Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-12-28
The Elm in Market Square.

Recently at South Paris l was asked If
| had any knowledge of the origin of the
fine elm now in the central part of Market
Square. / was able to make definite
answer, and responding to an urgent re-
quest l write this statement. The tree
was set out by my father, Mr.. Ziba
gust, 1898, at Brookline, Mass. My
memory is very clear regarding the fact
and attendant circu instances as told me
by him subsequently,. His granddaugh
ter, Mrs. L. d. Chapman of Wellesley
Farms, Mass, also has exact memory re-
garding the tree as related to her and
often spoken of in frequent visits to
South Paris in those years. But neither
of us can speak definitely in respect to
he date.
Associated incidents of the planting as
told me are we'll remembered. My ia
Their noticed the spot was fitting for tree
to grow, as many had been set out by
house owners in parts of the village, and
suggested it to business men about the
Square, with the proposal that he would
60 to the woods and procure suitable
tree, taking so much as his share in the
plan, If they severally would contribute
small sum for the remaining work of
the digging and securing the tree, which
had cheerful response. So far the plant
ing of that now finely grown and beauti-
full elm was his proposition and the
work of bis hands.
Further for an important item, have
great confidence in assigning date
the year or year following the erection
of the soldiers monument in the Square
which by Mr.. S. P. Maxim's history
occurred in 1858.
I am very sure that my father had
some connection with setting up that
monument, either in the preparatory or
the final stage, by clear memory of the
fact and also because for many years-and
for a time associated with his brother,
Mr.. Arba Thayer-he was engaged in
rough stone and cleft granite work and
as general contractors they constructed
cellars, laid new or relaid old founda-
tions and granite underpinnDg, also
erecting buildings which might be nam
ed, thus doing for years large part of
all the heavy stone work required in the
village. But must not assert that he
provided and laid the foundation of the
monument, though he may have done
so, since that pertained to the monu-
ment contractors and whomsoever they
might employ. But at the least when
that was established on it's base, the
remaining work-the "finishing up"
the outer and supporting foundations,
and the necessary grading, was executed
by him.
When by sod or soil the area was fit
tingly complete, the eminent propriety
of tree by the memorial stone was
most obvious, and there was needed but
the proposition to assure the planting OF
the elm.
Mr.. Thayer's thoughtful interest to
place tree in the Market Square tri-
angle arose naturally from bis continued
qualification of previous years in the
growth of the shapely trees he had plant
ed about his own house, now Mrs.
Nancy Whitman's. Those grand naples,
excepting one or two replaced, which at
every return to South Paris look up to
with delight, remembering my own
share in their transfer from the forest to
the places they now adorn, were planted
in the spring OF 1851, or possibly 1852.
That noble elm has attained its present
height, size and symmetry in forty years.
HENRY o. THAYER.
| Nr,, vnpu CIryy Noysnhar 1000