Warren County Genealogical Association
Warren County Tennessee



A Halt by the Wayside, a Currier and Ives print.

The Birthing Tree

According to history, a large oak tree became known as the Birthing Tree because of the number of children born in it’s shade to parents who were members of wagon trains. If an expectant mother was about to give birth, the wagon train stopped in the vicinity of the tree and her wagon pulled under it to afford her the shelter and shade it provided. The tree now stands at the edge of McMinnville on Highway 70 S East of town. The Currier and Ives print at the top of this page shows what it might have been like under the Birthing Tree back in the good ol’ days.

Update on The Birthing Tree

Chopping the Birthing Tree: Vandal attacks root of 200-year-old tree
By Amy Satterwhite.
Courtesy of the SOUTHERN STANDARD

The city forester said the centuries-old Birthing Tree may be subject to partial decay after an above-ground root was cut.

      The historical tree known as the Birthing Tree has suffered damage after a part of its above-ground root system was cut. City workers monitoring a broken limb on the massive white oak tree discovered the root was either cut or sawed about two weeks ago, McMinnville urban forester Nick Kuhn said.
      "We came out here and there was a mattock, which looks like a pickax, laying on the ground, and a couple of beer cans. We noticed that first," Kuhn said. "You didn't notice the root right off. We were like, 'What is this doing here?' and we were looking at it and that's when we noticed the cuts on the raised root."
      Property owner Bobby Kirby said he has not authorized anyone to be on the Sparta Street property and has also not authorized any type of maintenance work on the tree, which is more than 200 years old. The affected root acts like a spoke and physically supports the tree, while smaller roots mostly feed it. While Kuhn said the damage to the large root won't kill the tree, future decay is likely. "This is only the beginning," he said. "As the root decays more and loses more, the tree will lose more. And it can't be fixed. There's nothing that can be done."
      Kirby said he has asked the property's neighbors and others to keep their eyes on the tree. "If anybody sees anybody messing with it, they're welcome to call the police or me immediately," he said. "We haven't given anybody permission to be around that tree."
      Kuhn theorized someone may have wanted to remove the root for wood crafting that uses burls, but no one really knows the true motivation. Burls are large knots that grow on the sides of trees and have unique grains that make them attractive to wood workers. "Burls off redwood trees, walnut trees - they're high-dollar stuff, but nobody cuts them off live trees because it will harm them," he added. The root damage adds to the already-existing problems with the broken limb, which is a major limb that is currently half on the tree, half lying on the ground. The broken limb can be preserved with some support over the short term, but he said the limb will eventually have to be removed. "Eventually, it's just going to fall off, but we can extend that if we want. It's a matter of how much time and energy the property owner wants to put into it. With a normal tree, you wouldn't put this kind of effort into it, but this is special."
      While reports have varied on exact age, Kuhn estimated the tree to be more than two centuries old. "It's over 200 years old. After that, it's a guess," he said.
            Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.) Sun, 28 Nov 2004