Eagle Tree

Last updated

Eagle Tree
Eagle Tree before fall.jpg
The tree before its fall
U.S. - Los Angeles Metropolitan Area location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Eagle Tree
1706 N Short Ave, Compton CA 90221
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Eagle Tree
Eagle Tree (California)
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Eagle Tree
Eagle Tree (the United States)
SpeciesCalifornia sycamore ( Platanus racemosa )
Coordinates 33°54′28″N118°12′41″W / 33.9077°N 118.2114°W / 33.9077; -118.2114
Height 70 ft (21 m) (1987) [1]
Girth 20 ft (6.1 m) (1987) [1]
Diameter60 in (150 cm) (1859) [2]
Date seeded1672–1737 [1] [3]
Date felledApril 7, 2022

The Eagle Tree was a historic California sycamore (Platanus racemosa) tree near the crossing of Long Beach Boulevard and the I-105 in Compton, California. It was used as one of the boundary markers for the border of Rancho San Pedro. The tree, which started growing around the turn of the 17th century, was toppled in 2022, from a combination of disease and a long history of vandalism and government neglect. At that time, it was on land owned by the Chevron Corporation. [2] Its name came from the eagles that were commonly found nesting on the tree. [4]

Contents

History

Henry Hancock notes a sycamore tree at the top of an 1859 map as the beginning of the territory of Rancho San Pedro Rancho-San-Pedro-Map-Henry-Hancock-detail-of-sycamore.webp
Henry Hancock notes a sycamore tree at the top of an 1859 map as the beginning of the territory of Rancho San Pedro

The tree dates back to December 1857 when it was used as the natural boundary marker in Mexican surveys to show the extent of Rancho San Pedro. It was also used for navigational purposes as it was a tall landmark. Many travelers used it as there were many tall fields of mustard in the area. [4] As time passed, the City of Compton was organized, in 1888, and a neighborhood was formed near the tree, placing the tree near the intersection of Short Avenue and Poppy Avenue. [5] However, the Standard Oil Company of California (now Chevron Corporation) found that the best place to drill was along the border of the former ranch, meaning that the tree would have to be removed. The Native Daughters of the Golden West advocated for the protection of the tree, and an agreement was made where the pipeline would share the land with the tree, which was then fenced off. [2] In 1947, the Daughters placed a historic marker and plaque there. [6] The Standard Oil Company sponsored it and is on private property. [7]

A designation of the tree as a California Historic Landmark was proposed, but it was never completed. The tree and its accompanying plaque were repeatedly damaged in the 1980s. An apartment building was built under the tree. [1] As of 1988, the tree was 70 ft (21 m) tall, with a 50 ft (15 m) canopy spread, and a trunk circumference of approximately 21 ft (6.4 m). [5] Jesus Arroyo took care of the tree starting in 2009, when he moved into the apartment. One of the branches fell off the tree in 2015, crushing the roof of one of the apartment buildings. Arroyo had called the city earlier about concerns, but they did not do anything. After the branch's fall, the city had a company trim the tree, but the company ended up removing the entire canopy, removing nearly all of the leaves on the tree. An arborist on location discovered a large hole that reached from the top of the tree to the trunk and believed that the tree was suffering from a fatal disease. They recommended that intense care must be taken to keep the tree alive. [3] In 2017, the tree stopped growing leaves, which may have been due to a lightning strike. [8]

On April 7, 2022, at approximately 9:20 p.m., the Eagle Tree's main trunk fell over and crushed a car parked behind the apartment it covered. The main tree had died, but there was healthy, young growth surrounding the trunk. A young 30 ft (9.1 m) tall clone tree was found to be growing behind the fallen trunk as well. [2] [3] The 7 short tons (6,400 kg) trunk was preserved and is located in a space adjacent to the Chevron property, where it is in holding while plans are being made to display it as a historic resource. [8] [9] Arroyo decided to take care of the new growths, but Chevron asked him to take the fence protecting the plants down within a year, as it was blocking access to their property. Chevron soon took down the fence and placed a higher fence covered in tarp and topped with barbed wire that blocked Arroyo's ability to go on the company's property to take care of the plants. On April 7, 2023, a Chevron work crew removed the clone tree, but cuttings for possible propagation were allowed to be taken before. The cuttings were distributed to multiple arborist institutions, like Huntington Library's Botanical Garden, Theodore Payne Foundation and the California Botanic Garden. Chevron explained that the clone tree had the fusarium dieback disease transmitted by a tea shot-hole borer and had to be removed. Many supporters of the tree advocated for a cutting being planted at the former site of the Eagle Tree, as the plaque had been unchanged. [3]

