Charter Oak
Charter Oak, a tree that, according to tradition, was used to hide Connecticut's charter from English authorities. The tree, which was nearly seven feet (2 m) in diameter, stood in Hartford until it was destroyed in a storm on August 21, 1856.
King James II of England wished to make Connecticut a part of his Dominion of New England, but the 1662 charter of this independent colony stood in his way. Consequently, it is said, Sir Edmund Andros, governor of the Dominion of New England, went to Hartford on October 31, 1687, to demand surrender of the charter.
The story is that during the long debate between Andros and the colonists, who were led by Governor Robert Treat, the candles were blown out and the charter disappeared. Allegedly, a Captain Wadsworth hid it in a hollow of the great oak to save the colonists the humiliation of having to surrender it.