Legend in Preble County has it that when the wind rustles through the leaves of the large white oak, “one could hear the story of the events that it witnessed,” according to the Preble County Historical Society.
“The Whispering Oak,” was designated a bicentennial tree by the National Arborists’ Association and the International Society of Arboriculture in February 1976. Wilson said they do not know the exact date the tree starting growing.
On April 13, 1977, the two groups jointly recognized the old “Whispering” Oak tree as “having lived here during the American Revolutionary Period” alongside the Eaton Current Events Club, which donated the marker for the original Whispering Oak that year.
A second oak tree — call “The Whispering Oak II — was planted near the gravesites in April 1977 by the Eaton Current Events Club
Wilson said the tree will be left in place for several days. The city is considering what to do with the salvageable portion of the tree.
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