Historical Name: Springfield Cemetery
Common Name: White Oak
Latin Name: Quercus alba
On May 4, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was laid to rest in Springfield, Illinois after he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln had a strong connection to Springfield and it is hallowed by his mark. To this city he went as a young man. It is where he was married and started his legal career. He led the fight to move the capital of Illinois to this city. His farewell address to Illinois was delivered from the platform of a train at Springfield in 1861. The Lincoln Tomb and Monument are located in Oak Ridge Cemetery, where ancient White Oaks shade them. This tree was grown from a seed collected from one of those White Oaks, and was planted into UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove in 2004.
(text adapted from American Forests)