The Salem Oak was a white oak tree at the Salem Friends Burial Ground in Salem, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[1][2] Estimated to be more than 500 years old, the Salem Oak was a landmark tree under whose branches Salem’s founder John Fenwick is said to have first met with local Lenape tribe of Native Americans in 1675.[3] Fenwick (1618–1683) was the leader of a group of Quakers who emigrated in 1675 from England to Salem, New Jersey, where they established Fenwick's Colony, the first English settlement in West Jersey.[4]

Salem Oak in 2012

Measuring 22 ft (6.7 m) in circumference and estimated at between 500 and 600 years old, the tree did not sustain any damage from the Hurricane Sandy in October 2012,[5] but collapsed in 2019.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "White Oak 'The Salem Oak' at the cemetery of the Salem friends in Salem, New Jersey, United States". www.monumentaltrees.com.
  2. ^ "Salem Friends Meeting House – Salem, New Jersey - Quaker Meeting Houses on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
  3. ^ "Salem Oak". Woodstown Monthly Meeting of Friends. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  4. ^ Waddington, Jessica (2019-07-04). "An obituary for the late, great 600-year-old Salem Oak Tree of Salem, New Jersey". The Inquirer. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  5. ^ Franklin, Chris (November 21, 2019). "Cherished Salem oak tree will live on. Every N.J. town to get seedlings to plant". nj.
  6. ^ Attributed to multiple sources: