Kile Oak - Irvington, IN - Exceptional Trees on Waymarking.com

No pointers of "this way" signs will help you find this treasure, but it's a treasure for sure! It's tucked away in the middle of a unassuming residential neighborhood of what was once the village of Irvington (now Indianapolis) Indiana. It sits on it's own lot (5939 Beechwood Avenue) with a pretty picket fence inviting you in to enjoy the grounds that have been nurtured around this piece of living history. It is really worth your time to seek this waymark out.

The city seems to melt away in this little spot left to nature. It belongs to the Irvinton Historical Society who has taken on the responsibility of protecting this this tree. The grounds are well kept but natural. There is a small trail leading around part of the lot that is more heavily grown while the area facing the street is grassy but not surprisingly well shaded by the canopy that stretches over 125 feet. Over sixty species of Indiana native plants including cinnamon and ostrich ferns and shade land flowers including Virginia blue bells, ginger, may apples, celandine poppies, Solomon's seal, and trilliums have been planted on the grounds. Additionally the garden has been planted with New England aster, purple coneflower, cup plant, butterfly weed, golden rod, and other wildflowers. Elderberry, service berry, viburnum, and spicebush shrubs have added to the garden as have dogwoods. It is just a beautiful and restful and wonderful place to visit.

Genus/Species: Burr Oak Height: 92 Girth: 15 Method of obtaining height: Reliable source Method of obtaining girth: Reliable source Location type: Other public property Age: 400 Historical significance: Quoted from the Irvington Historical Society at http://www.irvingtonhistorical.org/a_articles/a_kile_oak/a_kile_oak.html "There is a fascinating tie between the Kile Oak and the romance of its preservation for the people of Irvington. According~to the forestry experts, sometime in the middle 1600s, a lone acorn started the long history of the Kile Oak in the rich soil of what then was Indian country north of the Ohio River. About the same time,in 1638, an English wheelwright named John Frye sailed from Southampton,England, arriving in Boston and settling in Andover,Massachusetts.Four generations later,Major General Joseph Frye, commanding the Massachusetts Militia, served as aide to General Washington at the siege of Boston in 1775. Two more generations later, a grandson of the General, himself a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, joined the "Ohio Company" in creating the first settlement in the Northwest Territories... at Marietta, Ohio.There he bought 100 acres of land fronting on the Muskingum River." "Two more generations later on February 13, 1843, Sarah Frye was born on that farm.Later she married Oliver W. Kile, then fresh from four years in the Civil War, later Evangelist for the Christian Church in the State of Ohio.After retiring from the ministry in 1901, the family moved to Indianapolis where three sons were then in the U.S. Mail Service. Mr.and Mrs. Kile,seeking a location for their new home,spotted the big oak, and that ended their march.Mrs.Kile's interest in the family home in Ohio paid for the land. And so the Continental greenbacks of a Massachusetts' lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army spent their first 114 years procuring and preserving a family farm overlooking a beautiful river in Ohio,and then moved to Indiana to help preserve this oak for another 72 years and, hopefully,forever. Mrs.Kile... was the last one to occupy the family home. She was head bf the stenographic department of Eli Lilly and co., and personal Secretary of J.K. Lilly,the President.Later she served in the office of Attorney General and of the State Superintendent of Schools for many years and completed her business career by managing a National Bureau for the live stock insurance companies of the nation for many years. Miss Kile was known to her friends and neighbors and students of the adjoining schools as a dedicated friend of people, young and old, of the birds,and of every living thing. She maintained both a book of clippings and also a "Visitor's Book" which covered 45 years, containing signatures and tributes of hundred of "Guests of the Tree" from many states and some foreign lands. She entertained the pupils of the surrounding schools periodically, serving tea and telling them the history of the tree as well as giving them a general nature study lesson.Those two books are in the library at Benton House.Sketches of the tree by Frederick Polley, a well known artist,are in the book and have appeared in the Indianapolis newspapers.Many other artists have sketched, painted,and photographed it. Mr. Kile, Mae Kile's father, was so attached to the tree that he requested that his funeral be conducted under the tree which was a most impressive service. As early as 1926, Mae Kile started her campaign to "Save the Kile Oak",and she had many friends who helped her. She was determined not to sell to anyone who would not preserve the tree. At that time, the Park Department was not willing to purchase the property, so she lived in the home even after ill health demanded that she spend her winters in California with a sister. She always came back to her beloved Kile Oak in the Spring. Finally, the Irvington Historical Society was formed and through a Lilly Gift the property was purchased on January 30, 1973. Also included in this grant was an amount sufficient to demolish the house which was in such disrepair that it could not be preserved.The Irvington Historic Landmarks Foundation, Inc. became the legal owner." Website reference: [Web Link] Parking coordinates: N 39° 45.767 W 086° 03.930 Walk time: 0 Planter: Not listed Photograpy coordinates: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
A closeup picture of your GPS receiver in your hand, with the tree in the background, is required. If the tree is on private property, this closeup photograph with the tree in the background may be taken from the nearest public vantage point without actually going to the tree.
The required photograph does not need to show the entire tree, but the individual tree must be recognizable.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   05/30/2018 AnthemRose visited it 10/13/2012 DnRseekers visited it

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