hopkinton-independent-logo2x
Hopkinton, MA
loader-image
Hopkinton, US
12:24 am, Thursday, June 19, 2025
67°F
93 %
Wind Gust: 11 mph

SIGN UP TODAY!
BREAKING NEWS & DAILY NEWSLETTER





Letter to the Editor: Hopkinton home to special sassafras

by | Mar 6, 2023 | Letter to Editor

Sassafrass tree

This sassafras free at 2 Park Street was measured as the third largest in the state. PHOTO/PETER LAGOY

Based on a measurement by the urban forester for northern Massachusetts, Hopkinton is home to the third-largest sassafras tree (sassafras albidum) in Massachusetts. Sassafras trees are most commonly seen as small shrubs, or as tall, relatively thin, straight trees with knobby bark; quite a few are located along Echo Trail off of Granite Street. They are a native species best known for having leaves that have one, two (mitten shaped) or three lobes. The leaves have a sweet odor when crushed. The ground leaves of sassafras are used in file powder, a thickening agent in gumbo in Louisiana’s Creole cooking. The roots were formerly used as a main ingredient in root beer.

Hopkinton’s sassafras is located on private property owned by the Dockstaders at 2 Park Street, a property with its own history as the former home of Lee Claflin. Mr. Claflin helped develop the shoe manufacturing techniques that made Hopkinton a shoemaking capital, and he helped found Boston University. Relevant to Black History Month, Mr. Claflin was a passionate abolitionist and harbored fugitive slaves. He, along with his son William, a former Massachusetts Governor, founded the first college in South Carolina to allow admission regardless of race, Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

I’d walked past the tree for years without giving it much thought, as the tree is relatively unassuming; many trees on the Town Common are larger. In fact, a magnificent American beech that is likely one of the largest of its species in Massachusetts also resides on the property. However, when I realized the tree was a sassafras, I thought that it did seem much larger than other sassafras trees I’d seen. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Forestry Division has a Legacy Tree Program, and with the Dockstaders’ permission, I measured the tree’s diameter and submitted the information to the state this past summer. In late January 2023, the urban forester for the DCR’s North District came out and measured the tree. He indicated that the tree has a 132-inch (11-foot) circumference, is 63.8 feet tall and has a 43.6-foot canopy for a score of 207 points on the state scale. In a text, the forester noted that it was the third-largest sassafras in Massachusetts.

— Peter LaGoy, Hopkinton

Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event or thanking sponsors or volunteers. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.

0 Comments

Related Articles

Letter to the Editor: Better late than never

Around 1970, we had a couple of incidents of fire equipment having trouble coming out of the station to answer a call. Fire Chief Arthur Stewart went before the Board of Selectmen to ask for red lights to be installed to stop traffic when we had an emergency call....

Letter to the Editor: Town should support HYFS

After reading the letter to the editor titled “HYFS a community cornerstone at risk," I felt it is important to add to this high level of concern from my own life experience. Families who come to the United States from other nations often embark on a journey driven...

Letter to the Editor: Beavers at Bloods Pond deserve better

I am writing this letter to inform the town of inhumane practices regarding beaver population management in Hopkinton. Recently, a beaver trap was used in Bloods Pond on South Mill Street to trap and kill a beaver. Despite calls to the Hopkinton Police Department...

Letter to the Editor: HPS music program a gem worth preserving

IYKYK, as the kids say. Families who have taken part in the Hopkinton Public Schools music program know our high school’s musical program is a gem. And its director, Craig Hay? A real diamond. As today’s world prioritizes STEM over arts, and our federal government...

Letter to the Editor: Stop damaging Terry Field

To the person who has been riding a fat-tired bike onto Terry Field off Center Trail: Please stop doing that! You are gouging large ruts in the field, which is one of the most beautiful attractions along the trail. You are also damaging private property and risking...

Letter to the Editor: Select Board youth movement questioned

In light of the discussion during the Hopkinton Select Board’s May 27th meeting, I am writing to highlight what appears to be a concerning shift in how we define “new leadership.” The phrase was used repeatedly — and tellingly — as a synonym for youth, suggesting...

Key Storage 4.14.22