The Mighty Oak clings to the bend in the Whiteman's Creek

Title:
The Mighty Oak clings to the bend in the Whiteman's Creek

Description:
This is a very old oak tree and one of the last of its age to remain along the creek. The other one is dead and soon will lose its battle to remain at the edge of the creek. Here, 200 years ago there were thousands of acres of oak Savannah along the Plain. The first Euro-American settlers that traveled through this area on the "Detroit Trail", which was the main inland route between Detroit and Niagara (between the late 1600's to late 1790's) thought the soil here would be inferior due to the open country with park-like oak groves. However, later it proved to be the easiest to till with the high sand content and the settlers were happy not to have to spend so much of their time clearing the area for fields, since it was already cleared. Following the Ice-age, when the melt waters had created large inland seas, this creek was a great easterly flowing river and what's now the Grand River did not exist. Archaic and Woodland Native civilizations made this their home from about 9000 years ago to about 1650. There was a period following that when the human population of this area dropped and the Attawandaron People were dispersed. The herds of deer and other animal populations increased and this became a huge hunting ground for western native groups though the area was still claimed by the Iroquois. In the mid to late 1600's the French claimed this territory and used the inland trail to avoid the British that patrolled the shores of Lake Erie, 25 miles to the south. Missionaries such as Father Brébeuf and Father Lalemant came into this area and have documented the way it was at that time. The path continues to the left, to a knoll and around the eroding bank where once a large village had existed and its dead were interred overlooking the creek a few hundred feet away. We had campfires here in the 70's and though the camp leaders spoke of the graveyard that we sat upon, we did not believe it and merely thought of it as stories. Later, the gravel companies took away the hill and the other half of the village terrace. Erosion threatens the rest now. "Within The Sound Of My Voice" © 1998, by Clayton J. Barker Within the sound of my voice A cloud of lilac lingers, A heavenly breeze of its perfume Drifts softly past my fingers. Within the sound of my voice Purple and bright yellow chuckle, Cheerfully hum the humming birds While browsing the honeysuckle. Within the sound of my voice A meandering stream is flowing, The wind witch stirs the autumn leaves, The winds of change are blowing. Within the sound of my voice White pines are freely singing, The mighty oak hears each word And all bird's songs there ringing. Within the sound of my voice 'Neath the sacred ground are sleeping, all those dear who once were heroes, through this world their souls are sweeping. Within the sound of my voice The whisper of ancient lyrics hallow As the path I go unfolds before me, Behind me newer voices follow. Within the sound of my voice Cold winter snow is falling, Though tranquil in this wilderness, The warmer days are calling.

Author:
thunderjohn1793

Tags:
Whitemen's, Creek, Brant, County, Ontario, History, outdoors, Canada, Snowshoes, Scouts,