Historic oak tree in Tuskegee Square will be taken down

By GUY RHODES
Editor/Publisher
Updated Apr 28, 2011

Historic oak tree in Tuskegee Square will be taken down after dying from lightening strike.

An historic oak tree planted in the Tuskegee Square by Rotary Club founder Paul Harris in 1945 has reached the end of the line.

Tuskegee City Manager Al Davis reported at the April 26 Tuskegee City Council meeting that the large oak will be taken down sometime after the May 7 Carver Arts & Crafts Festival in the Square.

Listen to Paul Harris as he describes how Rotary really began, in his own words, recorded, in 1945, and now for you to hear with your own ears.

Leland Childs's interview of Paul Harris in Tuskegee, Alabama, 20 December 1945.Harris described the origin, purpose and future of Rotary.

A gavel, made from this tree, was presented to RGHF on 23 June 2013, at Lisbon, Portugal, by RGHF member DG 13/14 Bob Callahan

The oak is one of the hundreds of Friendship Oaks planted by Paul Harris, who founded Rotary International and was visiting Tuskegee's local Rotary Club when he planted the historic tree.

The 66-year-old tree suffered from fungus and a lightning strike from a couple of years ago that ultimately led to its demise. The 66-year-old tree suffered from fungus and a lightning strike from a couple of years ago that ultimately led to its demise.

Davis said representatives from the Alabama Extension Service in Macon County and an expert from Auburn University determined recently the massive oak is dead.

Davis mentioned the AU tree expert is also working with attempts to save the two famous Toomer's Corner oak trees in Auburn that were poisoned late last year. Harvey Updike, a 62-year-old admitted University of Alabama football fanatic, has been charged with poisoning the Toomer's oaks.

“We'll bid out the job of taking down the oak. It is a tricky job because of the size of the tree and the fact there is a concern about dealing with utilities lines in the area," Davis explained.

The oak is one of the hundreds of Friendship Oaks planted by Paul Harris, who founded Rotary International and was visiting Tuskegee's local Rotary Club when he planted the historic tree.The Paul Harris Fellow status is the highest honor a Rotarian can achieve.

Davis, who is a Rotarian, noted that gavels for Rotary Clubs far and wide have been carved from the historic oak's branches.

The city manager also told the council there are some seedlings from the Friendship Oak that could eventually be planted in its place after it is removed.

trees/northamerica/images/Paul Harris Friendship Trees.pdf