Until I read about the unfortunate destruction of the historical marker marking the site where the Hanover Elm once stood, I had never heard of the Hanover Elm even though I have resided in Silver Creek and the Town of Hanover for more than 44 years. So, for those of you like me who might be ignorant of its story, here is what I discovered.

Before it collapsed in 1934 it was said to have had a circumference of 35 feet at its base, was thought to be more than 400 years old and had been named the largest elm tree east of the Rockies in two contests. It was also a local attraction of some note and in earlier times native Americans were said to have held councils around it.

As I learned more about the Hanover Elm I immediately thought of a large and ancient elm that once stood in my hometown of Fort Plain, and rose into the sky less than 350 feet from my bedroom window. It was called the Council Elm and was located on a promontory of Prospect Hill that rises above the village. According to a local historian, the late Douglas Ayres, it was where Mohawk Indians from the nearby tribal Castle or large village held their councils in the years between 1705 and 1750. Infected with Dutch elm disease it was removed in 1971.

I do remember that the tree was probably 100 feet high with a crown that was 125 to 200 feet across. Because in modern times it stood within 20 feet of a street its lower branches had been removed over the years.

There is no record of Council Elm’s age. If the Mohawks held their councils around it that means that its trunk must have been of some girth and the entire tree must have been a majestic sight not unlike the great European cathedrals of the time. Since it is unlikely that important members of the tribe would have gathered around a spindly 12-foot tree it must have been an adult tree or nearing adulthood. To reach council tree size it would have been at least 100 years old if the Mohawks had begun meeting around it in 1705. Based on this it would have sprouted around 1600. This means that at the time of its “death” it would have been 370 years old. However, please understand that this is only a guesstimate.

My father, a fine lawyer, but not a tree expert, never thought the elm was as old as some claimed and always said the Mohawks probably never held councils around it but that if they did, they would have gathered around a sapling.

As I researched elm trees, I found that every state in the union has its largest elm tree based on trunk circumference, height, and average crown spread. Currently the largest Elm in New York State is the Johnstown Elm located in the city of Johnstown in Fulton County. Pictures show it to be truly a regal tree and when last measured in 2015 Its trunk had a circumference of 188 inches, was 140 feet high with an average crown spread of 353 feet. Johnstown also claims to have the longest municipally owned stand of American elms at 3,200 feet along a city street.

Currently the largest elm in the United States is known as “King Elmer” and is located in Lanesborough, Mass. At the time of its last official measurement in 2010 it stood 107 feet with a trunk circumference of 201 inches. Its age is roughly 258 years old. Oh yes, Its name was the result of a third grade naming contest in 2010.

The largest elm ever officially recorded in the United States was the Rathbone Elm located in Marietta, Ohio. In 1959 when it succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease it was thought to be 400 years old. Records indicate that this tree’s trunk had a circumference of 50 feet at ground level, a height of 90 feet and a crown that had a spread of 150 feet.

Many elm trees have succumbed to a fungal infection spread by elm bark beetles called Dutch Elm Disease for the country in which it was first isolated, the Netherlands. Once streets in American cities, towns, and villages were lined with elm trees that provided plenty of shade on hot summer days and blunted the impact of icy winds on winter days. Now many are gone, the victims of Dutch Elm disease.

Dutch Elm disease first came to the United States in 1930 in a shipment of elm logs from France. Once a susceptible elm tree is infected there is no cure, and the tree will be dead in one to four years. The disease is caused by two closely related fungi, Ophiostoma ulmi and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. There are several fungicides on the market that work by disabling the fungal spores that must be applied every one to three years.

One final note on the Fort Plain “Council Elm.” Some years after its demise it was replaced by an elm not susceptible to Dutch Elm disease that was planted in its place on village land. Some years later the new owner of a house across the street from the new elm, who apparently didn’t consult his survey, cut it down. It has since been replaced. However, I have no idea what happened to the homeowner or his chainsaw.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com