Historic Oak Trees Felled

BEATY, PEEBLER, TILLOTSON, HUMPHREY, RAMSAY, WOODBAM, NORVELL, MYERS, GOSSICK

Posted By: Jane Adams (email)
Date: 2/14/2005 at 15:19:46

Fairfield Daily Ledger
Fri., June 6, 1930
Page 1, col. 1.

HISTORIC OAK TREES FELLED TO MAKE WAY FOR STREET. Stood at Corner of Broadway and D for over 100 Years.....D. R. BEATY says that when he came to Fairfield in March 1865 the trees were as large then as they were when they were cut down. And Mr. BEATY says also that everyone around this part of the country knew them for they could be seen for a very great distance, there being no street or house there at that time.....

Let us now go back to the time when Fairfield was owned by the government. In 1843 MICHAEL F. PEEBLER bought the land and built a house for a trading post which was built half of brick and half of wood; in the basement a very large vault was made. In connection with the trading post the government gave MR. PEEBLER the right to give out homesteads.

From MR. PEEBLER the land and trees went to BENJ. F. TILLOTSON, and from him to HORATIO N. HUMPHREY, then it passed into the hands of ALEXANDER RAMSAY, and then to W. F. WOODBAM, who in 1895 gave it to ED. R. NORVELL, and it passed from him to JOHN B. MYERS so finally it came to be owned to MR. HARLAN GOSSICK. All the while the trees were growing and by this time they were fully mature.....In the center of the largest was found an old square cut wire nail which will always be a curiosity with an unknown history.....