Every tree has a story. From a tree’s young beginnings to its majestic maturity, the tree has seen everything from wars to celebrations. Take the Battle of Nashville basket oak for example. For over 150 years, this beautiful tree stood right in the heart of Tennessee and witnessed some of America’s most crucial moments spanning all the way back to the Civil War, to the Civil Rights Movement and finally into today.
The basket oak witnessed a violent fight between the union and the confederates standing on 1,500 acres of farmland owned by Mr. Oscar Fitzallen Noel (which, by the way, is the great great grandfather of the Parke Company’s owner). The battle, which took place on November 1864, cost over 6,600 causalities from both parties.
Since the battle, the Tennessee Landmark and Historic Tree Registry has recognized the tree as a historic tree. According to their website, a historic tree “must have been a direct witness to a historic event or cultural movement that was significant nationally, regionally, or within the state and confirmed to date to that time.”
Other historic trees in Tennessee:
- Alvin C. York Wedding Beech Grove in Pall Mall
- Andrew Lytle Dawn Redwoods in Monteagle
- Bonnie Oaks Willow Oak in Chattanooga
- Daniel Boone Beech in Madison County
- Four Seasons Gingkoes in Harrogate
- Oaklands White Oak in Mufreesboro
- Scopes Trial Grove in Dayton
- Sycamore Valley Overlook Oak in Cheatham County
- Wildwood Stables Sycamore in Fairfield Glade Resort
Today, you can visit the basket oak at the Battle of Nashville Monument Park off Granny White Pike on Battlefield Drive. The tree stands with a monument to commemorate the fight that took place almost 150 years ago.
This is not the only tree that holds both history for Nashville and memories for Oscar Fitzallen Noel’s family. If you or your family has a tree with significance, call the Parke Company today to help preserve that special tree in your life.