Thanks for the tree commentary

RE: The original trees of The Hammer (April 28)

Thank you so much for Paul O’Hara’s wonderful article on the original trees of Hamilton. My wife and I plan to visit all the trees noted in the coming weeks. The one tree of most interest to me was and is the Stathcona Butternut Hickory. This tree stands in front of 60 Margaret St. where my family resided from 1936 to 1952. During that time, my friends and I played around the tree. I would rest my bike against it (a new $65 CCM), leaving it unlocked with no thought of someone stealing it. This tree was our landmark for the seasonal changes, new leaves in spring and butternuts each fall.

One day as a young boy sitting on the front step of my house, a lady stopped and told me she had lived in that very house when she was a young girl. She said at that time that she was 65 years of age. When I add her age to my age the tree must be 65 + 82 = 147-plus years. Presuming the tree was mature before Confederation 1867, it stands as a proud symbol of our past and a fond memory for myself. I hope future generations will look after this tree and all the wonderful original trees in Hamilton. Ralph Pritchard, Hamilton