The Eagle Tree's cuttings were put in the care of North East Trees and were distributed to cities and historic sites in Southern California to keep the tree's legacy alive. The first cutting was planted at East Los Angeles College in 2024 as a part of an Earth Day celebration. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Sequoiadendron giganteum</i> Species of tree native to North America

Sequoiadendron giganteum, also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood or Sierra redwood is a coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the most massive trees on Earth. They are native to the groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California but are grown around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compton, California</span> City in California, United States

Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporate. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 95,740. It is known as the "Hub City" due to its geographic centrality in Los Angeles County. Neighborhoods in Compton include Sunny Cove, Leland, downtown Compton, and Richland Farms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arborist</span> Occupation concerning the care of perennial woody plants

An arborist, or arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticulture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 110 and State Route 110 (California)</span> Interstate and state highway in California

Route 110, consisting of State Route 110 (SR 110) and Interstate 110 (I-110), is a state and auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of the US state of California. The entire route connects San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles with Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. The southern segment from San Pedro to I-10 in downtown Los Angeles is signed as I-110, while the northern segment to Pasadena is signed as SR 110. The entire length of I-110, as well as SR 110 south of the Four Level Interchange with US Route 101 (US 101), is the Harbor Freeway, and SR 110 north from US 101 to Pasadena is the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway, the first freeway in the western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pruning</span> Selective removal of parts of a plant

Pruning is a horticultural, arboricultural, and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Palo Alto</span> Historic coast redwood in Palo Alto, California

El Palo Alto is a coast redwood located on the banks of the San Francisquito Creek in Palo Alto, California, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The namesake of the city and a historical landmark, El Palo Alto is 1083–1084 years old and stands 110 feet (34 m) tall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Boulevard</span> Major east–west street in Los Angeles County, Southern California

Colorado Boulevard is a major east–west street in Southern California. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia. The full route was once various state highways but is now locally maintained in favor of the parallel Ventura Freeway and Foothill Freeway (I-210).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)</span> Seasonal watercourse and human settlement in US

The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a 24.9-mile-long (40.1 km) seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California. The area was explored by Gaspar de Portolà who named the stream Arroyo Seco as this canyon had the least water of any he had seen. During this exploration he met the Chief Hahamog-na (Hahamonga) of the Tongva Indians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree of Knowledge (Australia)</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

The Tree of Knowledge was a heritage-listed tree in Oak Street, Barcaldine, Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia, that was poisoned and killed in 2006. It was a 200-year-old Corymbia aparrerinja ghost gum. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<i>Eucalyptus deglupta</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus deglupta is a species of tall tree, commonly known as the rainbow eucalyptus, Mindanao gum, or rainbow gum that is native to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It is the only Eucalyptus species that usually lives in rainforest, with a natural range that extends into the Northern Hemisphere. It is characterized by multi-coloured bark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho San Pedro</span> Spanish land grant in California

Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants and the first to win a patent from the United States. The Spanish Crown granted the 75,000 acres (300 km2) of land to soldier Juan José Domínguez in 1784, with his descendants validating their legal claim with the Mexican government at 48,000 acres (190 km2) in 1828, and later maintaining their legal claim through a United States patent validating 43,119 acres (174.50 km2) in 1858. The original Spanish land grant included what today consists of the Pacific coast cities of Los Angeles harbor, San Pedro, the Palos Verdes peninsula, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach, and east to the Los Angeles River, including the cities of Lomita, Gardena, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson, Compton, and western portions of Long Beach and Paramount.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branch collar</span> German term: a part of a tree

A branch collar is the "shoulder" between the branch and trunk of woody plants; the inflammation formed at the base of the branch is caused by annually overlapping trunk tissue. The shape of the branch collar is due to two separate growth patterns, initially the branch grows basipetally, followed by seasonal trunk growth which envelops the branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lummis House</span> Historic house in California, United States

