Editorial: Downtown trees made the news once before

Progress often does not come without a twinge of pain as the old gives way to the new.

Such was the case in May of 1919 in downtown Clarendon when a crew of men laid low “one of the distinguishing landmarks of the past” – the trees of Kearney Street. Big locust trees were on both sides of Kearney, all the way down the business section, but they were in the way of progress and were cleared out to make room for brick paving.

One of the oldest trees was located at the corner of the Farmers State Bank, now known as Herring Bank. There stood what some said was the first locust tree planted in New Clarendon. It was said to have been planted in about 1887. It had withstood “two or three” fires but was still “vigorous” until it was brought down by the axe.

“It is with genuine regret that most of our citizenship sees [the trees] cut down and dragged off, although it is generally recognized that this is a necessary step,” The Clarendon News wrote.

Those trees had apparently separated Clarendon from other towns on the railroad. They were beautiful landmarks and something of which our citizens were very proud.

A former resident wrote the News that “my heart strings tightened and my faculties winced under the shock of the realization that Clarendon had lost her once most valued and valuable asset – her Kearney street shade trees.”

And yet, city leaders realized that the loss of the trees was necessary for progress to take place and for dirt streets to be turned to brick.

The News also said with cutting away the trees, “the worn and unkempt condition of most store fronts will be so exposed to the gaze and ridicule of the city that it will lead to a great movement of store front modernizing which is essential to the appearance of our town. We want to say it again – 1919 means progress in every line for Clarendon.”

Likewise, 2023 will be a year of progress.

The Downtown Revitalization Project is not without some inconvenience, and this week there have been some misgivings about the loss of the trees at Herring Bank. Most of us feel our “heart strings tightened” any time a tree is cut down in West Texas. But there are times when it is necessary. As much as we love trees, we can’t let them do damage to other structures or become a hazard for people.

The bank’s trees were in the city’s right-of-way, and they were lifting and breaking the existing sidewalks. The damage was causing a hazard for pedestrians, and leaving the trees in place would mean that the new sidewalks would also eventually be broken by the trees’ shallow roots. (Read more here.)

Just like in 1919, the end result will be worth the pain caused by the removal of the trees. The new sidewalks and lighting will be very attractive and make our downtown shine. And nothing prevents Herring Bank from planting new trees in the grassy area of their parking lot if that’s what they want to do.

Like all good projects, this one just needs to be given some time. The end result will be a huge improvement for our community.