The publishers included a picture and a letter with the song “Woodman! Spare That Tree!” when it was published. The letter was written by the lyricist George P. Morris to Henry Russell, and in it Morris recounts the story behind the song. Morris explains that his friend had an oak tree that was special to him since childhood. Even when his family moved away from the residence, the tree still stood. One day, both Morris and his friend were passing by the old residence and saw that the new owner of the house was trying to cut down the tree. They tried to stop him from cutting it down, and gave the owner money in exchange for a promise to spare the tree.
Page from Freedman Collection score of "Woodman! Spare That Tree!"