Living Heritage Tree Museum facts for kids

The Living Heritage Tree Museum is a really cool outdoor museum in Storm Lake, Iowa. It's located in Sunset Park and is all about "heritage trees." These are special trees that are descendants of other trees connected to famous people or big moments in history. The museum was started by Stan Lemaster and Theodore Klein. Here, you can find trees related to people like Joan of Arc, Johnny Appleseed, and even the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Discovering History Through Trees

The Living Heritage Tree Museum is home to many unique trees, each with its own fascinating story. These trees are like living history books, connecting us to important figures and events from the past.

Trees with Famous Connections

• Alex Haley Silver Maple: This tree grew from a seed from the home of Alex Haley's grandparents. Alex Haley was a famous author who wrote "Roots."
• American Sycamore Moon Tree: This sycamore tree grew from a seed that actually traveled to the moon! It was carried by astronaut Stuart Roosa in the Apollo 14 mission's Command Module, circling the moon before returning to Earth.
• Ann Rutledge Maple: This maple tree is a descendant of a tree that once shaded the grave of Ann Rutledge, a person important in Abraham Lincoln's early life.
• Basking Ridge Oak: The parent tree of this oak is almost 400 years old, making it a truly ancient and historic tree.
• Buffalo Bill Cottonwood: This tree came from a seed taken from the Klein Nursery, linking it to the famous American frontiersman, Buffalo Bill.
• Bunker Hill Oak: This oak tree is a descendant of a tree that stood on the famous Bunker Hill, a key site during the American Revolutionary War.
• Charter Oak: This tree comes from Hartford, Connecticut, and is related to the legendary Charter Oak, which played a role in Connecticut's colonial history.
• Chuck Yeager Butternut: This butternut tree grew from a seedling taken from a tree at the childhood home of Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier.
• Colonel Sanders Ash: This ash tree comes from the home of Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
• General Ben Butler Maple: This maple tree is from the home of General Ben Butler, an important figure during the American Civil War.
• General Sherman Maple: This maple tree comes from Fort Duffield, a historic site near West Point Academy.
• George Rogers Clark Kentucky Coffee Tree: This tree is a descendant of the official state tree of Kentucky, connected to explorer George Rogers Clark.
• George Washington Sycamore: This sycamore is a descendant of a tree that stood near George Washington's headquarters during the Battle of White Plains.
• George Washington Walnut Tree: This walnut tree is a descendant of a tree that George Washington visited after the Battle of Springfield.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe Ash Tree: This ash tree grew from a seedling taken from the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
• Henry Clay Ginko Tree: This ginkgo tree comes from a tree planted by Henry Clay, a famous American statesman.
• Isaac Newton Apple: This apple tree is a descendant of the famous apple tree that supposedly inspired Isaac Newton to develop his theory of gravity.
• James Witcomb Riley Maple: This maple tree is from the home of James Whitcomb Riley, a well-known American poet.
• Jefferson, Iowa Council Oak Tree: This tree grew from a seed taken from the only tree in Jefferson, Iowa, back in 1854.
• Johnny Appleseed Apple Tree: This apple tree comes from an original tree planted by the legendary Johnny Appleseed himself.
• Lincoln White Oak: This white oak is from an oak tree in Albion, Illinois, connecting it to President Abraham Lincoln.
• Lindbergh Crab Apple: This crab apple tree is from the home of Charles A. Lindbergh, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
• Little House Cottonwood: This cottonwood tree grew from a seed taken from the homestead of Charles Ingalls, the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the "Little House" books.
• Ming Dynasty Cypress: This cypress tree comes from a Ming pagoda garden, connecting it to ancient Chinese history.
• Olympic German Pin Oak: This pin oak is from a tree given as a gift during the 1936 Olympic Games.
• Original Delicious Apple: This tree is from the very first tree that grew "Delicious" apples.
• Peter Gideon Original Wealthy Apple: This apple tree was developed by Peter Gideon to be able to survive in very cold climates.
• Rockefeller Oak: This oak tree is a descendant of the "Great White Oak" in Williamsburg, Virginia, linking it to the Rockefeller family.
• Sargent Alvin York Linden Tree: This linden tree grew from seeds taken from the farm of Sergeant Alvin York, a decorated American soldier from World War I.
• Society of Separatists Zoar Apple Tree: This apple tree comes from an apple tree brought to America from Germany in 1817 by a group called the Society of Separatists.
• Sugar Maple From The Sacred Grove: The parent tree of this sugar maple is over 200 years old and comes from a historically significant "Sacred Grove."
• Theodore Klein Flowering Crab: This flowering crab apple tree is specially dedicated to Theodore Klein and Stan Lemaster, the two founders of the Living Heritage Tree Museum.
• Ulysses S. Grant Gum: This gum tree is from the birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant, a famous Civil War general and later President of the United States.
• Ulysses S. Grant Maple: This maple tree is also from the birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant.
• Versailles Chestnut: This chestnut tree comes from the historic site where the treaty to end World War I was signed.
• Village Blacksmith Chestnut: This chestnut tree is a descendant of the tree mentioned in the famous poem "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree."
• Wright Brothers Walnut: This walnut tree grew from a walnut that the Wright Brothers planted at the location of their very first successful flight.
• Wye Oak: This tree is from the largest Wye Oak in the United States, a truly massive and impressive tree.
• Zollie Oak Tree: This oak tree is a descendant of an oak that marks a mass grave of Confederate soldiers from the Civil War.