GREENWICH – Crall Woods in the northwest corner of Ashland County became the 61st forest added to the Old-Growth Forest Network Tuesday morning during a dedication ceremony at the park.
Crall Woods, one of 16 parks in the Ashland County Park District, contains 39 acres of woods that adhere to the rigorous standards set up by the OGFN.
Professor Joan Maloof of Salisbury University founded the OGFN to preserve, protect and promote the country’s few remaining stands of old-growth forest. Maloof, who attended Tuesday’s ceremony, said that less than 1 percent of our nation’s forests are left in old-growth condition.
“Instead of just blaming the previous generations, we look at what can we do now. And what we can do now is honor these forests and make sure that no more of them are lost,” Maloof said. “There are so many cases across the country where beautiful little remnants were saved by families who didn’t care about their pocketbooks. They cared more about the hearts of the people and the lives of those wild creatures. So we honor the family for protecting the forest and making sure it got into public hands so everybody could enjoy it.”
Several members of the Crall family attended the ceremony, including Park District Commissioner Kolleen Crall.
Crall shared the history of the Crall family owning the land. Her husband Ronald’s grandfather purchased the land in 1934, including the old growth forest. The land was then passed down to Ronald’s parents, William and Mabel Crall, who continued to preserve the old-growth forest.
“I’m just very thankful and blessed that they did that because now all of you and generations from now can experience that,” Kolleen said.
Also in attendance were William Crall’s daughter and her husband, Nancy and Doug Sweeten, and his son, Bob Crall.
“I know my dad and grandpa would be very proud,” Bob Crall said. “Both my father and grandfather never ever thought about cutting it down, even though other members of the family said, ‘Hey, maybe that would be a good idea.’ No. it was never going to happen.”
Park District Commissioner Tom Kruse read a portion of a 1964 study published by the Ohio State University, written by John Aughanbaugh.
“’Even now days, human emotions still kindle with the sight of a remnant of forest primeval that defies the centuries. These mystic ties between mankind and woodland, persisting for countless ages, as evidenced by painting, poetry and prose, are reminiscent perhaps of a time when forests provided every necessity of life. Admiration of majestic trees pervade the histories of all races of people.’ When he found these woods, he was awestruck by it,” Kruse said.
Kruse said originally the farm was settled by the Sutherland family, who revered trees and protected this portion of the forest and decided not to graze or log this area.
“The Crall family has continued that tradition. So for another four generations now there’s been no logging, no grazing, there were no logging trails, so the forest has remained for another four generations untouched,” Kruse said. “This is really amazing.”
“It’s just a testimony to the Crall family and I give thanks to all of you and your ancestors. Thank you for your gift to the county, to the state, and to the nation, because this is truly an amazing remnant,” Kruse said.
Congressman Bob Gibbs, who was present when Crall Woods was dedicated in 2004, said it’s important to preserve old-growth forests for people to learn from.
“It’s a laboratory for the future,” Gibbs said of the woods. “This is really a crown jewel of Ashland County. This is really unique and we should really be proud of it. It’s really something to treasure for our kids and our grandkids and future generations.”
“When I talk to people about Crall Woods and our parks, I always tell them that if they want to have their grandchildren see what Daniel Boone saw and what the settlers saw when they came to this neck of the woods, then they need to come to Crall Woods, which I think is very worth of preservation,” Park District Commissioner Bob DeSanto said.
In 1974, Crall Woods was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
Following the ceremony, Kruse led a walk through the park to the old-growth section, sharing his insights as he walked.
