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THE HISTORICAL
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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Gardena in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

The Washington Elm

Gardena Civic Center

 
 
Washington Elm Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker, 2016
1. Washington Elm Marker
Inscription. This is a fourth generation of the elm tree under which General George Washington took command of the Continental Army on July 3, 1775; and the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
 
Erected 1987 by Lucille Anthony, and the Gardena Citizens Bicentennial Committee of the U.S. Constitution.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraHorticulture & ForestryPatriots & Patriotism. In addition, it is included in the Historic Trees series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 8, 1775.
 
Location. 33° 53.005′ N, 118° 18.418′ W. Marker is in Gardena, California, in Los Angeles County. It is at the intersection of 162nd Street and Harvard Boulevard, on the right when traveling east on 162nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1700 W 162nd St, Gardena CA 90247, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rosecrans Playground (approx. 1.3 miles away); Roosevelt Cemetery Veterans Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); Goodyear Historical Sign (approx. 2 miles away); Dr. Charles Sifford (approx. 2.7 miles
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away); Chester Washington Golf Course (approx. 2.7 miles away); Square Base Linotype Machine (approx. 3.2 miles away); Pacific Electric Railway (approx. 3.2 miles away); PFC James Anderson (approx. 3.3 miles away).
 
Regarding The Washington Elm. The original 210-year-old tree in Cambridge died in 1923. Root shoots were sent to locations throughout the nation, and some of them still thrive today.
General George Washington was not in Cambridge on July 3, 1775. The story of Washington taking command there is only a myth.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. — The original Washington Elm
 
Washington Elm and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker, 2016
2. Washington Elm and Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 11, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 770 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on January 11, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
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Jun. 4, 2026