Unusually large or old trees in Michigan are considered historical.
The Michigan Forest Association has several criteria for classifying trees in the state as famous and historical. The criteria include trees associated with famous artists, scientists or other notable people; trees that relate to the development of the U.S.; trees affiliated with prominent teachers or schools; trees associated with religion or religious buildings; trees associated with forest conservation; trees with unusual characteristics; and old or unusually large trees. Several trees in Michigan fall into one or more of these categories. Does this Spark an idea?
Curwood
James Oliver Curwood was a writer born in Owosso, Michigan, in 1878. Curwood was an avid outdoorsman, and did a lot of writing surrounded by nature. He wrote often under a tree in Harmon-Partridge Park in Owosso. The tree still stands today, according to the Absolute Michigan website and is considered a historical tree due to its ties to the author, who was a prolific author and conservationalist who died in 1927 when blood poisoning set in after spider bite.
Dr. Dorsch's Ginkgo Tree
Eduard Dorsch was a German physician who moved to Monroe, Michigan, in 1848. During the Civil War, he studied the effects of rifle bullets in the body, and was a well-respected physician. In the 1860s, the American ambassador to China gave him a ginkgo tree seedling which he planted in his front yard. The tree still stands (as of October 2010), according to the Absolute Michigan website and is considered a historical tree due to its age and the significance of the man who planted the tree, Dr. Dorsch.
Republican Oaks
A grove of oak trees on the outskirts of Jackson, Michigan, is historical as it marked the birthplace of the Republican party in 1854. A convention was held nearby to discuss the end of slavery but the crowd was too large to fit into the convention hall, so they met "under the oaks" and elected a group of new state official candidates under the new party, which became the Republican party. The oak grove in Jackson exists today and is historical since it is the party's birthplace.
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