kind of ground level stucco. Disposable greenery for a disposable culture.
As for the bus mirror hitting the tree in front of OHSHI’S, sounds to me like the bus company needs some new drivers.
Windsor needs a tree bylaw.
Is the oldest tree in the city still on Villaire in Riverside?
I thought I heard about it once, and seen it a few times. It’s a very wide tree, but I have no idea what it is because I wasn’t paying attention at the time!
I believe they said it was approx. 450 years old.
Ring any bells?
windsorite-in-exile your probably right as far as these small trees being ornemental there are other trees in the immediate area that are 20-30ft in height this morning when i was in the core i looked at the tree i mentioned in front of OHSHI’S is located that the bus’s keep hitting and it’s only planted about a foot from the curb so when a bus noes’s into the stop to pick up a passenger the mirror all but knocks it down what a waste
My younger brother built a house in Emeryville a couple years ago and has a oak tree in the back yard that he claims is 100years old it looks so solid and majestic
All joking aside (terrible old Windsor joke from high school days – “Does your father work?”…”No,he’s a bus driver.”), sounds like typical incompetence by the parties responsible for designing and implementing the downtown infrastructure plan, if there is one. Trees planted too close to the road…no consideration given for location of bus stop relative to location of trees (or other obstacles). But then, trees and buses are afterthoughts in our modern society.
That’s not uncommon Gary.
There are plenty of trees 100 years old all over the county. Especially along Riverside Drive, and near the water where houses are, or were at one time.
My boss’ in-laws have a Jesuit Pear Tree in River Canard that’s about 120 years old (end of its life).
Oak trees easily live 80-100+ in this area as well.
They truly are magnificent.
There was a Kentucky Coffee Tree on the grounds of Forster High School that was struck by lightning about 4 years ago and fell across Felix Avenue. When we counted the rings we found out that it started growing the year Abraham Lincoln was shot. Lots of history associated with the old trees.
It’s kind of unfortunate that even in the suburbs they can’t build new neighbourhoods around old growth trees! Over on the east end they’re creating a new section just south of Little River Blvd. and east of Chateau ( all the streets in the said section start with an S for clarification) and the western part of this section was lined with hundred year old Cottonwoods and Oaks that formed part of the Ribbon farms at one point. Now these trees land perfectly at the very back of the new homes’ yards, yet they’ve cut almost all of them down. A shame because it would really leave some character in this new neighbourhood! I think the city should stop this cruel game.