Lincoln History Told Through Tree Rings

Arborist Guy Sternberg points to the rings on the cross section of the oak tree that shaded the funeral choir at Oak Ridge Cemetery when Abraham Lincoln’s body arrived in Springfield in 1865. (Peter O'Dowd)

In 1992, the Lincoln Vault Oak was cut down to protect Abraham Lincoln’s burial vault.

At the president’s funeral in 1865, the tree stood just a few feet from the event, shading the funeral choir.

When the tree was finally cut down, local arborist Guy Sternberg salvaged the massive stump and began a dissection project that peeled back the layers of history to reveal clues about that day.

Sternberg speaks with Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd about what he was able to learn.

 

[Youtube]

Guest

  • Guy Sternberg, arborist and owner of Starhill Forest Arboretum in Petersburg, Illinois.
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