Garrettsville – Most people who have grown up in the Garrettsville area know that the Lifesaver was invented here. We were known for producing the most maple syrup in the world and the great train robbery of 1935, but few people are aware that Garrettsville had the largest Red Oak tree in the World. Yes, the world!
The tree was located on Water Street and owned by Richard Lawless. It reigned as the largest Red Oak in the Nation for some time, finally being dethroned by a tree in New York state in 1987. At the time it was the biggest Red Oak in the world. The largest Red Oak in the world today is supposed to be in Russia. Currently there are co-champion Red Oaks nationally, one tree in Virginia and one in Ashtabula. Both have scored just a few points higher than the massive Oak of Garrettsville. The tree was roughly 8 ½ feet in diameter, 90 feet tall, and had a crown spread of over 90 feet as well. The fact that this tree grew to this size at all is truly amazing in itself.
In Ohio, prior to the first settlement in Marietta, 95 % of Ohio was covered by forest. Maple, Beech, and Ash dominated the northeast while Oaks and Hickories were more pervasive everywhere else. By 1910, there was only 10% of forest cover left in Ohio. Now it is estimated that around 35% of the state has forest cover. However, Ohio has very few if any virgin trees remaining. That is what made this tree so special. It was one of the last virgin trees not cut down as Ohio was settled in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Sadly, the tree, due to age and decay had to be cut down years ago, and up until this past April, the massive stump remained.
In September of 1940, American Forests (then The American Forestry Association) launched a campaign to locate the largest living specimens of American trees. The National Register of Champion Trees started out as a competition, a national hunt to discover and preserve the largest specimens of American tree species. The campaign to find America’s largest trees grew from a desire to protect and preserve them for future generations. The trees people hunted for were scattered through forest and field, along roadways, and in backyards. There are specific criteria involved in determining if a tree qualifies as a potential champion. It is based on a point system and factors such as circumference, height, and crown spread are measured. These measurements are then added together to get a total point value. The highest point total is crowned champion. The tree in Garrettsville earned 440 points. The current co-champions have earned 446 and 556 points respectively. Ohio is currently home to fourteen species of national champion trees. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a link on its web site which list all the state champion species and the county they are located. Another local connection to big trees is Davy Tree, located in Kent. Davy has been a sponsor of the national big tree program for the past twenty-five years.
If you want to want to see some big trees, one must visit Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Within the park they have six national champions and 25 state champions. It is quite a place if you like big trees!