Lummis House, also known as El Alisal, is a Rustic American Craftsman stone house built by Charles Fletcher Lummis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Located on the edge of Arroyo Seco in northeast Los Angeles, California, the house's name means "alder grove" in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Encino Oak Tree</span> Historic site in Los Angeles, California

The Encino Oak Tree, also known as the Lang Oak, was a 1,000-year-old California live oak tree, Quercus agrifolia, in the Encino section of Los Angeles, California. It was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles River bicycle path</span> Cycling route in California, USA

The Los Angeles River bicycle path is a Class I bicycle and pedestrian path in the Greater Los Angeles area running from north to east along the Los Angeles River through Griffith Park in an area known as the Glendale Narrows. The 7.4 mile section of bikeway through the Glendale Narrows is known as the Elysian Valley Bicycle & Pedestrian Path. The bike path also runs from the city of Vernon to Long Beach, California. This section is referred to as LARIO, or more formally, the Los Angeles River Bikeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centinela Springs</span> Historic site in Inglewood, California

The Aguaje de Centinela, or Centinela Springs, was a valued source of local spring water for Rancho Aguaje de la Centinela and what is now southwest Los Angeles and Inglewood in Southern California. The spring was known to prehistoric people and animals but the name aguaje, meaning watering place, comes from Spanish–Mexican era of California history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahaina Banyan Tree</span> Historic banyan tree in Maui, Hawaii

The Lahaina Banyan Tree is a banyan tree in Maui, Hawaii, United States. A gift from missionaries in India, the tree was planted in Lahaina on April 24, 1873, to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of first American Protestant mission. Covering 1.94 acres, the tree resides in Lahaina Banyan Court Park. A mere 8 feet (2.4 m) when planted, it grew to a height of about 60 feet (18 m) and rooted into 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk, with the canopy spread over an area of about 0.66 acres (0.27 ha). It is considered the largest banyan tree in the state and the country. In April 2023, Lahaina held a birthday party to celebrate the Banyan Tree’s planting 150 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Liberty (tree)</span> Old tree in Longwood, Florida

Lady Liberty is a bald cypress located in Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida. The tree is over 2,000 years old and stands 40 feet from the former site of The Senator, a 3,500-year-old Bald Cypress that burned down on January 16, 2012. With the Senator's demise, Big Tree Park has taken greater notice of its last remaining giant and has taken steps to ensure its preservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Trapper's Lodge</span> Historic site in Los Angeles Pierce College

The Old Trapper's Lodge is a California Folk Art display started in 1951 in the United States. It was designated a California Historical Landmark on March 25, 1985. The Old Trapper's Lodge art work is located in Los Angeles Pierce College's Cleveland Park at 6201 Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles in Los Angeles County. The folk art is a life-size sculpture made by John Ehn (1897-1981), a self-taught artist who loved Old West culture. Ehn used his family as models and turned them into life-size outsider art Old West characters.

Angeles Abbey Memorial Park, also known as the Angeles Abbey Cemetery, is a historic cemetery in Compton, California. It was built in 1923 and is known for its elaborate main building. It has over 35,000 plots filled and barely has any room for additional burials, meaning that the cemetery's finances are declining. Vandalism is also prevalent. It has also been pictured as a Middle Eastern or South Asian locale in media such as the film The Untouchables and the TV series JAG.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Spencer, Terry (November 15, 1987). "Compton's Historic Tree Has Fallen Far From Glory Days". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cooper, Kim (July 15, 2020). "The Eagle Tree: Dead or Alive?". Esotouric. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Orona, Ajay (August 4, 2023). "A Tree Grew in Compton". Alta Journal. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "California Herald: Early Days of Compton". Internet Archive . Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Hodel (1988), p. 56.
  6. "Eagle Tree". City of Compton . Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  7. Baker, Craig (March 25, 2024). "Eagle Tree Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database . Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Cooper, Kim (January 18, 2024). "Eagle Tree Clone Distribution Project". Esotouric. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  9. Yalkin, Devin Oktar (January 29, 2024). "The greatest trees of Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.

Sources