121. Rooted in History: Connecticut’s Trees

In this episode, Dr. Leah Glaser and students from her 2021 Public History class at Central Connecticut State University present stories about the state’s witness trees — a project that evolved out of a semester-long class on local and community history. Trees are central characters in the state’s history, myths and legends. They witnessed the changing environmental, political, social, economic, and cultural landscape for decades and even centuries. What’s a witness tree, you ask? Find out in this episode of Grating the Nutmeg.   Find Dr. Glaser’s article about witness and memorial trees in the Spring 2021 issue of Connecticut Explored online at www.ctexplored.org/trees-as-memorials-and-witnesses-to-history/   Dr. Leah Glaser is a professor at Central Connecticut State University and Coordinator of the Public History Program. Her 2021 class researched tree stories and each student presented one story on the podcast. Contact her at [email protected] Andy King-The Mashantucket Pequots and the rhododendron David Prochorena-Pinchot Oak, Simsbury Helena Torres Diaz-The Witch Tree and the Hartford Witch Trials, Hartford Despina Merriman-Nathan Hale Pear Tree, Coventry Gregory Franklin-Puritans to Patriots (Ye Olde Oak), Easton Cameron Clarke-John Brown’s Tree, Torrington Grayson Belisle- Teddy Roosevelt and the McKinley Tree, Farmington Emma Koss-Land Stewardship and the Dewey Oak, Granby Valerie Chase-WWII Patriotism and Arbor Day, Windham Benjamin Johnson-The Old Oak Tree and the Coltsville labor strike, Hartford Kaitlyn Oberndorfer- Blue Cedars and the Rural Cemetery Movement, Hartford Patricia Wallace– The Cypress Tree Mystery at an Olmsted Park, New Haven Garrett Saranich-The Chestnut Oak, Shipbuilding on the Connecticut shoreline, Clinton Ben Haberman- The Black Cherry Tree oversees Seaport to Coastal Gateway, Madison Tom Ieronimo- Of Hickory and Baseball, Hartford   For more information on Hartford’s historic trees, go to the Hartford Preservation Alliance website at https://hartfordpreservation.org/ccsu-tree-history/   Find the Connecticut Notable Tree Project at http://oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/   Read More! Connecticut Explored  ctexplored.org   https://www.ctexplored.org/site-lines-connecticut-state-parks-at-100/   https://www.ctexplored.org/cherry-trees-for-wooster-square/   https://www.ctexplored.org/wickham-park-in-manchester/   https://www.ctexplored.org/connecticuts-historic-rose-gardens/   Listen Grating the Nutmeg Podcast https://www.ctexplored.org/grating-the-nutmeg-115-americas-first-public-rose-garden-elizabeth-park/ Subscribe to our free newsletter at https://www.ctexplored.org/ Want to know more about Connecticut’s landmarks, museums, art and history? Subscribe to Connecticut Explored magazine — in print to your mailbox or digitally to your e-mail inbox. Visit ctexplored.org to subscribe. And for a daily dose of history, visit Today in Connecticut History produced by the Office of the State Historian at TodayinCThistory.com.    This episode was produced by Leah Glaser and Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan. Please join us again for the next episode of Grating the Nutmeg!