Storms Irreparably Damage Last Lincoln Home Witness Tree in 60-Mph Gusts
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 13
Storms Irreparably Damage Last Lincoln Home Witness Tree in 60-Mph Gusts
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 13
Summary
Thursday’s storms snapped the upper half of an American linden outside Abraham Lincoln’s former Springfield, Illinois, home, leaving what is believed to be the site’s last surviving “witness” tree beyond repair.
National Park Service staff said winds gusted to at least 60 mph, and photos posted online showed the tree toppled after the storm.
Lincoln bought the house in 1844 and lived there for 17 years, making the tree a rare living link to the period when he built his law practice, served in Congress and left for the White House in 1861.
Historian Kate Masur said such trees act as “natural monuments,” and the loss underscores how fragile physical connections to the past are as debates over how national parks present U.S. history continue.