Perry County officials and residents planted a heritage tree on land beside the FFA building in New Lexington, an event tied to this year's America 250 observances. According to the Perry County Tribune, the tree was a gift from Ohio's America 250 commission, which supplied one to every county in the state.
The swamp white oak is a species that can live as long as 300 years, the newspaper reported.
Doug Preisse, who co-chairs the county's America 250 commission, said the commission chose oaks because they are native to Ohio and described them as resilient and symbolic — qualities he linked to what is needed in times of natural disasters and emergencies, the Tribune reported.
County Commissioner Scott Owen said the hope is that 250 years from now, during a 500th anniversary, future residents of Perry County will stand in the tree's shade to celebrate, according to the article.
The planting site sits just off state Route 37 and was selected so the tree can be seen from the road as it grows over the decades, the Tribune reported.