The Witness Trees

Second Post of the Day

Have you ever thought, "If only ------ could talk! The tales they could tell!"

I have. And last week Emily and I took the kids to the battlefield of the Battle of Tippecanoe where I often think along those lines.

It's a national park now, and a very quiet, wooded spot on the banks of Burnetts Creek. Sometimes it's difficult to comprehend the extent of the massacre that happened here.

In 2017, my mother was honored posthumously for her work in recording the local history of the Battle, Fort Ouiatenon, and Lafayette/Tippecanoe County.  A burr oak was planted in her memory on the grounds.

Our family was invited to help plant it.

Leslie looks on as Vanessa and Mila water the roots and Ian rakes.

The tree is now eight years old and is very close to the road that runs alongside the park so it can be easily seen when driving past.

Burr oaks are slow growing, but the tree is thriving and has gotten very big.

Emily and I told the kids some of the history about Granny Slash's tree as well as the battlefield itself. There are some marked graves of those who died, and then a very large and unmarked mass grave where, several days after the battle, kind souls gathered up and buried together all who had lost their lives.

The location of the mass grave is kept quiet out of concerns for it being disturbed, but I know its location and always go pay my respects when I am out there. And while standing at the edge of it, I showed the kids some "witness trees" that are close to the mass grave.

See that pale, tall tree a little to the left of center? That is one of the witness trees on the battlefield; it was alive and present when the battle was fought and still survives. It is massive. (All the witness trees are incredibly big.)

It's hard to see, but there are two witness trees in this photo of the path going down to the creek. (I've ridden my horses down this path.)

The bottom circle shows a tree that is nearly gone and the top circle one is that is living and still in good shape. Sadly, many of the witness trees are reaching the ends of their life spans. The Battle of Tippecanoe happened in 1811, so the witness trees are all over 200 years old.

A cool thing that has been discovered is that the witness trees are riddled with musket balls and the trees have grown around them and buried them within their trunks. An ice storm recently brought several of the site's oldest trees down and when the grounds crew was cutting them up and putting the wood through a wood chipper, the chippers kept hitting the musket balls! (Photo by Alexey Sergeev.)

So, as I walk around the battlefield, checking my mom's tree and honoring those buried in the mass grave, I look at those old, old trees and wonder. What could they tell me if they could talk? 

I'll never know, but while they live, I will honor them, too, as still-standing survivors, living reminders, of a sad and terrible event.

Mom's Tree - First Anniversary

It was one year ago today that a Burr Oak was planted on the Battlefield in memory of my mother. (Go here to read about the planting.) I resolved that day to visit it every year on the planting date (October 12) and take some photos. I would love for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to be able to see how it was when planted compared to when they are visiting in the future.

So, today Craig and I drove out to the Battlefield to take those photos.

 

2018 - Looking west with the iron fence at our backs.

 2018 - me next to the tree. (Drat! The top isn't in the picture!)

2017 - me next to the tree (and no top showing, either! Haha!) I do think that you can see it has gotten taller, though.

2018 - a photo where you can see the height of the whole tree compared to me. I'll be sure to use this one next year for comparison.

2018 - Craig.

2017 - Craig and me.

 This first year flew by with many life changes for me (retirement) and our family (Lukas' and Susan's births.) During the year I drove by the tree (it is close enough to be seen from the road) five or six times to check on it - after an unusually brutal winter, we were pleased to see it sprouting leaves in the spring.

Last Christmas we hung a glass ornament of an apple basket on the tree, but the wind blew it off and it shattered. This year I plan to find something plastic or possible resin to hang.

It's odd, but in some ways I feel closer to my mother at her tree than I do at her grave. I love this living reminder of her in a place that she loved.

Mom's Tree Planting

On Thursday, October 12, the Tippecanoe County Historical Association planted a tree in my mother's honor on the Battlefield. What an honor that is! It is a national monument as well as a cemetery for those who died in The Battle of Tippecanoe.

 Allen Nail, head groundskeeper for the TCHA came up with the idea and made it happen.

The tree is a beautiful burr oak, and if things go well, it should live 250-300 years!

We gathered around and he told us a little bit about the tree, then invited us to add mulch and water to the tree and then spend as much time there as we wished.

 Rick and Ian began by adding some water. 

 And then we put out the mulch.

Aunt Jenny, Craig, Uncle Steve, and Curt. (I am still wondering what Curt said to make her burst out laughing!)

Ian and Mila watch Aunt Lisa shake out more mulch while Vanessa and Rick look on. I love how the tree is near the highway so we can drive by and see Mom's tree whenever we wish!

 Uncle Steve takes a turn with the rake.

 Now it's Ian's turn while Vanessa and Mila water the tree.

 Mila is such a big help!

 The kids LOVED those empty water jugs.

 I hope to go out every October for the rest of my life and have my photo taken with the tree.

 Craig and me. 

 Jenny, Leslie, me, Steve.

Of course, we had to do Steve's old "horse feet" move at him. He would drum his hands as though they were hooves and neigh at me when I was a child and DRIVE ME NUTS. Now, it is a wonderful family memory that makes us all laugh.

 Mila, Vanessa, Curt, and Ian.

 Lisa.

 All done!

I love that there is a living memorial to my mother in a place that holds great meaning to her as well as to the rest of our family. And I hope this tree is important to future generations of our family as well.