 Tree Rings - Radical History in the East Village |
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| Since 1931, on Avenue B near Tenth Street (the northeast corner of Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan) an American Elm tree stood. Around July 20, 2003 this as well as another of these magnificent trees was cut down. Someone has created tiny wooden plaques detailing local history and nailing them to the relevant annual tree rings. The plaques are fairly fragile (some are already gone or damaged) so I've done this to preserve this work of art on the web. |
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| Here's the stump, earlier while the chips from the chain saw were still fresh. |
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| 1931 is the earliest date, nailed near the center of the stump. "Dutch elm disease reaches the United States." |
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| 1940 - Anarchist Emma Goldman dies. |
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| 1953 - Ethel and Julius Rosenberg executed. |
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| 1955 - Musician Charlie "Yardbird" Parker dies. |
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| 1965 - 38,000 housing units abandoned every year. |
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| 1967 - Police beat up concert-goers at Memorial Day concert. (I've not been able to find anything about this. If you have a reference or a personal memory, please send me an email.) |
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| 1969 - Police raid community center in Christadora Building and shut it down. |
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| 1979 - 10,000 arson fires burn in NYC. |
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| 1981 - First reports of illness that would become known as AIDS. |
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| 1984 - Eleanor Bumpers shot dead by police during her eviction. |
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| 1985 - Graffitti artist Michael Stewart killed by police. (Stewart coroner sanctioned) |
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| 1987 - Christadora building reopens as luxury housing. |
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| 1988 - Poet, Playwright, actor Miguel Pinero dies. |
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| 1989 - Tent City and Dinkinsville shanty town evicted. |
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| 1991 Artist Grady Alexis killed by off-duty police officer. |
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| 1996 - Asian long-horned beetle first appears in NY. |
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| 1997 - Eviction of 13th Street Squats. |
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| 2000 - Jardin De Esperanza and other gardens bulldozed. |
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| 2001 - Loss of rights through Patriot Act. |
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| 2002 - Fire burns 10th street squat. |
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| 2003 - This American Elm is cut down. |
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| Every loss contains a memory of all the other losses. |
