One of the oldest trees in Faulkner County is no more

Conway, Arkansas — On Thursday’s strong winds took out the historic oak near the county courthouse.

As old bands used to sit under it and play music, it was called the “Fiddler’s Tree”.

For people in Faulkner County, this tree was a piece of history.

“This kind of old-time music. Singing and playing really made all of our hearts very happy and that’s what life’s all about I think,” said Doris Hutchins.

Hutchins was one of the fiddlers that used to play years ago under the giant tree in Conway, where musicians came to play every Saturday.
“This tree is now gone and most of the old-time fiddlers are gone,” said Hutchins.

The Fiddler’s Tree is said to have been here before the Faulkner County Courthouse was built. It spans all the way back to 1837, when Col. Asa Robinson deeded the grounds to the county with a demand–don’t cut down the trees.

“Throughout the history of the county and the maintenance of the trees and things on the property, they were always very careful not to remove them unless it’s absolutely necessary,” said Lynita Langley-Ware, Museum Director of Faulkner County.

The tree was an integral part of the area, especially for Faulkner County Judge Jim Baker who reminisced on the tree.

Baker has been a resident of Conway for decades and worked at the courthouse for 7-years, passing by the tree every single day.

Krista Quinn, with the Faulkner County Extension for U of A Agriculture Service, determined that old age is what led to the falling of the tree.

“You can see there aren’t many roots that you can see on this side, and there’s some decay in there,” said Quinn.

The Faulkner County Museum plans to take a slice of the tree to include in artifacts.

“I think I’ve got someone who can polish it up, so we can look at the rings and we can date it,” said Langley-Ware.

The county will remove the tree Tuesday.