Survivor Tree - Oklahoma City, OK
Posted by: 
Big B Bob
N 35° 28.398 W 097° 31.002
14S E 634574 N 3926543
At the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the site of the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building, stands the Survivor Tree.
Waymark Code: WM3T42
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 05/13/2008
Views: 127
from University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture article May 16, 2000
At the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the site of the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building, stands the Survivor Tree. The tree stands guard over a native stone plaza and its courtyard of 168 empty chairs. The fact that the tree survived the bomb blast that killed so many transformed it from a mere tree to a talisman for the comfort of all who survived.
That a tree should take on such symbolism in the aftermath of a tragedy is hardly surprising. Mankind has long placed significance on its venerable old trees, and the greater the age or the more momentous the event surrounding them, the more important they become.
The Survivor tree is an American elm, Ulmus americana. While the species is capable of attaining a height and spread of more than 100 feet, this tree is more modest in its stature with dimensions of about 40 feet. Photos taken in the 1920's when the property was the back yard of a family home indicate the tree is about 100 years old. The tree’s low-forked trunk is tilted at an odd angle and, were the circumstance different, it would have hardly attracted visitors’ notice.
But in the aftermath of the blast, the off-balanced yet well-rooted stature of the tree make it a perfect symbol for survival. It seems to proclaim to all who enter the hallowed site and will pause a moment to listen that the senseless act of destruction perpetrated by the few will not be the final word. The very fibers of its bole seem to radiate hope for the future just as a lighthouse sends its light into the dark night.
Website: [Web Link]
Historic Event:
The tree that survived the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building
Year: April 19, 1995
Species: American Elm, Ulmus americana
Approximate Age: 110
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
|
Visit Instructions:
To log this waymark you must visit the site and post an original photo of the tree. Photos taken off the web, or from other sources are not acceptable.