Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-01-07
The "Charter Oak"

Hartford, Connecticut, one of the most in
teresting nf New England cities, is located in
The beautiful valley of the Connecticut river.
One OF the principal objects of interest to the
stranger is the far famed "Char:er Oak
This venerable tree ands on a beautiful eIe.
va on IN the 'utern part of The city, and
near The ancient seat of the Wyllys family
The premises on which it stands arc owned
by the Hon. s. w. Stuart. |, received its
name from the following circumstance:
Sir Edmund Andres, the first Governor
General of New England, arrived IN Boston
in 1885, and Immediately wrote to the colony
OF Connecticut, command ny them to resi-. n
their charter, which they refused to do TIE
Colonial assembled met in October following,
and while it was in session Sir Edmund ar
rived in Hartford with his suit and more than
sixty regular troops.-He demanded the char
ter, and declared the government under it
dissolved. The as 'embly were unwilling to
accede to his demands, and continued to de-
bate the question until evening, when The
charter was brought and laid on the table
Instantly the lights were extinguished, and it
Il said that one Captain Wadsworth, then
residing In the town. secreted the document
in the cavity Of this remarkable tree. The
candles were relghted, but the patent was
gone, and no discovery could be made of it.
or OF the persons who carried it away.
The tree bears marks of great age It's
wide spread branches are somewhat stunted
and cnrtailed, butt is still remarkable for
the coloriog and richness of its foliage. Its
trunk ls tweDty-one feet in circumference, and
nearly seven in diameter. The cavity, the
asylum of the charter, is near the ro,ts, and
large enough for child to enter it. 1t is sup
posed to be smaller now than formerly, but its
exact SIZE we could not ascertain, ,as il is now
furnished with door. which we found locked
1t came near being destroyed by fire a
few years since, an account OF which was
thus given in the Connecticut Courant, of
May 4th, ls49:
IAN alarm of fire was G ven about O'Clock
on Wednesday evening. which was caused by
the discovery that the inside of the venerable
" Charter Oak" was on fire. 1t is supposed
to have been communicated to the punk and
tecayed substances in the hole in which the
cid charter of the colony was placed, by means
of ire-crackeT, carelessly thrown in BY some
heed ess boy, and had been burning for some
time The injury done to the tree is said to
be serious, though we sincerely hope it may
prove otherwise.
"rhe Charter Oak is one of the first things
a stranger visiting Hartford wishes to see"
Happily, the tree was not materially ,niur.
ed by the fire, and it is still as green and
as fresh as ever r,mising to flourish at least
another century. The precise age of this in
teresting memento Of early histo of New
England cannot be determined The charter
was deposited in its cavity in 1887, and ii
must have been of great age, as the oak is
not remarkable for its rapid growth. Prob
ably for more than three hundred years i;
the the batllcing storms and tep-
pests, and it still stands vigorous and strong,
reminding us of other DAYS. and pointing with
'heering hopes TO the future,-National Nag
lxiae.