It’s History Trivia Tuesday!
Historic Jacksonville shares tidbits from Jacksonville history every Tuesday on our Facebook and Instagram pages. “Like” us on Facebook at Historic Jacksonville (historicjville) or “follow” us on Instagram (historicjacksonville) and enjoy our tales and stories of the people and places that made Jacksonville the major hub of southern Oregon in the late 1800s. And visit the Southern Oregon Historical Society Library and Archives for access to the historical images included in our posts.
It’s History Trivia Tuesday! Have you ever pondered the Giant Sequoia that marks the Jacksonville Woodlands Sarah Zigler trail head in the lower Britt Gardens? Giant Sequoias are not native to this area, so how did it get there?
All of this acreage was originally part of Britt’s donation land claim. Peter Britt was not only a photographer, he was also a horticulturalist. In fact, he’s considered the father of Southern Oregon’s commercial horticulture industry and his “Britt Gardens” were a major tourist attraction.
Britt planted this tree as a seedling on the day his first son, Emil, was born—March 22, 1862. That’s Emil standing in front of the tree. The photo may have been taken by Peter Britt himself in the late 1890s.
This majestic Giant Sequoia is now 160+ years old! Standing over 200 feet tall, it’s an official Oregon Heritage Tree. The next time you head up to the Britt Gardens, take a few minutes to walk out to the Zigler trail head and the Britt Sequoia and admire this symbol of history, vision, and endurance.