Bur oak, with history-steeped roots, named by city

DeKALB – The city’s largest oak tree has been growing along the east bank of the Kishwaukee River for centuries, but Friday may have been the first time it has received an award.

Coinciding with Arbor Day, city and DeKalb Park District officials joined residents Friday near Northern Rehab Physical Therapy, 232 W. Lincoln Hwy., to designate the bur oak as a heritage tree, across the river from where the tree is deeply rooted in the ground.

In the time it has taken for the bur oak’s trunk to expand to 16 feet in circumference along the east bank of the Kishwaukee River, the U.S. was founded, Illinois was settled and became a state, and DeKalb has grown from a village into a city.

Michael Kirk of DeKalb, who runs the Trees of DeKalb project to catalog data on local trees, was the one who urged the City Council to name the speciment the “Heritage Tree of DeKalb” at the Council’s Monday meeting.

“If trees could talk, this old bur oak could tell of the Potawatomi passing in their canoes, the black bears and the bison, the raging prairie fires, the first European settlers, a place called Huntley’s Grove and the incorporation of the city of DeKalb,” Kirk said, addressing more than 20 people in attendance.

By following the Kishwaukee Kiwanis pathway that connects Northern Illinois University with Prairie Park, you can see the tree just south of the Lincoln Highway bridge.

The Park District defines a heritage tree as one with ecological and cultural value. Although bur oak trees are not a rarity, they are in decline for several reasons, including harvesting, disease and loss of habitat, among other reasons, said Kirk at the meeting.

Phil Young, DeKalb Park District board president, said the district strives to keep its heritage trees healthy.

“As the park district, one of the things we like to be is stewards of over 700 acres of green space, and that’s very important,” Young said. “We look at these trees, especially heritage trees, as very important. The park district has several of them, and we maintain them ... to make sure they have a long life.”

Among the city officials in attendance Friday were Mayor Jerry Smith, City Manager Bill Nicklas and 2nd Ward Alderman Bill Finucane. State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, also watched from the crowd.

Smith said 386 years is an age he and others have tossed around, but no one knows the exact age of the Heritage Tree, which eventually will be marked with a plaque.

“This is a marvelous thing, and if that tree had eyes, it would look over here and see collaboration,” Smith said, referring to the efforts by Kiwanis, the Park District, NIU and others, to build the Kishwaukee Kiwanis pathway that connects NIU to Prairie Park.