Audrey Fullerton-Samora of Sacramento, great niece of William and Grace McCarthy, donated the William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection to the California State Archives in 1996
Date Created and/or Issued
7/4/1934
Publication Information
California State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State's Office
Caption: "Tree in Center Planted with Shovel Full of Earth From Each State in U.S. -- Fraternity Park -- Havana, July 4, 34." This photograph captures a view of Havana's Fraternity Park. The area originally served the city as a military parade and training ground (called Campo de Marte). In 1928, the park was renovated and a ceiba (or kapok) tree was planted in one of the central parcels. This tree, seen in the center of this photograph, was planted as the Tree of American Fraternity. When Havana hosted the sixth International American Conference later in 1928 (also known as one of the Pan-American Conferences), each of the twenty-one visiting dignitaries brought earth from their native counties in which to plant the tree (William McCarthy mistakenly identified the earth as coming from each state in the U.S.).
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