Witness Tree

GPS Coordinates: N 41.33507; W 89.81862

Site Access: Free Parking

Amenities: Information

Directions: From the intersection of SR (State Route) 26 and I 80 in Princeton, go west on I 80 for 11.9 miles to Exit 45. Take the exit and go south on SR 40 for 1.7 miles. Turn west (right) on US 6/US 34 for 3.9 miles. Turn south (left) on US 34/ CR 550E for 1.9 miles, then turn west (right) on CR 1300N for 3.3 miles. The Witness Tree is located at the juncture of CR 1300N with CR 10/CR 100E.

Description: Bureau County's Witness Tree is a 250-year-old bur oak which has served as a landmark and meeting site for at least 200 years. This mammoth oak's burly trunk measures 14 feet in circumference with a branch spread of over 80 feet. The bur oak is a seminal Midwestern prairie tree with acorns so large that only one can fi t in the palm of the hand.

As early as the 19th century Potawatomi Indians, led by Chief Shabbona, held council at the tree with members of the Fox and Sauk tribes. The tree stands along the Old Indian Trail that once ran through northern Illinois, parallel and just north of today's I 80. In 1944, local farmers donated small parcels of land
surrounding the Witness Tree to ensure its preservation.

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