The Hinckley Oaks
Michael Fralich, September 18, 2023
In my walks in the Lower Village Cemetery I have taken notice of the many mature trees that exist in and around the cemetery. Two trees have that recently captured my attention are Black Oaks located along the stone wall at the back of the older section of the cemetery. The nearest grave marker to these trees belongs to the Hinckley clan so I have dubbed these the Hinckley Oaks. Before I get into talking about these two trees, I would like to honor the Hinckleys by giving you what I know about them. Russell Hinckley was born on October 5, 1899. He died on October 7, 1968 at the age of sixty-nine. His wife, Helen, was born on April 1, 1913. She died on August 9, 2008 at the age of ninety-five. I have dubbed the two trees Russell and Helen out of respect for them.
The Hinckley Oaks
The tree I call Russell is 109 feet tall. It has a diameter of three feet eleven inches. It is twelve feet three inches in circumference. It has a crown spread of 70 feet. It is approximately 187 years old. It began growing in 1836. It is possible to determine the aproximate age of a tree by knowing what is called the growth factor for each species. That numerical value along with the circumference of a tree can be put into a formula to determine the tree’s age. The scientific name for black oak is Quercus velutina. It has various common names including Yellow Oak, Dyer’s Oak and Tanbark Oak. Its inner bark is yellow or orange. This inner bark has been used to dye cloth by weavers. The bark is also rich in tannin which made it desirable in the tanning of leather. In the past it was used to make railroad ties, boxcars and coopering. It has a range from southern Maine south to Florida. Today it is primarily used in flooring and sometimes for furniture although White Oak is more desirable for that purpose.
The Russell Oak
When this tree began growing in1836, Martin Van Buren was president. The battle of the Alamo took place in 1836. The first college for women in the United States was founded in Macon, Georgia. It was called the Georgia Female College. Winslow Homer was born in 1836. The first African American to be elected to public office, Alexander Twilight, occurred when he was elected to the Vermont State House. Texas won its independence from Mexico clearing the way for the creation of the Republic of Texas. Samuel Colt began producing the Colt revolver in 1836 and lastly, the Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1836.
The Helen Oak
The tree I have named after Russell’s with Helen is 100 feet tall. It has a diameter of three feet six inches. It has a circumference of eleven and a half feet. It has a crown spread of 60 feet. It is approximately 160 years old. It began growing in 1863. In 1863 President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The London Underground opened in 1863. On January 29th members of the California Volunteers attacked a Shoshone village, killing 384 men women and children. The Battle of Gettysburg happen in this year. It turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the Union Army with a cost of 50,000 causalities. Harriet Tubman lead a raid of fighters on Combahee Ferry, freeing 700 slaves from nearby plantations. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know “Russell” and “Helen”.