the martin a. rader oak tree
In
1965, Danbury Attorney Martin Rader was nominated as
a delegate to the third Constitutional Convention in
the state's history. Such conventions are held
infrequently and have the potential power to change
the constitution by which the state operates.
During the convention, Rader was presented with a
seedling from Connecticut's original Charter Oak,
the states most historic tree. Upon returning to
Danbury, Rader presented the seedling to the Danbury
Garden Club who nurtured it through the winter and
planted the four foot sapling in the Spring of 1966.
The history of the original Charter Oak began in
1687 when Connecticut Governor Roger Treat received
word from the King of England that Connecticut would
be under siege if the state's charter was not
surrendered immediately. Governor Treat called an
assembly together and placed the Charter on the
table. A debate regarding how to respond to the King
continued until evening when candles were lit.
Suddenly the lights went out and during the
confusion, Captain L.D. Wadsworth silently took the
Charter and hid it in a hollow in the famous
"Charter Oak tree". Two years later, the Charter was
restored to the government and the process of
freedom proceeded.
The Oak Tree plated here, a direct descendent of the
famous Charter Oak, is symbolic of the strength and
continued good government of the state of
Connecticut.