As we look back at the past 250 years, let’s spend some time thinking about the organisms that have stood tall for well over 250 years. That’s right- we’re talking about trees. There are some trees in our region that have existed for over 250 years or are descendants of trees that play a role in history.
The third generation Pringle Tree
Along the Buckhannon river is a sycamore known as the Pringle tree. The tree standing today is a third generation tree. In 1761, Samuel and John Pringle deserted from their posts at Fort Pitt (now known as Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War. Three years later, they had made their way to the Buckhannon river. The brothers lived inside of a large, hollowed out Sycamore tree. The brothers were able to survive by hunting. However, the brothers began to run out of supplies after a few years. John left for home and learned he and his brother were not wanted for desertion. When John returned to tell Samuel of the news, the brothers returned home. Samuel would later come back with his wife and others to settle in what is now Buckhannon.
So how did the brothers manage to live in a tree for a few years? The tree they were living in was pretty large. Sycamore trees are some of the oldest and largest trees that grow in our region. Sycamores can live for as long as 600 years and can have a circumference of over 25 feet. The wood at the center of a tree is called the heartwood. This wood is dead, unlike the wood on the outside edge of the tree. Typically, the heartwood does not decay. But sometimes this wood becomes exposed and can rot away. The tree will still be able to grow without a complete heartwood. Animals may make homes in the cavities where the heartwood once, and if there’s enough space, humans can make these hollowed out trees their homes.
The Cathedral Trail in Cathedral State Park (Wikimedia)
West Virginia was once covered in old growth forests containing a multitude of large trees. Most of the timber in the state was harvested in the 19th and 20th century, so there are only a few spots of true old growth forests left. One spot where you can see these old growth forests is at Cathedral State Park in Aurora, West Virginia. This is the state’s largest old growth forest. Within this 13 acre park are 30 different tree species. This is the largest section of old growth forest in the state. If you’d like to visit, you can find more information here.
Read more about Cathedral and other old growth forests in our Forestry tour or Forest Abundance tour.
