Britt Sequoia - Jacksonville, OR
N 42° 18.900 W 122° 58.297
10T E 502339 N 4684751
This giant sequoia is located along a trail within Britt Gardens in Jacksonville, OR.
Waymark Code: WMGKWD
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 03/17/2013
Views: 3
Visitors to Jacksonville's
Britt Gardens, a 4.5 acre site where Oregon pioneer Peter Britt once lived, might come across this giant sequoia along a trail. Named the 'Britt Sequoia', this tree was been designated an
Oregon Heritage Tree by the Heritage Tree Committee in 1998. There's a small plaque in front of this tree that reads:
BRITT SEQUOIA
Sequoiadendron giganteum
On March 22, 1862, the day of his son Emil's birth, Peter Britt planted this giant sequoia by his home. Britt was a pioneer photographer, skilled horticulturist, and leader in Southern Oregon's lucrative fruit industry. From its vantage point, this majestic tree has witnessed the unfolding of Jacksonville's rich history -- the gold rush prosperity of the mid 1800s, the decline at the turn of the century and the current restoration and revitalization.
OREGON HERITAGE TREE
There is also another older historical marker near this tree that reads:
SEQUOIA GIGANTICA
PLANTED BY PETER BRITT
MARCH 22, 1862
THE DAY HIS SON
EMIL WAS BORN
I located a website, MonumentalTrees.com, that mentions this giant sequoia.
There is also a historical marker just before you access the trail to this historic tree and details Peter Britt's former homestead (now gone) near the marker.
Peter Britt left a lasting impression on Jacksonville and the Rogue Valley and has an ever-popular annual venue named after him and called the 'Peter Britt Music Festival' (BrittFest), begun in 1963 on the grounds of the Britt home, and attracts musicians from all over the world.
Peter Britt was an accomplished photographer and horticulturist who planted Rogue Valley's very first fruit trees as well as opening Oregon's very first winery. OregonEncyclopedia.org has a great biography of Peter Britt here and there's even a website bearing his name that outlines his life's accomplishments, PeterBritt.org... The Man Beyond the Camera.