February 5, 1968 Remembering the Elm Trees

What do you remember of the loss of the Elm trees that lined the streets and filled the wood lots?

 

While hard to tell which are Elm trees, many lined the streets of Interlaken.
 Photo of North Main Street. Interlaken Historical Society photo #715

A search for “elm tree(s),” "Interlaken" and “Dutch Elm disease,” at www.fultonhistory.com resulted in several references.

One of the earliest was in a report from the Interlaken village board meeting, October 1969. “Bids were received for removing the big elm tree on the library lawn. Low bid of $250 was received from a Mr. Wood of Valois.”

The April 23, 1970 Interlaken Review included a picture and caption “Three members of the Order of the Arrow planted the last of 120 maples transplanted from Chestnut Ridge to Camp Barton by various units, in the attempt to replace elms removed because of the Dutch Elm Disease. Scout troops that have been involved include Troop 35 of Bethel Grove, Troop 2 of Congregational Church in Ithaca, Troop 22 of Jacksonville, Troop 13 of Trumansburg, Troop 19 of Belle Sherman in Ithaca and Troop 33 of Lodi.”

Grace Hiltbrand in her weekly column in 1972 commented on the continuing loss of the elm trees. “Have you thought lately of the graceful beauty inherent in some of the large and stately elm trees left to the village? Ride down Railroad Avenue’s middle block and appreciate two elms. There are few other elm giants still standing, but how we miss the gorgeous elms which used to be so common hereabouts!” [Interlaken Review June 22, 1972]

In 1977 she would again comment when one tree was removed from Main Street. “Another of Interlaken’s landmarks has gone with the removal Saturday of perhaps Interlaken’s last of the king elm trees. A victim of the Dutch elm disease. It has stood on the property at Main and Orchard Street.” [Interlaken Review June 22, 1977]

Dewitt would comment several times in his diary about the elm trees. Monday,

December 2, 1968, Temperature 40, Cloudy all day. Wind in the Southwest and some rain at 3 o’clock this afternoon. Went down to the lake to look for deer this morning.

Cut dead elm and working it up until it rained us off at 3 o’clock. Took Tim out for coon this evening. No coons out and he chased a fox for a mile on the bare ground.

The elms dying all over this area. In my woods they are about all dead. They fall down in two years. A Big job of taking them down in towns and cities over the country.

They were taking down a big one in town yesterday near the Baptist Church on Main Street.

Two more older photos

Main Street taken from in front of “the old Interlaken High School,” which would place the camera
north of the Interlaken Reformed Church looking North.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #1176

West Avenue with its many stately trees in the early 1900s.
 Interlaken Historical Society photo #413

Dewitt’s Diary: Monday February 5, 1968 

Temperature 25 cloudy Northwest wind. We got the chain saw and cut a dead elm. Cut a load of chunks from the top.

Most of the elms in the woods are dead or dying from elm beetles and Dutch elm disease.

Mom washed. High of 32 today. Clearing tonight.

Mild predicted and no snow for the next five days.