This Osage orange tree at Red Hill, a male of the species, is the largest of its kind in the nation and for decades was named the National Champion by the American Forest Hall of Fame. At the turn of this century, it was at least 330 years old, stood more than 60 feet tall, had an average branch span of more than 85 feet, and a circumference of nearly 30 feet. The Osage orange became popular in the eastern states after the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806. Named after the Osage Tribe of Missouri, its wood was used to make bows, and its valuable seed was heavily traded among American Indians. As settlers moved west, they found that its wood made excellent wagon wheel rims, and when planted in hedgerows it quickly grew into an impenetrable fence for livestock that was "horse high, bull strong, and pig tight." With the invention of barbed wire fencing, the Osage orange fell into disfavor because it had thorns and bore a messy fruit that is inedible for humans, although squirrels greatly like the round, fleshy green fruit.