Engelmann oak, witness to time

Faria C

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There are several oak trees dotting the Caltech campus, but this one is honored with a plaque that reads:

This oak, estimated to be 400 years old, has been standing here before the land was discovered and claimed by Spain.

In 1863, this portion of the San Gabriel Valley known as the Rancho San Pasqual was granted to the owner by Abraham Lincoln.

The segment of the rancho that was to become the CIT campus was deeded to the institute in 1922.

From the Spanish conquistadors through the Civil War, to the Man on the Moon, and still going strong in the Information Age, this tree is one tough nut. Perhaps when the wind blows and its leaves rustle, it is whispering its memories to us.


Oak trees come out of acorns, no matter how unlikely that seems.
An acorn is just a tree's way back into the ground.
For another try. Another trip through. One life for another.

- Shirley Ann Grau