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In Dayton, the oldest and most famous threesome are the Three Sisters.
These “girls” are more than 550 years old. What are they? A stand of ancient white oaks predating Columbus’ voyage to the New World.
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You can find them along the Orange Trail at Sugar Creek MetroPark in Bellbrook. Sadly, one of the Sisters came down in a storm in 2008. The other two are in a natural state of decline – like everything else in the Universe, they are growing older. The average lifespan of a white oak is 300 years and some have lived 600 years. The oldest known white oak in all of North America is outside the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and it is in the process of dying.
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You can find them along the Orange Trail at Sugar Creek MetroPark in Bellbrook. Sadly, one of the Sisters came down in a storm in 2008. The other two are in a natural state of decline – like everything else in the Universe, they are growing older. The average lifespan of a white oak is 300 years and some have lived 600 years. The oldest known white oak in all of North America is outside the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and it is in the process of dying.
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The largest of Dayton’s ancient white oaks is called the Big Sister, and it’s the first one you’ll encounter when you reach the grove at Sugarcreek.
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During the Sisters’ lifetime, many things have happened: Johan Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1455, Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, Copernicus realized the Earth revolves around the Sun in 1514, The Little Ice Age cooled off Europe in 1550, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre burned down in 1613, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, and the Wright Brothers invented flight in 1903.
That’s some history!
WHAT: Sugarcreek MetroPark
WHERE: 4178 Conference Road, Bellbrook
WHEN: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., April 1 – Oct. 31; 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Nov. 1 – March 31.
INFO: Website
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