By Steve Nestor

It has been a busy year for the volunteers in the search for not only the oldest Oak tree in Pope County, but also for the overall research on the pattern of growth for both the white and burr oaks county wide here in Pope County. 

To date, 74 oaks have been measured, documented and their ages calculated. Hundreds of areas have been overviewed, and many will be surveyed this coming spring and summer. Over 60 of the trees measured had been turned in by county residents. Others were sighted and measured with property owner’s permission and cooperation. 

The project has shown some surprising details. Areas where there are presently large oaks would not seem to be true to the “fact” that most thought. That is, that prairie fires set by the natives and or burned after lightning storms were very destructive in many areas. In fact, in one particular area, there are many large oaks where one would have thought that they should not be there. But while doing unrelated research on another project, it was found that the area once had two small lakes to the north and west, and that area was then protected for many years by those bodies of water as well as the low, wet areas around them. However, some 40 years ago they were mostly drained by a County Ditch that was cut through there. Today it looks like a general high grass-low area. In fact, we found oaks that “broke ground” in approximately 1805. Now some 219 years old. They were coming up before Lewis and Clarke made their exploration west. These trees were developing over 50 years before anyone settled in that area and 35 years before any travelers traversed The Red River Oxcart that ran near there. 

To date we have documented oaks from 145 years old to as old as 264! That “Grand Daddy” was sprouting from the Pope County soil in approximately 1760! It is a White oak. The second oldest to date is also a White oak and is 257 years old. Number three is a Burr Oak and is 240 years old. White and Burrs, native to our area, have the same growth rates. We have dozens, over 40 that are over 200 years old. Many of which were here before Lewis and Clarke, The Red River Trail and the War of 1812. 

We have also found in our research that buffalo and elk were here in Pope County later than most reports had indicated. Settlers in the southwestern townships noted buffalo still there in the mid 1870’s. Elk as well. Military Survey diaries noted that area had herds of elk.

Our search will continue for older oaks and we will also be noting various interesting finds. So, once spring arrives, we will be out and also hopefully receiving more invites and notifications of others to measure. In fact, just last week we were out and found 3 more over 220 years old.

If you have burr and or white oaks in on your property, please call the Pope County Museum, 320-634-3293, and let them know. If you like, measure them yourself. Go up 3 feet from the ground and measure the circumference. Measure a tree with a generally straight trunk. No twin trunks and or with a branch and or abnormality in that area. Thank you to all of you that have already cooperated. It has been great fun and very interesting.