Arbor Day: History Alive

The 400-year-old oak trees, which are located on Westheimer and Augusta. (Photo: Cameron Blaylock)  

Today, April 24, is Arbor Day. A day where everyone’s encouraged to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

Arbor Day has always been special in my life. My grandfather, Al Hall, was on a 2-cent United States Postal Stamp in 1932 commemorating the 60th anniversary of Arbor Day. He was 12 years old and pictured planting a tree with his sister, Ruth. His father was the director of the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and they needed two kids for the stamp. The United States Post Office commissioned an engraver to create the stamp. The engraver knew the director had two kids, so asked for them to model for the stamp.

Writer Annie McQueen's grandfather, Al Hall, is pictured as a child with his sister Ruth on this 2-cent United States Postal Stamp in 1932 commemorating the 60th anniversity of Arbor Day.

“We were kept home from school one day,” recalled my grandfather. They had Ruth and my grandfather enact a planting of a little tree in their side yard to be the picture on the stamp. “They asked me if I had a shovel,” said my grandfather. 

“We only had a coal shovel, which was used when coal was used as the primary source of heating,” he said. The engraver changed the coal shovel to a spade shovel, used for planting trees. 

We always knew my grandfather was on a stamp growing up for Arbor Day and that Arbor Day was important. 

I have also always loved large, old oak trees (maybe because I went to Louisiana State University, a campus known for its beautiful oaks). My favorite old oaks in the city of Houston are the gorgeous, 400-year-old oak trees on Westheimer and Augusta.

These historic trees blanket the sky near restaurant Beck's Prime. (Photo: Cameron Blaylock)  

I am sure a lot of Buzz residents are familiar with these trees since they are in the heart of Houston. They blanket the sky where Becks Prime sits. Recently, I asked Alice Sarmiento, Becks Prime marketing manager, for some more information about the trees. Here’s what I learned:

• They are estimated to be 350-400 years old, based on historical deeds and documents
• They take on average 340 gallons of water in a single day
• Their root system is about 14,000 square feet –reaching all the way to Westheimer 
• The larger tree is estimated to weight 331,780 lbs. 
• In 1988, when Becks Prime acquired the property, the tree limbs were all resting on the ground. They had a 210-ton crane come in and move the limbs up on the wooden stilts you see today. It was quite a delicate process.

“They had a stethoscope, like from a doctor’s office,” said Alice. “Someone was listening to the tree [with the stethoscope] to make sure the tree wasn’t being put under more stress. If they heard a crack they said, ‘Stop!’”

This Arbor Day, what are your plans to preserve trees in Houston? If everyone did a little, it would equal a lot. Get some ideas at The Arbor Day Foundation website.