Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-11-20
A SYLVAN GIANT.
Ar Illinois Poplar Once . Mecca Tor In.
dian Medicine Men,

dian Medicine Men,
Few people are aware that Gross
Point, ILL.,, has probably the largest
tree in the United States, with the
exception of the redwoods Of Cali
fornia. 1t Is q historical tree as well
as q sylvan giant and while other
States point with pride to their Wash
ington elms and Eliot oaks, Illinois
can go them one better by not only
showing her Black Hawk tree, but
at the same time have the satisfac-
ton of tree in luxuriant and grace
full growth and of unusual proper
tons.
The tree, is situated in the centre OF
n field owned by Charles Kotz and
located about two and q half miles
west of the town of Gross Point.
The big tree is a poplar and has
been estimated by an English forest
er who visited it several years ago, to
BE over GOO years old. 1t is over 1870
feet in height, and would reach to
the tenth story Of a modern sky
scraper. The great spread to the low
er part of the trunk is what probably
has kept the old tree standing. At q
distance Of three feet from the ground
it has a circumference of thirty -one
feet, which incloses chamber that
has been the scene of Indian councils,
robbers dens and family gatherings
of bears and other animals.
The opening is four feet eight
inches wide by eight feet six inches
high. and this leads into a smooth
floor two feet ten inches by eleven
feet six inches.
From a point about twenty feet
above the ground the trunk runs up
symmetrlcally with a diameter of
about five feet to distance of nearly
seventy feet, to where the first limb
branches from the main trunk. Only
one limb has fallen in forty years,
and the wood from 1t supplied the
farmer with sufficient firewood for
the winter. In 1882 forest fires ragged
over the section Of the country where
the tree stands, denuding large areas
of valuable timber, and the preserya-
ton of the Black Hawk tree led the
Indians to believe that 1t was under
the protection Of the great spirit, and
hence it was looked upon rs "medi-
cine and became the Mecca Of the
medicine men of the various tribes
that roamed the country. The belief
that pieces of the bark possessed
special virtues Is still maintained by
many Of the country maidens of the
vicinity, who seek to obtain or to
hold the admiration of the rustic
swains by carrying fragments Of the
old tree about with them.
During the latter part of the twen-
ties Sylvester Beckwith and his mate,
Nelson Naper. were wrecked at Glen
coe, then called by the neighboring
Germans Ewige DUAL, or everlasting
punishment. Beclwith settled at
Niles, then known as Dutchman's
Point, and Naper started a settle
mcnt which became the town of Ma
pcrville. This settlement was the
scene of some of the worst deprada-
tions committed by the Sacs during
the Black Hawk war. The willy chief
of the Sacs, because of unfair treat
ment which he fancied that he had
received from the Government, went
on the warpath in the spring Of 1882,
and his principal point of assemblage
was around the big tree. Naper was
notified that Black Hawk was near at
hand, and, after sending the women
and children to Fort Dearborn, he re-
paired with the men to Pottawatomie
camp in the big woods \ squaw told
them that Black Hawk and his braves
were dancing the war dance around
the big tree only four miles distant,
and that they had better puc-a-chc,
which being interpreted, means to get
q move on ones self. They moved,
but the town was demolished, and at
Indian Creek all were murdered.-
Chicago Tribune.