A Death on Third Street

West Third Street lost another oak tree last night -- the victim of a weakened root system that could no longer bear the tree's weight.

The trees and their mortality are discussed in "Jamestown, New York: A Guide to the City and Its Urban Landscape" by Peter Lombardi: "One of the area’s most compelling features...is the formal row of oak trees planted along 3rd Street soon after the bridge's completion. Toward the end of the 20th century, the oak trees matured into the graceful canopy that now forms one of Western New York’s most scenic streetscapes."

"The trees are also a reminder about the fragile and changing nature of any cityscape. Their full effect came decades after their planting, and the inevitable demise of each tree will permanently alter the street. Thoughtful planning and careful stewardship can make a place great, but cities and their streets can never be frozen in time."