The legend that George Washington took command of the Army under the Washington Elm (1713-1923) has no basis in fact. The first time it appears in print is 1837. An account of the day is written in the "Diary of Dorothy Dudley," which has been proven to be a literary forgery. The Cambridge Historical Commission discounts the legend.
The episode references Asa Mercer, of Mercer Girl (1957), as the first President of University of Washington.
The tree was rotted and diseased, and fell in 1923 when workmen were cutting its limbs. It was divided into about 1000 pieces, which were sent around the country. Several cities claim to have a descendant of the original tree, but there is no indication that a descendant of the tree was returned to Cambridge.