By: Michelle Jones, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
SALEM, N.J. – The history of Salem City, New Jersey would be incomplete without knowledge of the Great Salem Oak Tree. This majestic tree, by far, had laid witness to the making of this great city from its very foundation. Her story is our very own country’s story. It is the story of the beginning of a new nation, it is the story of peace between peoples, and it is the story of longevity and perseverance.
The Great Salem Oak was believed to be between 500 and 600 years old, making it older than our nation itself. It was, however, a known tree to the Lenape Indians who met with settler John Fenwick upon his arrival from England in 1675, to this great land. It was believed to be under these very branches that a peace treaty between the Lenape and the Quakers was signed, allowing for the foundation to Salem City itself.
But if one were to imagine what the Oak may have seen, over its life span one would have to rewind time and imagine what Salem or the land Salem is on would have looked like. At that time, 500 years ago, Salem the city did not exist. It was a land or territory inhabited by the tribes of the Lenae Lenape Indians. A day in the life of these Indians would have been simple and peaceful. The Lenape were hunter-gatherers who also lived off the land through agricultural skills.
The oak would have perhaps witnessed fields of corn, squash, or beans. Or maybe a male member of the tribe would have hidden behind its wide trunk while hunting for deer with hand hewn arrow heads that may have been made in the shade of her giant branches. Maybe there were even wigwams or longhouses nearby.
That is until the Swedish and Dutch settlers arrived. At that point perhaps the Great Oak would have seen struggling settlers receive help from the local tribe as the area of West New Jersey was being divided into five shared territories called Tenths.
It was not long after this that the English arrived with many ideas, particularly land ownership. It was with this in mind that John Fenwick signed a lease agreement for land from the Lenape Tribe under the branches of this mighty oak in 1675.
From that point on The Great Salem Oak Tree was witness to an explosion of population, the construction of beautiful buildings, horses, coaches, trolleys, and the new invention called the car. She would have witnessed light by candle and oil lamps to actual power lines and electricity. She would witness a leisurely settlement of vacation homes for the wealthy to an industrial explosion involving canneries, glass manufacturing, poultry, and truck farming.
All of this was eventually overshadowed by Dupont bringing more industry therefore more immigrants. The Great Salem Oak saw it all. In fact, so great was her impact that three of her seedlings were planted in Washington DC along the George Washington Memorial Parkway to commemorate our nation’s 150th anniversary!
Anyone who lived in Salem or in the surrounding area knew of this great lady. She stood tall in the Quaker Meeting Cemetery in Salem City until 2019, where she fell over, marking the end of a number of remarkable eras.
See the Follow South Jersey story on Salem residents’ response to the fallen fabled oak by clicking here.
But have no fear. That was not truly the end. Over 1,500 of her acorns were collected and nurtured into seedlings. The seedlings were then dispersed to all of the local Quaker Meeting Houses and schools as well as 565 municipalities across the State of New Jersey.
See the Follow South Jersey story about the seedlings by clicking here.
The Great Salem Oak Tree lives on throughout the state and even the country. But if you want to learn more about this beautiful part of Salem and even America’s history please visit the Salem County Historical Museum on Market Street where you will find an entire room in the museum dedicated to her and her artifacts.
Visiting the museum is easy. The Salem County History Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. The admission is $5 per person, or $35 for an annual member’s pass. You can even schedule a private tour of the collection at no additional cost!
The museum is located at 83 Market Street in Salem City New Jersey. For additional information please feel free to call 856-935-5004 or visit their website at www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com.
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