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White Oaks

THE MIGHTY WHITE OAKS

The white oak, Quercus alba, is also Connecticut's state tree – the Charter
Oak. According to Connecticut's “Legend of the Charter Oak”, in 1662, the
colony of Connecticut, owned and governed by England, was granted a
Royal Charter by King Charles II. Connecticut's Royal Charter of 1662 was
hidden within the hollow of the tree to thwart its confiscation by the English governor-general. Thus, the white oak became a symbol of American independence and is commemorated on the 1999 minted US Connecticut State Quarter.

The HVRHS White Oak in 1939

The HVRHS WHITE OAK Courtesy: Tom Zetterstrom

The White Oak at HVRHS

(Narrative from articles by Ruth Epstein and materials and quotes from Joseph Brien, Bunny McGuire, Scott Monroe, David Moran, Mickey Riva, and Tom Zetterstrom.)

If, as estimated, it was 300 years old, then it was a seedling in 1704 when there were no organized towns in the Northwest Corner, and Connecticut was a British colony. It was 72 when the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, and 83 when the federal Constitution was written. By the time the Civil War broke out, it was 157, and when the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 1903 it was 199. When the Lorch farm was sold and the new high school opened in 1939, the great White Oak was 235 years
old. But on July 5, 2004, a storm featuring strong winds and rain caused such severe damage that the mighty tree, symbol of Housatonic Valley Regional High School for 65 years, had to be removed.

Courtesy: Joseph Brien

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Since its inception, the school’s yearbook has been called “The White Oak,” and the literary magazine has been called “The Acorn.” Twice over the years school construction plans were modified in response to outcries of protest: the Great White Oak was not to be touched!

Perhaps the legend that grew up about the tree sheltering young lovers exchanging their first kiss had something to do with the deep feelings for it. So, the school grew and expanded around the tree. In its last years the White Oak was the centerpiece of the Senior Courtyard.

By the end it had grown a 90-foot crown and was measured at 17 feet around the base of the trunk. For many years it had received major TLC from Scott Monroe ’70 and his tree company. Scott said “it was an honor for me and my crew to be part of something far older and greater than we shall ever be…..HVRHS’s mighty White Oak gave me a sense of connection I think few others had with the school.” Scott’s feelings for that tree ran so deep that he never charged for his substantial services.

Bob Gambino, who retired from the Ag-Ed staff in 1998, grew seedlings from the White Oak in the green house years ago, but all were given away. Perhaps there are other white oaks making their way to greatness in the Northwest Corner. Pieces of the White Oak were fashioned into pens and walking sticks, bottle stoppers, and necklaces by Joe Brien, Roland Chinatti, and others using a lathe obtained with a grant. Mickey Riva, ’61, took some of the White Oak logs to Russell (Teeter) Riva Jr. ‘49, for him to craft a table
from the wood. However, the wood grains were not suited for the project. Nevertheless, Teeter, at no cost to the school, made a beautiful white oak table that was presented to HVRHS at the 50 th reunion of the class of 1961
in 2011.It is used each year to hold the diplomas for HVRHS graduating class as a
symbol of the meaning the White Oak holds for all alumni. For a while there were a few boards in the Ag-Ed woodshop, but these too are now gone, and the major sections of the tree were hauled off for disposal.

Courtesy: Dick Gustafson

Courtesy: Bunny Cecchinato McGuire

Class of 1961 Presents White Oak Table to HVRHS at their 50th Reunion in 2011

On a crisp spring afternoon in 2007, the Arboretum and Landscaping Committee at HVRHS established a link between the 18 th and 21st centuries when it planted a new White Oak in the Senior Courtyard at the high school. The venerable White Oak had been felled by a freak storm two years before, destroying an icon of the school whose existence stretched back to the colonial era. The area where the tree stood is the
only unaltered bit of topography on the school campus.

Fittingly, the location designated for the new tree was precisely where the old White Oak had stood, and the tree was planted by members of the school's Avocational agriculture classes under the supervision of teacher David Moran. Local and state dignitaries were there, and all took turns spreading soil over the roots. Student Arlen Kleinssar delivered an address regarding the White Oak, and state Senator Andrew Roraback and state Representative Roberta Willis were in attendance.

Bunny McGuire recalls “The dedication of the new White Oak was beautiful. Ed Kirby was the main speaker, and Roland Chinatti, Ron Dower, Tom Zetterstrom and I said a few words. A member of the chorus sang High Above the Housatonic and, of course, we all joined in.” The Class of 1955 donated $2,000 toward the tree and its maintenance.

The White Oak Today

Courtesy: Tracy Atwood.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WHITE OAK, AND TO SEE MORE PICTURES, READ ON

The White Oak, King of Trees

The White Oak is often referred to as king of the trees. This noble and majestic tree certainly fits this description. These trees have reached heights of almost 120 feet with a spread of near 150 feet. Key to this noble height and majestic spread is its deep anchoring tap root with its wide thrust of horizontal roots.

Together with its hard, strong, and durable wood, these attributes have enabled the tree to withstand generations of wind and weather. One hundred years is brief in the life of a white oak. These trees have spread their arms over generations of men who have passed beneath.

No other tree has such legendary associations as the White Oak. This great tree has given strength to our people. It is a symbol of endurance and wisdom. A picture of a life well anchored with arms reaching out toward the horizon. This is especially true for us in Connecticut. The White Oak is our state tree. According to legend the first settlers in the state hid their cherished charter in a cavity of the charter oak. This tree became the symbol for the nation of liberty and freedom. Prior to this same tree had been a council tree for the Native Americans. Thus, it became a link in centuries of life.

As well as its historical and cultural significance, the White Oak is a tremendous benefit to us environmentally. The leaves absorb CO2 and convert the carbon into sugars and other carbon-based molecules that provide fuel and structure for the tree. The tree produces cellulose, a sugar stiffer and stronger than nylon, and binds it with lignin's and hemicellulose into a natural composite with a higher bending strength
and stiffness than steel or concrete. The carbon thus sequestered will be stored for centuries.

The pattern of the grain and color of white oak wood make it sought after in manufacturing veneer, the highest valued forest product. Along with veneer, these trees yield wood used in the production of lumber for furniture, cabinets, and flooring.

A single oak may have 30 acres of leaf surface area able to draw dust and pollutants from the air. On a hot day this tree may transpire 2000 gallons of water filtering it and releasing it as pure water. This moisture comes back as rain. Up to half the rainfall in forested areas comes from the trees themselves. More than 50 % of the oak’s mass is below ground.
The roots bring nutrients from deep in the ground and horizontally can range beyond the span of the tree’s branches. These roots loosen and aerate soil, build humus as they grow and die, and etch minerals free from the rocks with mild acid secretions and sugary exudates provide food for hundreds of thousands of species of soil organisms that live within them.

Insects of many species utilize the White Oak in one way or another. Including foliage feeding insects, boring insects and some four hundred species of gall-making insects. Many of these have a very complex life cycle, spending part of their existence in one form and in one part of the oak, and another in a different shape in another part of the tree. These insect s in turn provide food for birds and other insectivores that may
nest in the tree. Acorns are also a valuable food source. Over 400 species
of animal use them as food. A single oak may produce 25,000 acorns.

The white oak is probably the noblest and most beautiful trees in the American forest and more than any other American tree; it has realized the ideal of strength and durability. As the gardener Russell Page wrote, “To plant trees is to give body and life to one’s dreams of a better world.” This is particularly true of the White Oak.

WHITE OAK AND DEDICATION PICTURES