Let's bring it Outside for "O" day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
I've blogged before about trees that are our living memory. Some call them Witness trees. They are trees that have witnessed our human history. Here are two of them.
One of them, the Camden Oak, is no longer with us. Only its stump and a historical marker remains of it.
The Camden Oak, in Camden, South Carolina, was already standing during the American Revolution. It was there to witness when our first President, George Washington, visited Camden in 1791. President Washington had been to Camden before, as a general of American troops during the war.
The Camden Oak was there to witness the 1825 visit of the Marquis de Lafayette, so beloved by our nation.
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| The Camden Oak, March of 2015 |
I don't know when it fell but only its stump remains today.
I probably didn't realize its story was written on the back of this historical marker, because I only took a picture of the front.
But we know more about the Angel Oak, which I blogged about in 2012.
I blogged about it again in 2013, when it was in danger of being felled by a developer. The developer wanted to build 600 apartments and retail space on the land it depends on for its nourishment (and destroy the tree in the process). In 2014 it was saved after a seven year campaign.
The Angel Oak, a live oak, is is located on Johns Island, one of the islands that partially surround Charleston, South Carolina. It is not in Charleston itself, but is associated with the city and its land is now a City of Charleston park.
The shade it casts measures over 17,000 square feet in area. Its age is estimated at between 400 and 500 years old and the property is now owned by the City of Charleston. It has its own website.
Because of its size, it is difficult to photograph and few photos do it justice. I did give it a try, though, during my two visits to it.
The Angel Oak has survived hurricanes and earthquakes. Long may it stand!
"O" day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme "Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States."
That tree in the last picture is so gorgeous.
ReplyDelete...we have beautiful oaks here, but the south has fabulous ones.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of a Witness Tree before, but I love the thought of them. I do love that last picture, you can feel the age of the tree just looking at it.
ReplyDeleteThose live oaks of the South are quite spectacular! I'm so glad the Angel Oak has survived!
ReplyDeleteI love this. I,, too, look at trees as living witnesses to history. So important to me.
ReplyDeleteTrees are wondrous beings, watching all of us humans come and go through the generations. So glad the Angel Oak was spared.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of trees, and the ones you chronicle here are/were spectacular examples of how long they live and why they must be preserved as living history. There is a 200-year-old oak tree in the NY Botanical Garden that is part of their tram tour -- and every time I pass it I think about all the history that it has witnessed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 8 we moved to a new house. My father loved the new house because it was surrounded by trees, mostly dogwood and oak. Trees are so beautiful. And they see so much of our history
ReplyDeleteWow. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI love the sprawling, twisted branches of live oaks.
ReplyDeleteDonna McNicol - My A to Z Blogs
DB McNicol - Small Delights, Simple Pleasures, and Significant Memories
My Snap Memories - My Life in Black & White
Hi Alana - Oaks have so much history of life on earth ... it'd be wonderful to hear their stories! Chers Hilary
ReplyDeleteAll your photos are lovely, but there's something majestic about old trees.
ReplyDelete