Years ago the elm was valued for its lumber, since it was a very strong wood and difficult to split. It was used for farm implements and wagon wheels, particularly the hub of the wheel, because it would not wear out. The bark of the American elm has a craggy, cork-like rough texture that contains strong fibers from which the Indians wove their rope. About the only enemy the American elm had was the plague of Dutch Elm Disease that brought it low in the middle years of this century. The Borough of Westmont has 195 elms planted on Luzerne Street and 15 on various other streets in the borough.
Some trees also exist on private property.
There are approximately 3,200 shade trees on Borough property that are cared for by the Borough. It is the last cathedral-arched boulevard left in the U. S., of which there were once many. The cathedral-arch effect is the most significant feature of the American elm. Although it was most common in New England, the Middle Atlantic States, and the Midwest before Dutch Elm Disease struck, the elm was found in every state except Hawaii. This disease is carried from tree to tree by infected European elm bark beetles and the native elm bark beetles.