460 Year Old Wye Tree Falls over in Maryland

Maryland TV news | 6/6/02 | the Channel 9 news lady

[RFP]

Just reported on Maryland nightly news: The "Wye tree", a 460 year old white oak in Wye Mills, MD, has fallen down across a highway. It is not certain if it was struck by lightening or the victim if high winds (stormy here today). Previously, some of it's branches were cut and made into gavels. The "Liberty tree" (somewhere else in Maryland) cracked and was cut down recently and made into guitars.

I'm typing all this from memory, so pardon any errors. If anyone has a URL or official report, please do post it.

[RFP]

I've got to think that if it's stood this long, it probably fell over due to some form of disease, rot, or insect infestation. The news showed a reporter standing inside the tree's crater-like stump. The trunk appeared to be at least ten feet in diameter! No big bad wind was going to affect that and it would have had to have been a Hell of a bolt.

[InvisibleChurch]

i blame myself

[Fabozz]

Was anyone there to hear it?

[JennysCool]

Buck up. We all blame you. :-)

[D-fendr]

What did President Bush know and when did he know it?

[Valin]

I wonder when little tommy dashole is going to start a senate investigation, what did Bush know...and when did he know it.

[My Favorite Headache]

A cover up no less. This all happened while Bush was giving his speech to the nation. Read between the lines...it is his fault. He was just diverting attention.

[RFP]

Oh yeah, they reported that it was the biggest oak tree in the nation. Sad. Oh well, it's nature's way I suppose. Now let's see, what can we make out of this oak? Paddles for Maryland Republicans to whack their DemocRATS and RINOs with?

[Jean S]

The Quiet Giant, The Wye Oak

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Why wasn't there an environmentalist there to catch it?

[Tennessee_Bob]

What did you know and when did you know it??

[ValerieUSA]

A tree grows in Brooklyn

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Global Warming! Global Warming did it!

[DrDavid]

It must be your SUV driving that induced the global warming that caused the storm that killed the tree!

Or was it that butterfly in Brazil? It is so hard to keep the excuses straight!

[JennysCool]

Too bad there wasn't one in it!

[Amelia]

Don't tell Alan Keyes. He'll believe you.

[nunya bidness]

I told you it was a bad storm!

[redbaiter]

In Waterloo NY there is a tree called the Scythe tree. A man enlisting in the army in the civil war hung his scythe on the tree, telling his family to leave it there until he returned. Of course, he never did. The scythe, what's left of it, is still there. I am astonished that the tree would live that long, but apparently it has.

[StriperSniper]

The "Liberty tree" (somewhere else in Maryland) cracked and was cut down recently and made into guitars.

Nothing against guitars, but shouldn't they have used that tree for gun stocks?

;-)

[codebreaker]

Pics?

[concerned about politics]

Heard anytning from the tree huggers about funeral plans?

[JennysCool]

This just in ... massive coffee table sale at Bob's Discount Furniture!

[RFP]

From The Quiet White Oak:

Maryland's Wye Oak has long been recognized as the largest white oak tree
in the nation. Its stately presence in the village of Wye Mills in Talbot
County has marked the passage of time for many generations. Since beginning
its quiet unassuming life in the 1500s, it had seen the fall of a
civilization and the birth of a nation. Native Americans, believed to be
the Wiccomisses, lived and hunted in the area. The Choptank Trail, which ran
down the east side of the Chesapeake Bay, traversing the land from the
head of one river to the next, was near the oak. This ancient trail
later developed into a road and as the tree grew, its boughs provided
shade for the early settlers as they traveled by. The road, which eventually
linked Oxford with Philadelphia, became an important cog in the settlement
of the Eastern Shore. Throughout its life, the Wye Oak has been the property
of a number of owners. Before the tree grew into prominence, it
was part of a tract of land called Wilton, which was patented in 1665
by Thomas Willams. Richard Bennett purchased Wilton in 1705, and it
remained in his family until 1797, when the estate was sold and the land
along Wye Mills Road was divided into lots. The Wye Oak was on a 2 1/2 acre
parcel purchased by Johannes Arants. 

The tree continued to mature into its majesty. While it was the property of
Dr. Syndenham T. Russum, from 1831 to 1867, people began to recognize it,
referring to it as the Russum Oak. It was not until the early 1900's that
the tree was called the Wye Oak, after the village of Wye Mills. 

In 1909, the then gigantic tree was first officially distinguished
for its size. Maryland's first State Forester, Fred Besley, along with C.
Howard Lloyd, himself a descendant of Richard Bennett, measured and
photographed the tree. Many people began to consider it the largest white
oak in the state and, for the first time, visitors came to view its sweeping
boughs. Ten years later, the American Forestry Magazine honored the Wye
in its Tree Hall of Fame and launched what would later become a national
search for Big Tree Champions. The Wye Oak still holds the title of largest
white oak in the United States. It is one of only two trees to remain national
champions since the American Forestry Association began its contest in 1940. 

In 1939, the State of Maryland purchased the Wye Oak from its last private
owner "in accordance with our desire to preserve places of historical and
outstanding interest," said Governor O'Connor soon after the Legislature
declared the Wye Oak the living symbol of our State Tree, the white oak. 

