Identifier: sightsinbostonsu00puls_0 (find matches)
Title: Sights in Boston and suburbs, or, Guide to the stranger
Year: 1856 (1850s)
Authors: Pulsifer, David, 1802-1894 Andrew, John, 1815-1875, egr. Billings, Hammatt, 1818-1875, egr. Hill George W., 1815-1893, egr. Barry, egr.
Subjects: Boston (Mass.)--Guidebooks Boston (Mass.)--History Boston (Mass.)--Public buildings Railroads--Massachusetts--Boston Railroads--Massachusetts--Boston--Stations Cemeteries--Massachusetts--Boston Boston Harbor Islands (Mass.)--Description Churches--Massachusetts--Boston Historic buildings--Massachusetts--Boston Theatres--Massachusetts--Boston Associations, institutions, etc.--Massachusetts--Boston Travel literature--Massachusetts--Boston--19th century Guidebooks--Massachusetts--Boston--19th century Advertisements--Massachusetts--Boston--19th century
Publisher: John P. Jewett & Co. Jewett, Proctor & Worthington
Contributing Library: Elms College
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library

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were a mixture of elms and buttonwoods.Mr. Paddock was a loyalist, left Boston in 1776, and set-tled in Nova Scotia, where his descendants still live. The Great Elm is one of the lions — perhaps thelion — of Boston Common. Still hale and strono;, itstands about the centre of the green, and is supposed,from various data, to be upwards of two hundred yearsold. In 1825 it was sixty-five feet high, the circumference atthirty inches from the ground being twenty-one feet eightinches, and the spread of branches eighty-six feet. In1855 it was measured, and found to be seventy-two and ahalf feet in height; height of first branch from the ground, 72 BOSTON SIGHTS. twenty-two and a half feet; girth four feet from the ground, seventeen feet; average diameter of greatest spread ofbranches, one hundred and one feet. Tiiis shows that theehn has grown considerably within the last quarter of acenturj. But this colossal plant has more interesting featuresthan its age or size, though they are great.
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There was once a powder magazine near this tree, onthe little hill at whose foot it stands. This hill, also, dur-ing the siege of Boston, was the site of a British fortifica-tion, bombarded by Washington. TUK GREAT ELM. 73 In the war of 1812 its existence was endangered by theencampment around it of American troops, destined toprotect the town. It has often been exposed to injury bythe custom of hanging and burning effigies upon its giantbranches; and many turbulent occasions, on Election andIndependence days, have exposed the tree to violence.

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