BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan recently toured a construction site when a pile of logs got his attention. As it happens, the logs are the remnants of an iconic tree that marked a major stop along the Underground Railroad.
For nearly 200 years, the Liberty Tree stood tall in Brockton as a marker of what once took place beneath the grounds where abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, and Lucy Stone met to free hundreds of slaves.
The tree fell nearly two decades ago due to a growing disease but, the city turned slices into tabletops that have been donated to various organizations across the Commonwealth. One even stands in the local public library which has people who work in the aisles of books happy to be able to see and touch a bit of Black history.
“It makes me feel like African Americans are not forgotten about,” said employee Ricky Murphy.
However, a big chunk of the tree was missing until recently when Mayor Sullivan happened upon it at an old hotel across the street from its original site.
“We can never forget about the past, that’s what we learn from,” he said. “So, to be able to save this from probably disposal is a win-win.”
Sullivan has since given some of the pieces to area schools and some important figures — including Governor Charlie Baker.
A piece of the original tree continues to grow on Fredrick Douglas Avenue.
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