One Tree, One Town

by Glenn C. Koenig, Webmaster at Town Wide Mall

Maynard, MA - On Monday night, August 3rd, around 11 PM, neighbors in the area of Maple Street heard a loud crash.  They didn’t know it then, but Maynard had just lost a maple tree that was older than the town itself.

This is how the tree, planted in 1870, appeared back in 2019.  Maynard was officially established as a town one year later, in 1871.
​(photo courtesy of David Mark)

Here is the same part of Maple Street, after everything was cleared away by Wednesday afternoon, with open sky where the tree once stood.

The tree fell directly across Maple Street, blocking both the road and sidewalk.  The trunk of the tree had broken off, right at ground level.  It apparently struck the power lines on the other side, as it went down, as neighbors reported that their power went out immediately after hearing the crash, but power was restored later on.

The Response

Right after the fallen tree was reported, crews from the Public Works Department were called in to cut up and move everything off to either  side, in order to reopen the road to traffic.
Although there’s barely any traffic on Maple Street late at night, the road must be cleared to provide passage for emergency vehicles as soon as possible.

In these views, you can see what remained of the stump, and the extent of the wood that was moved.

Later the next day, the tree crew returned with trucks, a front end loader, and other equipment to remove all the wood and debris and transport it to the storage yard at the end of Pine Hill Road.

According to Justin DeMarco, Director of Public Works, each case of tree damage is different.  The town does not have a bucket truck or a crane, so if a tree is damaged but still standing, they have to call in a contractor to cut off any hanging limbs from above.  But in this case, the entire tree was lying on the ground, so they could complete the work themselves.

The Challenge

There is a constant need for tree work around town, as many trees along our streets are large and old and on town property, so the town must take care of them when something happens.  If the town has the right equipment and town employees can do the work, they can get the job done more quickly and for a lower cost compared to having an outside tree service contractor brought in.

For example, in Article 4 at the annual town meeting, back in May, there was a line item listed as “Woodchipper" for $75,000.  There was some debate about the cost, but that was likely because of a misunderstanding.  This was for an industrial machine, capable of handling the remains of an entire tree, on site (see photo).  After some debate, the purchase was approved.  The order was placed, but the lead time for delivery of machines of this size means that the town still hasn’t received one yet.  That’s why all the wood from this tree had to be carted away whole instead.

Typical industrial wood chipper used by municipalities and tree contractors.

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If the town has a lot of damaged trees in a short time frame, such as when a storm with very high winds or a hurricane comes through, the demand on contractors who do tree work increases suddenly, causing a significant delay in getting one to come in to do the work.  With its own equipment, the town is in a better position to get roads opened again quickly. A wood chipper of this capacity is an important asset to help with such efforts.

Background

As I was taking photos for this story, David Mark drove by and stopped to talk with me. He told me the approximate time when the crash occurred, as he lives in the neighborhood.
(He used to write a column for the Beacon Villager, Maynard’s local newspaper, before it ceased publishing in 2022. He now writes a column for The Maynard Voice, and has published three books on the history of the town.)

He also explained that maple trees were planted along both sides of Maple street in 1870.  Up until that time, the area was known as “Assabet Village” and sat roughly on the border between Stow, Sudbury, and adjacent to Acton.  (photo of Maple Street in 1900 provided by The Maynard Historical Society, forwarded to me by David Mark)

By 2020, the tree that just fell was one of the few still standing from that era.  The trunk looked strong from the outside, but the advancing rot inside remained hidden.

There is only one tree still standing on Maple Street that was planted back then, which is more towards the Concord Street end.
Because telephone and electric utility lines were put in after these trees had grown, some branches had to be pruned to keep them from contacting the wires. That explains the “V” shape that resulted when the center branches were cut away.
Even though wood does not normally conduct electricity, contact with high voltage lines can still cause power interruptions and even possibly start a fire.

Down near the end of Maple Street where it intersects with Brooks and Summer streets, a new maple tree was planted a few years ago and is now thriving. Hopefully, it will stand for the next 100 years or so.
(I have more information on who may have planted it and how trees are cared for in Maynard in my Commentary section, below.)

Neighborhood History

A number of houses on Maple Street were also built in 1870.  A few still have some of the original dentals and other “gingerbread” moldings above the windows, such as the one at the lower right (you’ll have to ignore the satellite dishes to imagine how it looked originally!)

A few years later, starting around 1875, more houses were built in the Mansard Roof style, such as these.

There are other remnants on Maple Street, from that era, such as this iron hitching post.
Remember, in the 1870s, all local transportation was horse drawn; there were no automobiles yet.
The other main form of transportation was the railroad, pulled by steam locomotives.
The railroad has now been removed and replaced with the Assabet River Rail Trail.

Commentary

It’s easy to take trees in town for granted.  Fortunately, there are people who pay constant attention to our trees.  One is The Maynard Tree Committee, an official town government entity.  Their mission is to promote “… the growth of a healthy and diverse population of trees on public and private property throughout the town.”

Another is The Maynard Tree Corps, an independent community group.  Their “… volunteers plant, protect, and maintain public shade trees in town.”  They also encourage, “… planting native tree species on private and public lands."

“The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, and the second best time to plant a tree is now.”  Various people attribute this quote to a variety of sources.  Was it Confucius? a Chinese saying? Jean Chretien? Earl Ubell? Anonymous? ...  But the Quote Investigator web site claims that there is no evidence of such; it seems to be much more recent.  They include a related quote, from“The Pall Mall Gazette” of London in 1868.  “Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit.”
My point here is to imagine the feeling of planting a tree that will live longer than you will.  That you, by your action now, will give people many years from now the chance to enjoy its shade and calming effect.  I invite you to get in touch with these organizations, not only to contribute to a part of history, but also to find companionship with others in today's otherwise sometimes isolating world.  

A Personal Note

David Mark is the one who inspired me to start this news service, after we both agreed that Maynard needed some kind of local news source in the absence of a local newspaper.  I created the Town Wide Mall web site and started by publishing my first story in April of 2023, less than a year after the Beacon Villager ceased publication.  The Maynard Voice began publishing online in July of 2025, just over two years later.
As we live here today, we are creating tomorrow’s history.  The town is always changing as people move out and others move in.  The town faces many challenges, but we continue to attempt to address them going forward.  Meanwhile, we have created a vibrant community, with many features that make it an attractive place to live, work, or visit.  Much of this is due to volunteer labor, without which the town could not function nearly as well as it does.

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