By Jessica Gorman

In the middle of downtown Minden stands the Arizona Ash tree. It has stood as a witness to history over the past 109 years. 

The Arizona Ash is said to have been planted in 1915 at the request of Deputy Charles Davis. His office was located in the southwest corner of the 1905 courthouse. The fast-growing tree was planted to shade his office from the afternoon sun. Charles Davis began his service as a deputy in 1903 under Sheriff B.F. Griffith and continued under Sheriffs Clement, Phillips, Hough, Richardson (acting sheriff), and Haynes. At the time of his retirement on 1 March 1947, at the age of 83, he was the oldest deputy sheriff in the state of Louisiana. A ceremony was planned in his honor by the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, but he died before it could take place. 

The Arizona Ash was still young when the Minden Lumber Company burned in 1918. It was there to see the early Mardi Gras parades that ceased for so many years. It was there in 1933 when the Goodwill building was destroyed by fire. That same year, when the tornado caused so much destruction across town, including damage to the courthouse, the tree survived. It has seen construction of the current courthouse and removal of the old. During its life, the old post office was constructed and later removed and replaced with a bank. The old jail was demolished, the Episcopal church moved to the other end of Broadway, and a row of businesses became the site of a new city hall and civic center. The tree has been there for parades, festivals, pep rallies, and other community events. 

The Arizona Ash was itself threatened with removal. When the 1905 courthouse was removed after construction of the Civic Center, Pearl Street was extended through to Broadway. The question was raised about what to do with the ash tree. Removal would have allowed for more parking spots, but the people said no. In particular, Mr. J. C. Salmon, of the Minden Beautification Council, is credited with saving the tree, and so, it has also been referred to as the Salmon Tree.

The Arizona Ash has, at times, been confused with another tree from Minden’s past, the hanging tree. The hanging tree was located on Elm Street in the area of Goode Avenue. It was removed by Colonel Goode before the Arizona Ash was ever planted. 

You may remember that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I learned of my own connection to the Arizona Ash. It turns out that Mr. Charles Davis was married to Emily Garrison. Emily was the namesake and niece of Emily Garrison Boone whom I’ve written about previously. That makes her another of my newly discovered cousins.

(Jessica Gorman is the Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, and an avid genealogist.)