Today, many people are planting historic trees in their parks, schools, and backyards. Because of careful planting and nurturing, it is possible to plant a tree grown from the original seeds of any number of famous historic trees. Others have planted trees from the seeds of trees located in famous places such as Walden Pond, the Trail of Tears, and numerous Civil War battlefields. There are even seeds available from the tree that traveled to the moon and from the Angel Live Oak, thought to be the oldest thing east of the Mississippi at an estimated 1400 years of age. Planting historic trees is not just good for the environment.
Trees serve as living and silent sentries to history.
To see such trees gives us a sense, however briefly, of the people, places, and events that have come before our time and that have become a part of the rich and diverse American past. Visit the American Forests site for all kinds of information on historic trees. Check here and find out. Just in time for summer reading, History For Children takes a look at histories, biographies, and works of fiction for kids of all ages. All rights reserved.