Christmas trees: a road to the past

In Downeast Maine it's hard to ignore the tallest residents: the soaring evergreens. The evergreens of the Sunrise County were first sought as refuge from the elements and a source of material survival, then as masts for the ships of the Royal Navy, so they have long been a vital part of humanity's relationship with the land. For the past few hundred years, December has heralded the arrival of perhaps the most festive of coniferous tree purposes: as a Christmas centerpiece.

First Christmas tree in Calais
While evergreen trees and their fragrance are synonymous with winter -- when other plant smells have subsided -- the connection between the trees and Christmas wasn't made officially until 1844. That year, the city's Unitarian minister, Reverend Edward Stone, coordinated the erection of the first recorded Christmas tree in the center of Calais.
According to Isaac Case Knowlton's Annals of Calais, Reverend Stone was a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Divinity School who brought substantial grace and leadership to his church. Years later, he was removed from his position by politicians after vocally supporting the abolitionist movement, Knowlton writes.
Nevertheless, with Reverend Stone's act of establishing a Christmas tree in Calais, he initiated a local tradition that has continued with steady momentum to this day. Every year a large evergreen in Triangle Park is festooned for the pleasure of the community.
Among the past residents of the area who have taken great pleasure in the evergreens of eastern Maine are none other than Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Their connection and affection for the local trees was great enough for one tree to make a very special journey.

St. Croix Valley tree goes to Washington
In the autumn of 1941 a group of Calais community leaders -- including John Trible, Arthur Unobskey and historian Ned Lamb -- contacted the White House with a letter proposing that the executive mansion feature a tree from St. Croix Island.
Franklin Roosevelt himself wrote a gracious letter in reply, noting, "We should be very happy indeed, to have the Christmas tree from the island near Calais, Maine. It would be just like something from home. As you know, I have a 50-year familiarity with every inch of the St. Croix River up to and beyond Calais."
Roosevelt goes on to reference the Christmas celebration held on St. Croix Island in the winter of 1604-05, which is considered to be the first of its kind in New England.
When the time came for the tree to be harvested, it happened to be scheduled for two days after Pearl Harbor was bombed. The symbolism of the tree coming from the site of the first Christmas goodwill celebration in the northern United States took on special significance.
The tree from St. Croix Island was installed in the family's quarters at the White House, where it soon counted guests such as Winston Churchill among its company.

Downeast Christmas trees today
While trees from St. Croix Island are no longer harvestable, the Downeast region continues to foster plentiful forests of firs and pines suitable for Christmas trees. The practice of taking in real trees to decorate for the holidays is regaining popularity in society as younger generations seek out authentic experiences. For many who grew up with the tradition, few things fit the bill more than a real evergreen covered in twinkling lights and topped with a shining emblem of the holiday.
For those looking to purchase a fresh, aromatic tree from the Calais area, the Mingo Products' tree farm in Red Beach, Johnson's Christmas tree farm in Robbinston and Boyden Lake Creative Products in Perry are among the local options to consider.