WWNO skyline header graphic
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Local Newscast
Hear the latest from the WWNO/WRKF Newsroom.

Support local, independent journalism on WWNO with your Member Fest gift now! Click the donate button or Call 844-790-1094.

Lincoln History Told Through Tree Rings

In 1992, the Lincoln Vault Oak was cut down to protect Abraham Lincoln’s burial vault.

At the president’s funeral in 1865, the tree stood just a few feet from the event, shading the funeral choir.

When the tree was finally cut down, local arborist Guy Sternberg salvaged the massive stump and began a dissection project that peeled back the layers of history to reveal clues about that day.

Sternberg speaks with Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd about what he was able to learn.

 

[Youtube]

Guest

  • Guy Sternberg, arborist and owner of Starhill Forest Arboretum in Petersburg, Illinois.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Arborist Guy Sternberg stands beside one of the youngest descendants, transplanted from an acorn that had germinated by Lincoln’s tomb in 1992. That’s the year the older tree was cut down. (Peter O'Dowd)
/
Arborist Guy Sternberg stands beside one of the youngest descendants, transplanted from an acorn that had germinated by Lincoln’s tomb in 1992. That’s the year the older tree was cut down. (Peter O'Dowd)

👋 Looks like you could use more news. Sign up for our newsletters.

* indicates required
New Orleans Public Radio News
New Orleans Public Radio Info