Chambers Cherry Tree in about 1912

In 1850, pioneer David Chambers purchased a Black Heart cherry sapling from Oregon-based orchardist Henderson Lewelling and planted it on his homestead, now the site of Panorama retirement community in Lacey. The tree lived to an immense age and size and continued to bear cherries until the 1920s. In this photograph from around 1912, the tree is with members of the Chambers family; the homestead is behind them. An article about the tree can be found at the Thurston County Historical Journal’s December 2020 issue.

circa 1912 photo, State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1943.2X.31.1

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