New 2010 Class of Oregon Heritage Trees

(These new trees are also on our Statewide Interactive Heritage Map and will be added soon to our regular Heritage Tree pages.)

Witness Tree (Quercus garryanna)
This Oregon White Oak pre-dates the arrival of the first white settlers. The Witness Tree, referred to as such for over 150 years, served as the marker for the corner of Claiborn C. Walker’s Donation Land Claim when it was first staked in 1845.  This tree reflects the early practice of using landmarks as survey markers for property boundaries.  With time, these original markers have disappeared.  The original surveying marks, scribed in the tree's trunk in 1845, survived but were later cut away from the tree leaving a large cavity, presumably by souvenir hunters.  The tree gave its name to the Witness Tree Vineyard which occupies a part of the original Walker Claim.

Location:  Witness Tree Vineyard, Salem (Marion Co.)
Height:  85’
Circumference:  198”
Average Crown Spread: 120’
Approximate Age:  250 years

 

Jenkins Estate Elm Grove (Ulmus americana)
In 1912, Belle and Ralph Jenkins purchased what is now the Jenkins Estate.  Belle, the daughter of prominent Portland businessman, Capt. J.C. Ainsworth, planted the elm grove between the original farmhouse and the main house in the style of an old English Estate.  American elms were a popular street tree in the early part of the 20th century, but have since been widely devastated due to Dutch elm disease.

Location:  Jenkins Estate Beaverton (Washington Co.)
Approximate Age:  80-110 years

 

 

Aspen Arborglyph Tree (Populus tremuloides)
The carvings found in this aspen grove are called arborglyphs.  Most of the arborglyphs here were carved by Basque sheepherders who worked the top of the Steens Mountian in the early and middle 20th century.  The glyphs were lightly carved into the bark by these men as a means of letting one another know who had passed by each place, to make notes about the sheep or to create pictures.

Location: Near French Glen (Harney Co.)

10th Mountain Division Memorial Grove
This grove of mixed tree species was started as a memorial for Oregon members of the 10th Mountain Division who fought in Italy during WWII.  They were the only US Army Division trained in mountain warfare and were trained to fight on skis.  In 1996 the first tree in this memorial grove was planted.  The grove is maintained by decendents and discharged members of the 10th Mountain Division.

Location: North Plains Weigh Station, Hwy 26 (Washington Co.)