The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

My heart broke last week when I saw the cutting down at Town Centre Mall of the historic silk cotton tree that was once the glorious attraction to what was many years ago the “silk worm farm.” I don’t know how old the tree was because even then it was pretty ancient, and today — although myself a small child when it was in its glory, am also pretty ancient — so I know the tree was there long before I was even born – that’s a long, long time ago!

I remember my father taking me there to see the silk worms spin their silk. It was fascinating. An old gentleman was in charge and explained – as I watched wide-eyed —how the worms spun the silk - yes, silk, real silk!

Years later I remember the space being used as a mini Disney world with a large ferriswheel being brought in as part of the entertainment. This continued annually for a short time and was probably a scheme to raise money for some charity. However, I soon left the Bahamas and so do not know what happened to the silk worm farm. It has since been replaced by Town Centre Mall. However, the last trace of its grander days was brought down this week by the removal of its very ancient tree. Maybe someone out there with a longer memory than mine can write a letter filling in the gaps over the years and bring us up to date on the history of how we got to where we are today.

Recently I noticed that what was once recorded as the world’s largest silk cotton tree, which had occupied the square downtown between what was then the former post office building on the north and the Supreme Court building on the south – taking up the whole space in between — has been replaced with a poinciana tree!

Although that tree was recorded as being the world’s largest silk cotton tree, at its base it was hardly taller than a three-story house. However, it was called a hurricane tree because “no matter how hard the wind blows it cannot disturb the mighty buttressed trunk of the tree. In the hurricane of last spring (March 1900) all the palms of many of the other trees of Nassau were overturned, but the great hurricane tree, although it lost all of its leaves did not lose so much as a branch. No one knows how old the great tree is, but it must be hundreds if not thousands of years old.” (This is what was recorded in 1900).

Can you imagine how the Ministry of Tourism could have advertised the “world’s oldest” tree in its brochures as a must see by cruise passengers on their visit to Nassau! Over the years we have lost much, and not knowing the history ourselves we have just shrugged our shoulders and moved on.

An OLD NASSAUVIAN

Nassau,

May, 2021