Remembering Vancouver’s Old Apple Tree

Perhaps you feel an emotional need to mark the recent death of the Old Apple Tree, a Vancouver landmark. Or maybe you just want to find out why the gnarled tree was such a big deal.

Either way, you may be interested in the Clark County Historical Museum‘s “The Old Apple Tree, A Remembrance,” which will stream at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16 on the museum’s Facebook page.

The Old Apple Tree, planted 194 years ago, was located near the Vancouver Land Bridge across the street from Who Song and Larry’s restaurant and the Waterfront Renaissance Trail. A spiral crack in the trunk expanded over the years, leading to decay. The tree died in June. Saplings that sprung from the now deceased tree’s root system continue to grow in that spot.

In the museum’s Sunday program, local historian and author Pat Jollota, retired Columbian journalist Tom Vogt and others will walk through the history of the tree from its Hudson’s Bay Company roots to the more recent Old Apple Tree festivals and the city of Vancouver’s valiant efforts to keep the tree alive. In addition, the program includes remembrances submitted by members of the Growing Up in Vancouver Facebook page.

“In this program, we get to hear the stories of the Old Apple Tree from multiple perspectives. Connections through history, journalism and civic engagements will all be told in the words of those whose lives were impacted by this old friend of our community,” Brad Richardson, executive director of the Clark County Historical Museum, said in a press release about the event. “It may be gone, but the history it both created and witnessed will live on.”

Realvest Corp. and the city of Vancouver are sponsoring “Old Apple Tree, A Remembrance,” produced by Wager Audio.

During the program, the Clark County Historical Museum will collect donations to help support the Jane Arboretum and Stanger House, an historic building off Evergreen Highway in Vancouver.