Iola Landmark01

Waupaca Post

March 115, 1928

IOLA LANDMARK PASSES, CALLING FORTH EULOGY

PASSING OF A PINE TREE BRINGS TO MIND HISTORICAL EVENTS OF THE PAST 128 YEARS

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Through the recommendation of O.G. Anderson and the permission of the writer, Hanford Wesley, we are reprinting here an article which appeared in the Iola Herald a few weeks ago.)

On Friday of last week the large Norway pine, remembered by most of our readers as the one in plain view directly ahead while traveling eastward from Keating’s lake, succumbed to the attacks of the ax and saw. This pine stood on the Wilfred Leuthold farm, recently purchased by Ole Reirson.

The fine tree measured 27 inches across the stump and yielded five fine logs, varying in length form 10 to 16 feet. Its content in board feet was roughly estimated at about 800.

By counting the rings in the cross section of the trunk it was found to have grown with varying rapidity for between 125 and 130 years.

While this tree was not unusual either in size or age, it was an excellent remaining specimen of those which once were found in abundance in our forests.

Born in 1800

It will be seen that this tree began its life journey at very nearly the year 1800, hence its age alone is v very impressive as compared with the short span of human life.

It might be interesting in this connection to compare the life of this venerable giant with some of the outstanding events in our country’s history.

In the year 1800, it will be recalled, John Adams, the second president of the United States, was in the third year of his one term as such; that the present state of Wisconsin was but part of the vaguely defined Northwest Territory; 48 years before its admission into the Union as a state – that not until 50 years later did the first settler appear in Iola; that the site of the now world-famed metropolis, Chicago, was but an unexplored spot in the Western wilderness; that during this tree’s growth the United States had been involved in five wars.

Lived During Five Wars

It stood in hopeful youth during the trials of 1812; it stood staunch and strong in the turbulent days of 1847 and ’61; it had attained to prominence among its forest comrades at the time of the conflict of 1898, and stood at its glory’s height when the Stars and Stripes set sail for the blood-stained fields of France in 1917.

These facts tend to bring before us more vividly the venerable age which some of the most commonplace things about us attain to, which is quite a fitting thought, especially at this New Year’s time when our hearts are closely drawn to that mysterious element, Time; that destructive, yet healing; that upbuilding, yet decaying element to which all living things owe their growth and to which they must all yield at last.