Page 24 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2020- Lubbock Online Magazine

History of
The
Landmark
Tree on the Corner
or nine plus years, I had driven
by the mulberry tree and the
Fwindmill at 50th and Indiana and
wondered about its history.
Then one day, Harold Chapman called
me to do some work on the tree. It
had a lot of dead wood. Previously
installed cables were hanging loose,
and the ones still in place were no
longer adequate. The tree had suffered
several indignities and neglect. It had a
large cavity at the base, and numerous
limbs were hollow as well.
After pruning the deadwood out,
we filled the cavities with a specially
24 Lubbock Senior Link
LUBBOCK
Lubbock’s first “school marm”, and
her graduation and return from UT.
I told how her dad sent a couple of
cowboys to go and get her and how
she collected the tree from a creek bank
near Salado, Texas, in August 1892,
to bring home with her, undoubtedly
over the protests of the cowboys
James Tuttle, Certified accompanying her.
Arborist, Owner – I even told that story during a
Tree Loving Care (TLC) talk at the Texas Master Gardener
Convention. Later, in talking to a
descendant of hers, I was told that my
mixed, light-weight concrete story was only partly true. The part
and reinforcing rods for about the tree being collected from a
strength, and added cables. creek near Salado was true, but Ms.
Three years later, in the Caraway had gone to Wichita Falls for
spring of 1992, we had a finishing school rather than to UT.
100th birthday party for the
tree, cake and all. So, at this point, I’m not sure who
brought the tree to Lubbock, but
In May 1995, during a typical Lubbock my experience did dispel several
spring thunderstorm, one of the three misconceptions I had about mulberry
leaders broke. The wood strength
and cables we had installed were not trees. The main one was that all
mulberries had large surface roots;
adequate for 90 mph winds. The next this tree never had surface roots.
morning, Mr. Chapman called me It was planted near the horse tank
for an assessment of the situation. He and had abundant deep moisture.
wanted us to do everything we could The other was that mulberries had a
do to preserve the tree for as long as life expectancy of 40-60 years. The
possible. Winchester Square Mulberry was 104
We pulled the third trunk back up and years old when it was finally taken out.
installed additional cables to hold it It wasn’t dead, just hazardous. Had the
tree had good care all its life, perhaps
in place and prayed. Unfortunately, it would have lived much longer. If I
there was too much bark separation had known then what I know now, I’m
and, over the course of the summer, sure my approach to its care would
that trunk died. Then, the other two have been different. Lesson learned.
trunks had no counterweight, and we
were better able to assess the amount Trees are precious and need TLC.
of decay. After discussing several
possibilities, and with great reluctance,
we made the decision to remove
the tree and the
hazardous situation.
During this process,
I learned much of TreeLovingCare
the 100-year history TLC Nursery
of the tree. Some
facts I knew to www.TreeLovingCare.com
be accurate but, James Tuttle
as I later found Certified Arborist - TX-0117A
out, some were
not. For years, Lubbock Midland
(806) 785-TREE
I told the story (8733) 432-620-TREE
(8733)
of Ms. Caraway,
james.tuttle@treelovingcare.com