Bureau County, IL – A monumental bur oak in Mineral, older than the United States itself, was cut down for safety reasons.
Taylor’s Tree Service acted last Friday after the tree, which stood through the shaping of American history, succumbed to a damaging fungus. The tree’s existence stretched back 250 years, with a span wide enough to hold stories and councils, such as those led by Chief Shabbona with Native American tribes.
The Bureau County Soil & Water Conservation District has plans to salvage parts of the tree for historical remembrance and public keepsakes, as well as to establish a new ‘Witness Tree’ as a living tribute to this lost sentinel.
