Photo provided by Jarhead.
1969 photo by Glenn P. Smith, District Conservationist, of the largest Bur Oak tree in Kansas about two and one-half miles north of Elk Falls on the Carl Morrow farm. The tree has a diameter of 5 feet, ten inches at breast height. Overall height, 89 feet. The crown has a spread of 105 feet. Estimated age is 350-400 years.
(http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/waldoegray/buroak.png)
Waldo,
I forgot to menton that the tree was struck by lightning several years back and died
I remember visiting this tree several times. The one time that stands out was on a grade school field trip, in K or 1st grade, 1973-75.
We seem to have toured the whole county. Stops I remember other than the oak were the falls and the Frakes place, the Longton Fair Building, the Busby schoolhouse. the fire station and old city jail (in the back of the station) in Moline, the community building in Grenola, up and over the Eagle Head to the original oil well of the Bush-Denton field, and the courthouse.
I received the following comment from Leisa Meisch via Email:
"I have been reading the old history blog, and its great stuff! Is it possible that the photo on the Bur Oak Tree was taken by Glenn P. Snell ? I remember a Mr Snell but not his first name. Or when he worked for the SCS. I moved to the area in the early 70's and may be way wrong."
This tree was on the Howard Armstrong Farm, whic was owned by Carl Morrow. I had not seen this post before. This same Farm had one of the earliest sightings of a Cougar that I remember. Howard had an old mare and colt in the Corral and the Old Mare was raising a fuss and Howard looked out and saw the Cougar sneaking along the fence row to the corral. Thanks Jarhead and Waldo
Frank
Where is this Howard Armstrong farm?
Wilma, it is on the "RiverRoad" that goes from Howard to Elk Falls. After you cross the Elk River Bridge by the Old Fleak place, you angle back to the S-SE and the Morrow/Howard Armstrong place was on the West side of the road about 1.5 to 2 miles out of Elk Falls. Wilma, do you remember where Stony Point Schoolhouse was, if so the Morrow/Armstrong was on down the road South-Southeast of Stony Point Schoolhouse.
Frank
Tell Mona Leisa that she's right; the soil conservationist would be Glenn Snell. I think Waldo misinterpreted the signature on the photo. Glenn had several children that she probably knew--Greg, Melanie, and ?????
I have an idea of where the Armstrong place was now. I was thinking the northwest part of the county as I have heard from several very reliable people that they have seen cougar out there.
Wilma, its was 50 years ago that Howard saw the Cougar. The River runs close to the area where the Morrow place was and also other neighbors reported Cougar sightings in the late 50s. It is an ideal place for Cougars, lots of Brush, deer were starting to move in there, not very heavily populated.
The cougar that was seen in the northwest part of the county was maybe ten years ago. One of the people that saw it is dead now but I would still take his word for it and that it was a cougar and not just a big cat or something else. The other two people saw one at different times in the same neighborhood and they would know a cougar when they saw it.
The Kansas Fish and Game has finally ackowledged there are Cougars in Kansas. In fact one was killed near I-35 several years ago and there have been other confirmed sightings.
Wilma, I just remembered that Lon Furrow lived just up the road Northwest from the Morrow/Armstrong place. The place where Lon lived was where Gertie Sherman lived in later years.
I don't know exactly where the Sherman place was, but Jim talked about it sometimes. They later moved to south of Piedmont, two miles north of where my parents moved in 1947.
Wilma, it is 2 miles South of Howard on 99 Hwy, then turn East, go approximately 2 miles and the road angles South around a cutve and starts down a hill, the Sherman place is on the East side of the road.
Mother, the Sherman place is the house where we stopped to politic and the lady named Twyla let Daddy go in the house because he used to live there. At least I think that is it. Didn't they live in the Sherman place when his grandpa Booker (sp) lived with them?
Might be. I remember stopping at a place that Daddy looked through the house, but I sure wouldn't be able to find it.
Glen Snell's children were Melanie, a year older than Carol and I (I believe her and her husband still reside here in Wichita); Greg, a year younger than I (he was a petroleum engineer in Ponca City for several years but have no idea where he might be now), Eric is the youngest. Just last weekend, i was driving down East 1st St here in Wichita and passed a church which had a listing of the pastor being Eric Snell. i think there was a girl between Greg and Eric but not sure...