Arkansas Champion Southern Catalpa / Mail Carrier Smith Catalpa - Washington, AR - Exceptional Trees on Waymarking.com

The historic Mail Carrier Smith Catalpa tree is found in Washington, AR, along Franklin Street, southeast of where Hamilton Street meets Franklin. The tree is at the entrance into the grounds of the old 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse. This catalpa tree is named after the local main carrier, John H. Smith, who, according to the pamphlet gotten from the Gift Shop and verified by several websites, began delivering mail from Washington, AR to Natchitoches, LA in 1831. It took Smith 10 days to travel his mail route and he road his route twice a month. He would gather seeds from Southern Catalpa trees he found growing along the Red River and scatter these seeds over the land where the 1836 Courthouse was built. This is one of the seedlings that took root and has survived as a witness tree throughout its 197 year lifetime (as of 2020).

The Arkansas Famous and Historical Tree Program (AFHTP) has this Mail Carrier Smith Catalpa registered as tree # 0022 as of August 6, 2004. An official metal tag attached to this tree's trunk by the AFHTP states:

"This tree has been registered as an Arkansas Famous and Historic Tree
Southern Catalpa
Catalpa Bignonioides
is recognized as an Arkansas Famous and Historic Tree for its association with a significant person in local, state or national history with a dual listing as having the potential to yield significant cultural information in local, state or national history.
'MAIL CARRIER SMITH CATALPA"
AFHTP Registered Tree # 0022 August 6, 2004"'

Additionally, this Mail Carrier Smith Catalpa tree was designated as the Arkansas State Champion Catalpa tree in 2010, making it not only famous, but exceptional. A concrete block with a metal plaque mounted on it was placed by the Arkansas Forestry Commission which states:

"Arkansas Champion
Southern Catalpa
Catalpa bignonioides
Arkansas Forestry Commission"

Furthermore, the Arkansas Forest Service website does have it listed as the Arkansas State Champion Southern Catalpa tree. Link to Arkansas Forest Service Champion Southern Catalpa page:
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Link to AR State Champion Southern Catalpa announcement:
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Link to historical trees found in Historic Washington State Park, Arkansas:
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Genus/Species: Southern Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) Height: 63 Girth: 16 Method of obtaining height: Reliable source Method of obtaining girth: Reliable source Location type: Park Age: 189 Historical significance: State of Arkansas has designated this Catalpa tree as both a historical tree and as a Champion Southern Catalpa tree. At 14 years old, John H. Smith began delivering mail on a route that took 10 day to cover. In 1883, John H. Smith. at 66 years old, was interviewed by the Southwest Press that published his story of delivering mail and scattering Catalpa seeds around the area of the 1836 Courthouse. Arkansas has vetted the Mail Carrier Smith Catalpa as one of its significantly historic trees. In 2019, the Arkansas Forest Service found this Mal Carrier Smith Catalpa to in fact be the Champion Southern Catalpa in the state and placed a marker at the base of the tree as testimony of such. Planter: John H. Smith, the local mail carrier in 1831 Website reference: [Web Link] Parking coordinates: N 33° 46.560 W 093° 40.863 Walk time: 1 Photograpy coordinates: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
A closeup picture of your GPS receiver in your hand, with the tree in the background, is required. If the tree is on private property, this closeup photograph with the tree in the background may be taken from the nearest public vantage point without actually going to the tree.
The required photograph does not need to show the entire tree, but the individual tree must be recognizable.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/31/2020 WayBetterFinder visited it