Driving through the
neighboring town of Haddonfield, I saw this incredible black oak tree on one of
its side streets. It’s trunk was huge! It seemed to be presiding over its
neighbors. There was a sign attached which said that it was planted circa 1830 and
was the second oldest black oak in New Jersey. Some history.
The town itself has
quite a history. The Lenni Lenape tribe occupied much of the area including the
land that eventually became Haddonfield. They left the area but artifacts like
arrowheads and bits of pottery indicated their former presence. In 1682 Francis
Collins, an English Quaker and a bricklayer, later settled there. At the
beginning of the 1700s, John Haddon,
bought a 500 acre tract of land to escape religious persecution. It was passed
along to his daughter. The town became a quaint place to live and shop. Because
of its Quaker origins, it reluctantly was involved in the Revolutionary War.
The town was where the official State of New Jersey was declared. It’s
interesting to read about: https://haddonfieldhistory.org/about/history-of-the-town-of-haddonfield/
I wondered about the
tree’s history, what stories it might have been privy to. How did it come to
live there at that exact spot? Did it
experience any hardships as it was growing? Did it depend on the kindness of
strangers to help it flourish? How did it interact with the community and the
natural creatures like squirrels and birds (and people) as it matured? What
helped it to be the only one in that area to survive?
I might ask the same
questions of ourselves. Our lives are
all rolled up in stories. We live through them as we interact with
others. We create scenarios that forward our pathways. All life is connected
and that connection enhances our existence. I don’t know how long the tree will
continue to stand but it has already made its mark.
Lots to know about the Black Oak:
https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/oak_black.html
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