The Signal Tree: Davey Tree Expert Company “adopts” a local legend
Stephanie Walton, Chief of Marketing & Communications
A well-recognized Akron landmark, the Signal Tree has stood for many years in what is now Cascade Valley Metro Park. Keeping it healthy requires considerable attention, and beginning in 2018, The Davey Tree Expert Company “adopted” the iconic bur oak for a five-year period.
Having worked hand-in-hand with Summit Metro Parks staff to ensure the tree’s well-being for the past four decades, Davey will donate its care and maintenance services to the park district through 2022.
“As a tree care company, we have a special interest and appreciation for large, historical wonders like the Signal Tree,” said Sandra Reid, vice president of corporate communications and strategic planning administration for Davey Tree. “And since the Signal Tree is in a public green space, it’s especially important that we keep it healthy so our community can enjoy it for many years to come.”
In adopting the beloved tree, Davey will provide regular maintenance and conduct annual health assessments. At the Signal Tree’s most recent “check-up,” Davey’s expert arborists determined that despite its advanced age, the tree is generally doing quite well.
But how exactly does one go about caring for such a tree? Davey’s specially-trained staff measure the tree’s density at various locations and depths using a tool called a resistograph to determine whether it has any significant weak spots. Over the years, Davey has also installed a system of cables to provide additional structural support and help it bear its own weight. And, the tree’s care evolves over time: at one point, a lightning rod was installed to help protect the tree from electrical storms, but it was later removed when it began to damage the tree itself.
Local lore abounds regarding the Signal Tree’s age and historic purpose. Some believe it to be upwards of 350 years old, but unfortunately there are no methods for confirming this without harming the tree. It’s even more difficult to determine what the tree might have once “signaled.” During the time when Native Americans lived in what is now Northeast Ohio, special landmarks were commonly used to identify significant locations. The Signal Tree’s unique, three-pronged shape indicates that it may have been shaped by human hands, but why?
Legend has long held that the Signal Tree was a directional marker for the Portage Path, a connection between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers for travelers from the ancient Native Americans to the early European explorers. However, given the tree’s distance from the path, modern historians believe it was more likely used for some other purpose.
“It could mark a gathering place, maybe for ceremonies. It could show the way to another area or trail, or to good hunting and fishing grounds,” explains Summit Metro Parks Education and Recreation Manager Mike Greene. “Early Europeans might have shaped the tree for their own purposes, such as for a property boundary marker.”
Unfortunately, the specifics of the tree’s past are likely to remain a mystery forever. But one thing is for certain — Summit Metro Parks and Davey Tree are committed to providing the best care possible for this cherished local treasure.
For more great stories like this, check out Green Islands Magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks.
