PLANTING PRINCETON ELMS … Fulton Soil & Water Conservation District staff members (from left to right) Amanda Podach, Cole Plassman, Matthew Buchhop and Harmon Gombash are joined by Franklin Township Trustee Robert Keiser at the West Franklin Cemetery for the planting of a Princeton elm in honor of Fulton County’s 175th birthday.
(PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA N. STRIPE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
FINISHED PRODUCT … Fulton Soil & Water Conservation District staff (back row, from left to right) Amanda Podach, Harmon Gombash, Cole Plassman and Matthew Buchhop planted a Princeton elm at the Dover Township maintenance building. They are joined (front row, from left to right) by Dover Township Trustee Brett Wyse and Fiscal Officer Dianne Valentine. Twelve trees were planted in each Fulton County township in honor of its 175th birthday.
By: Samantha N. Stripe
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Fulton County’s 12 townships are looking greener than ever with the planting of Princeton elm trees across the area – all in celebration of the county’s 175th birthday on April 1, 2025.
A coordination between the Museum & Welcome Center of Fulton County, Ohio, and the Fulton Soil and Water Conservation District, the trees were planted – one in each township – on April 14 and 15.
Museum staff reached out to the district with the idea of commemorating the county’s birthday with something more permanent, and from there, the hearty elm was chosen.
“We do a lot of tree planting, a lot of tree sales – I guess that’s what a lot of people know us for,” said Matthew Buchhop, District Technician at the Fulton Soil and Water Conservation District. “We thought it would be nice to gift a nice tree to each township.”
Township trustees then had the opportunity to choose where the celebratory elm would be planted.
Down the road, the planted trees will also have a small plaque with them noting the tree species and that it is in honor of the county’s 175th birthday.
“We were really excited to bring this in,” said Dianne Valentine, Dover Township Fiscal Officer, who explained that they chose to have the elm planted at the maintenance building, because it “belongs to everybody in our township.”
Buchhop shared that the Princeton elm was initially a tree requested at one of the district’s tree sales a few years ago, and the team was impressed with them.
“We chose the Princeton elm really because it’s a nice shade tree, it grows fast,” Buchhop said. “It’s not super common around here, compared to a lot of the oaks and maples that we typically plant.”
“We wanted something a little different. It’s our 175th anniversary – we wanted something a little more impressive.”
The Princeton elms will continue help the county’s environment as they grow, with Buchhop adding that “they have a nice resistance to Dutch elm disease, something that [has] killed a lot of other elm trees in the area, so it’s kind of nice to try to bring more elms to the area.”
Franklin Township Trustee Robert Keiser was present for the planting at the West Franklin Cemetery on Monday and was happy to see an elm back on the property.
“It’s nice to see that it’s a revival of the elms that disappeared back in the 1950s here,” he said. “I’m hoping I’m around long enough to see it grow into a mature tree.”
The elms live to be 100-plus years and will grow to be anywhere between 50 to 75 feet tall and stand between 10 to 12 feet tall at planting.
Buchhop explained that trees in general play a variety of roles in the environment, from providing shade and lowering air temperature to improving air quality and providing an aesthetic.
The trees were planted at a variety of locations in each township, from cemeteries to township buildings and maintenance buildings. After the planting, the trees are now under the care of the trustees.
“It will be a beautiful tree and maybe people will stop just to look at it,” said Dover Township Trustee Brett Wyse.
“Trees are one of the symbols of time, in the Earth, one of the oldest things that can last…they show a lot of resilience, a lot of toughness, and there is a lot to say about trees, and what they go through. There’s a lot of history, just when you look at it.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Princeton elm trees, contact the Fulton Soil and Water Conservation District at 419-337-9217.