Permission given by The Dawes Arboretum to place cache
Cache is located on free-access, private property
Cache is only available during Arboretum open hours
The Orville Wright Tree Dedication at The Dawes Arboretum honors two of Ohio’s most famous innovators: the Dayton brothers who changed the world by proving powered flight was possible. On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully flew the airplane they built above the sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, a 12-second flight that became a turning point in aviation history.
The dedicated tree is a white oak, or Quercus alba, located off the Parkwoods Trail near the historic Daweswood House Museum. Orville dedicated the tree without his brother Wilbur who had passed in 1912. During the dedication, Orville expressed a simple hope for the tree: that it would live, grow, and add to the Arboretum’s usefulness and interest.
The Dawes Arboretum’s tree dedication program honors people, groups, and events of “outstanding achievement in the stream of human history.” The Wright brothers’ dedication became the Arboretum’s 38th tree dedication. It was dedicated by Orville Wright himself on October 16, 1935, honoring both Orville Wright (1871–1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867–1912).
The tree was rededicated in 2017 by Amanda Wright Lane, Orville and Wilbur’s great-grandniece, connecting a living tree at Dawes to the continuing legacy of the Wright family and Ohio’s aviation history.
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About the Dutch Fork Wetlands: Dutch Fork Wetlands is a free access, 70-acre natural area at The Dawes Arboretum. It’s a restored wetland and grassland ecosystem with six pools, meadow habitat, boardwalks, flat gravel and grass trails, an observation deck, and a shelter house. It’s a great spot for a quiet walk, birding, wildlife viewing, and seeing wetland restoration in action.