Among the impressive characteristics of the Wye are its massive "knees"
or buttresses, which help support the huge tree. The actual cause of this
unusual formation has been a matter of some speculation. One explanation
offered is that an old country store was once located at the site of the
tree, and the stomping hooves of the customers' horses, tethered to the
tree bruised the roots, resulting in a malformation which eventually
developed into large burls. 

What is the future of the Wye Oak? As in the past, nature will determine
the big tree's course. Windfall is seen as the single, most important threat
to its life, as evidenced by the scars on the tree by the sudden loss of
several limbs in this century. Offspring will continue to be grown at the
state nursery whenever the Wye produces acorns. 

This famous tree, living in the Wye Oak State Park, is truly a part of
the history of Maryland. Man has done all he can to extend the life of this
venerable monarch. A tree is a child of the earth and to the earth it must
inevitably fall. Even with this certain knowledge, Marylanders hope
the Wye will continue to grace us for generations to come. 

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Heres your [URL] =U ARE LOST when is the layout and funeral will there be finger sandwiches? or is it [byoc]=bring your own chainsaw

[Pistias]

The mighty trees of America have fallen. Foreshadowing?

[JennysCool]

Naw, just bad knees.

Among the impressive characteristics of the Wye are its massive "knees" or buttresses, which help support the huge tree.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Where, oh, where, are you tonight?
Wye did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over, and I thought I'd found THE oak.
You met a woodworm, and *PPHHHLLLBBBBTTT*, you wuz gone.

[AnalogReigns]

Anyone know of other notable trees around? I never hear about the famous trees util they fall down...

I wonder are there still some surviving Liberty Trees???

[nunya bidness]

I'm gonna' go cut me a chunk tomorrow before the best parts are gone.

[2sheep]

Well, Wye not?  One who falls trees said that Oaks are difficult to gauge because of rottenness at the core or heart or dead branches which cause the weight of the tree to be off-balance.  He said when it goes, it is difficult to tell how it will fall.  Because they are heavy, they do fall hard.

[goodnesswins]

The Redwoods? I'm sure this will disappoint the environmentalists who think we should NOT cut trees down - that they should remain in the forest forever!!! Thank God no one was under or around the Wye tree when it decided to fall!

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

Tree looks unbalanced.

More info here

[Ken H]

Hey Grampa! What's for supper?

[linuxnut]

All your trees are belong to us.

[TexasNative2000]

No, no, no . . . . neither gun stocks nor guitars should be made from this tree. I vote for fiddles and whiskey barrels.

[concerned about politics]

ROTFLMAO.

[TYVets]

I vote for Whiskey Barrels and Gun Stocks !

[InvisibleChurch]

What did you know and when did you know it??

I'm sorry, but that sounds like 'hate speech'. I'm calling the aclu and having you sued for emotional reparations.

;)

[Charles Henrickson]

We need to get to the root of this.

[Thinkin' Gal]

It is not certain if it was struck by lightening or the victim if high winds (stormy here today). Previously, some of it's branches were cut and made into gavels.

What a fitting picture of the Wye 'peace' accords. Oak = elah, spelled same as the muslim god @llah. It toppled over (fell on its face) like Dagon. Heheheh.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Well as Clark Griswald's father (or was it father-in-law? Or Uncle Lewis?) said, "It was an ugly tree anyway".

[John H K]

It was in trouble for a long time...elaborate series of wire trusses, concrete poured in the middle, etc.

Glad I saw it one last time last year.

[John H K]

Well as Clark Griswald's father (or was it father-in-law? Or Uncle Lewis?) said, "It was an ugly tree anyway".

I suspect you've never seen in in person. It was an icon of the Eastern Shore of Maryland (about as much "Bush Country" as you can get, in contrast to the rest of Maryland) and beloved by a lot of people. It lost a really big branch in 1953, had to have a lot of work done to keep it up, and certainly wasn't the symmetrical example of a perfect tree, but it remained amazing. I'm not going to act like it's a person who died like some envirowhacko, but it's a little sad. I remember seeing it as a kid and marveling at it. Was the centerpiece of a nice little town.

And it's not on the property where the Wye peace conference was held, and you'd have to be either drunk, insane, or just a purveyor of asinine, unfunny jokes, to connect it to God's displeasure with Islam.

[I still care]

Historic Trees Here is a very interesting site where you can buy seedlings of famous trees in American History. A little politically correct, but there are good pickings also for the conservative. The thing is they are not cheap. But hey, a bit of history in your front yard is always cool.

[Lower55]

Did anyone hear it fall?

[Kevin Curry]

Sprouted in about 1542. That's impressive.

[Charles Henrickson]

YDK.

[DemoSmear]

I recommend sweeping changes to deal with this falling tree attack. First, we should get to the bottom of it- to the root of the issue. Second, we should establish talking points with our buds- tree buds that is. Lastly, we should start a new government department that is cabinet level. A level cabinet made out of oak will do just fine.

[DemoSmear]

All throughout my childhood, my dad took me fishing for yellow perch at the Wye River- near the Wye Oak Tree. It was a sight to behold! All those 20 lb yellow perch, older than the tree itself. ;)