Hey TD, How Old Is This Tree?
Peter Jacobsen liked this tree so much, he bought the house that went with it - lol. I may have that reversed, but its one of the most unique trees I have ever seen in an urban setting.
By Tom Peterson
If you live in The Dalles, you know this tree.
Its rough bark and twisted massive trunk move upward into knarled branches and huge wonderful leaves.
It’s an icon across the street from The Dalles High School - on 10th Street right next to the curb.
“It’s old,” said Juliet Jacobsen a few years back. “It’s really old. It has a bunch of trunks twisting together. It reminds me of an old children's horror book with old twisty trees - thats what it reminds me of.”
Juliet’s mother and father bought the tree that came with a home back in 2015.
Her dad, Peter Jacobsen, said they field a question or two about it by curious passers-by.
“It’s a cool piece of history,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s why we bought the house,” Peter responded.
Can’t miss this tree across from The Dalles High School. So what is it?
And by the way, Peter does golf, but he’s not that Jacobsen. He actually sells furniture in Seattle.
The house he and his wife bought is the Drews House, commonly known as “The Stone House” as it was made with stucco before the turn of 1900. It’s at 1015 Court Street.
The house exhibits Italianate and French Second Empire architectural features.
It was built by Frederick Carl and Emma Drews, according to a historical description, the Jacobsens have hung in their window.
Frederick was a barber and a charter member of the Woodmen of the World and a member of the Army Reserve. Unfortunately, there is no information on Emma Drews endeavors.
“So how old is this tree?” I asked
“1890,” Peter said. “ It was planted the same year the house was built.”
That’s 132 years old.
“It’s a Western Catalpa,” Peter said.
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“Catalpa has several medicinal uses. It can be made into a tea that is an antidote for snake bites and has also been used as a laxative. Catalpa is also known to be a mild narcotic, which is used in curing the “whooping” cough. Because of the shape of the leaves, the Southern Catalpa was used for heart illnesses by Native American medicine men,” according to Bellarmine University in Louisville Kentucky.
Catalpa means tree in the Cherokee Indian language.
The Jacobsens have trimmed and supported the tree in years past in efforts to keep the behemoth happy and healthy.
“We’re trying to preserve it the best you can,” Juliet said. “The neighbors, I guess, have quite a few stories about it.”
Do you have any memories or stories about this tree? Please share them in the Facebook comments, and we will add them to the story.
This Western Catalpa dwarfs Jacobsen as the tree has been pushing to the sky since 1890.
