| Gettysburg American Sycamore |  |
| Gettysburg American Sycamore | |
| Three old sycamore
trees on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, withstood the crossfire
of two armies that battled for three days. After the famous Civil
War battle, Gettysburg was in shambles. More than 51,000 casualties
were crowded into every available building. The situation was so
desperate that Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin purchased land for a
proper burial ground for the Union dead. The cemetery was dedicated
on November 19, 1863. Trying to sort out the carnage that had occurred,
President Abraham Lincoln spoke about the sacrifices of the dead as an
inspiration for the living. The three Gettysburg American Sycamore
trees which lined Lincoln's route to the cemetery remain a vibrant, living
memorial to the ideas expressed in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
This tree was grown from a seed taken from one of the Gettysburg American Sycamore trees.. The Gettysburg American Sycamore was planted by the Hawthorne Elementary School students in 1995. It was planted on Hawthorne School grounds south of the school building. The cutting was purchased from American Forests & Historic Trees, an organization dedicated to preserving our environment and teaching people about our national heritage. |
©
Riddle Elementary School,
Mattoon, IL - 2006
