This cache is part of the 25 cache Pennsylvania State Parks America250PA GeoTrail. Have fun exploring and discovering Pennsylvania history!
Towering over trees that are dwarfed by its size, this “lone wolf” white oak must have quite a story to tell. Wolf Tree is a term used to describe a tree that is much older than the surrounding trees. It’s large, lower branches signify that it grew in the open with few, if any other trees nearby. Generally, this would have been an area cleared for pasture and this tree was left to provide shade and food for the livestock.
Compare the diameter of this tree to the other surrounding trees of the same species. You can estimate the ages of the white oak trees by determining their diameter and multiplying by 5. This tree has a diameter of 51 inches – making it roughly 255 years old! Born before the American Revolution, this tree would have been around 13 years old when the Treaty of Paris was signed.
This land was “owned” by indigenous people until it was purchased in 1784. This acquisition was a result of a Revolutionary War victory and an effort to negotiate peace with Native American nations. It was initially surveyed in 1786, when this tree was 16 years old, using the newly adopted Public Land Survey System (PLSS). Almost all of Jennings was part of a Donation Land program – land that was to be surveyed and awarded, by lottery, to revolutionary soldiers to compensate them for their service. In addition to trees, these corners were often marked with stones. A stone that fits that description is located within the park.
As you stand here and admire this lone wolf white oak, try to imagine why it remains, when no other trees of its size do – and think about how this tree may have marked the transition from native peoples to an English colony and eventually a brand-new United State of America.
For more information about this state park and its amenities, please visit the website: Jennings Environmental Education Center | Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
