Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-12

nlgn, the last of a large grove OF its
kind. the cid cottonwood tree near the
south end of the Market street bridge
Is one Of the oldest landmarks in the
city. Few people who go hurrying by
each day to and from their business,
passing under the old trees large over
spreading limbs and branches, ever
take Il moment of time to think OF the
many, many years it has stood there
or the many interesting incidents that
have taken place within its shadow.
Many of these people, when children
have played about the knotted and
gnarled trunk Many as boys have
fearlessly climbed to the dizzy heights
among the old monarch's limbs and
carved their initials in the irregular
bark. Grown to manhood and woman
hood, not few of them have been
wooed and won under it's twisted limbs.
AS aged and white haired pedestrians,
they have stumped by the old tree
leaning on their STATS and have heard
the doleful sigh of the wind through
its branches. In somber silence, the
old tree has looked down on many of
these people as they have been carried
by on the funeral bier, the cortege
passing in solemn file bearing them to
their final resting places.
Age Not Known.
Still the tree stands 1t is not known
in exact figures the number of years
that 1T has withstood the biting, icy
winds of severe winters, the awful
grinding and twisting forces Of turbu-
lent waters during the flood periods or
the droughts of limpid, torrid summers.
Men hoary with age, who came to OF
tumwa when they were children and
who can tell when and where the first
habitaticn was built In the city, will
shake their heads obviously when ask
ed as to the present age of the old tree.
Standing firmly rooted, trunk
straight and erect, it has outlived a
large number of it's kind, which at one
time formed a grove that skirted the
bank of the Des Moines river in the
vicinity in which the tree now stands.
Part Of the ground that held the grove
has long since been washed away and
at present the river flows placidly over
the spot.
From the size of the massive trunk,
which is nearly twenty feet in circum-
ference at the base and from the lofty
height, which Is almost hundred feet,
the old tree must be hundred years
OF age or over. Tradition mas 1t that
at one time the aged monarch of the
forest was known among the Indians
as council tree, council meetings be-
ing held by them under its branches.
Features the Same.
For years and years this magnificent
specimen of forest vegetation has
stood on the bank Of the river and has
seen Ottumwa grow up around it.
Many changes in the physical aspect
of the grounds around the tree and
throughout the city have taken place
during the strides of time, but the
trees features remain the same.
For years and years 1t has stood
mark the place of crossing the river
In the early days 1t pointed out the
/ fordtng place for the many wagon
Des Moines river at this point while on
their march westward. Later, 1T mark
ed the place of landing at the time q
ferry crossed the river to carry teams
and passengers Its large overspread
ing branches has sheltered the early
settlers from the hot rays Of the sun
as they waited for the ferry boat when
7, it happened to be on the North OF
tumwa side Of the river.
Again, years later, when the old
bridge crossed the river diagonally
from the foot of Green street over tc
what is now Church street, the south
approach Of the structure commenced
in the shadow of the old cottonwood
Under it's sheltering boughs, teams and
4 ho1Ges were picketed, while their own
erS crossed the bridge on foot. The
II horses were left behind at the tree ir
order TO lessen the toll price. Finally
in recent years, when the new Market
street bridge was built 1t was quite
natural that the south end of the struc
ture should finish at the old mark.
4 Has Seen Many Incidents.
4 Probably at no other one place in the
city mas there been as many interest
u ing incidents happened in the history
i of the city as there has been in the
! vicinity of the old cottonwood. Fol-
years it has looked down from its lofty
river front In the early days i
the shape Of wagon trains filled will
II cDu1oieaulo pushing WSotWdlup IL saw
the horde that passed on it's way t.
i California in the days Of 40 In the
mad rush for gold; 1t viewed the early
rocker passenger stages ferried acros!
the liver, bound out for southern
points; it has caught among 1t.
branches the smoke from steamboats,
that piled through here on the De.
/ Moines river in the early days.
Among the, first incidents of any i'm
i portance near the old tree and on,
which has almost faded away from
the minds of the Oldest, faded away t,
such an extent that dates and name,
are lost forever, is the shooting of al
early settler over claim troubles Thi!
incident is supposed to have happened
near the tree in the early forties.
Murdered Girl Found.
i Another of the events in the earl,
criminal record of the city and on,
which at the time stirred up the Who'll,
community and which Il
i still fresh in the minds Of the olde
j residents, was enacted in part unde
the shadows of the old landmark. Thi,
Wac that aura Haruav yourdar