On a Sunday morning in September 1777, an express rider arrived at the congregation of Donegal Church. He had a message that the British army had left New York to invade Pennsylvania. This news demanded of them a new attitude to show proof of their patriotism. Their pastor, Rev. Collin McFarquhar, was used to offering prayers for the King of England. The congregation, along with their pastor, gathered under this great white oak tree, joined hands and pledged their loyalty to the founding of a new nation.
This white oak tree was estimated to be about 150 years old in 1777. It lived until June 3rd 1991, thus reaching an age of about 360 years. Despite extensive efforts at preservation, the tree finally succumbed to drought, old age and lightning strikes and was reluctantly cut down. Nearby you can find a plaque designating one of the trees offspring.
You may want to stear clear this virtual on Sunday mornings or if it looks like there is an event or other service at the time of your arrival.
To log this cache, leave the circular plaza on the walkway that leads toward the building. You will see 2 white doors and 3 benches in front of you. To get credit for this virtual, message me the names of the 2 people that the bench on the far right is in memory of.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.