Townsend Trees Planted for Special Purposes
 | Author:
Patrick Plantenberg, Tree Board Chair
Townsend Tree Board Chair, Townsend Rotary Club |
Townsend Trees Planted for Special Purposes
Patrick Plantenberg
Tree Board Chair
This is the tenth of a series of articles about trees planted in Townsend and Broadwater County to honor people, special events, or for other purposes.
The Tree Board hopes people will come forward with more information on other trees planted on public as well as private property so the tree and its purpose can be documented.
46) Malus species ‘Spring Snow’, Spring Snow Crabapple; planted at 204 Broadway.
• This tree was planted in 2006 by the Tree Board at the Townsend Hardware Hank Store (next South Fork Hardware, now Townsend Hardware). It is a building history memorial tree: “This lot was vacant until 1916 when Ed Gruber and Adnah Kimpton built the Townsend Garage and Implement Company. This was one of the first car sales and repair shops in Townsend. Within a year, the mechanic, James E. Ward took over the business, dropped the Implement business, and changed the name to Ward Motors. In 1958, Jim sold the business to Neifert-White and Company. The building held two firms when the Broadwater Bygones was published: Foster Company and Coast to Coast Hardware”.
The building history is from the Broadwater Bygones. The tree was funded by Jim, Peggy, Jeff, and Quinn Chamberlain, owners of the Townsend Hardware Hank Store at the time. The tree is being sprayed for fireblight annually. The tree is in good condition.
47) Acer ginnala, Ginnala Maple; planted in Heritage Park playground.
• This tree was planted in May 2007 in memory of Jack Nelson. Jack was a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Townsend. It was planted by Rotary and the Tree Board. The tree was paid for by the Rotary Club of Townsend. The tree is in the playground north of the rest rocks on the southwest corner of the playground. The tree is in fair condition and must be treated with elemental sulfur and chelated iron each year because of our alkaline soils.
48) Malus species ‘Spring Snow’, Spring Snow Crabapple; planted at 133 N. Oak (now Hospital Parking Lot).
• This tree was planted in 2010, at Lyle Bird's house at the time, as a memorial tree for his wife. The tree was planted by the Townsend Tree Board. The tree is the second tree east of the alley on the north side of the parking lot. The tree is in good condition and is treated for fireblight each year.
49) Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Pillar’, Ivory Pillar Japanese Tree Lilac; planted in front of City Hall at 110 Broadway.
• This original tree, an Ivory Silk Japanese Tree Lilac was planted in May 2007 as a tree to honor Mayor Mary Alice Upton for all her contributions to Townsend. The tree was planted by the Townsend City Council, the City Maintenance Crew, and the Tree Board. The original tree died; and the Tree Board replanted an Ivory pillar Japanese Tree Lilac in 2017. The tree is in good condition.
50) Betula papyrifera ‘Varen’, Prairie Dream Paper Birch; planted in Heritage Park
• The original Young’s Weeping Birch, Betula pendula ‘Youngii’, was planted in July 2008 as a memorial tree for Ron Thompson (5/14/1958 to 4/9/2008). “Always Loving. Always Loved”. The tree was planted by the family, friends, and the Tree Board. The original tree died. Another Youngs Weeping Birch was planted in 2009 and it eventually died. The Tree Board replanted a Betula pendula ’Trost Dwarf Weeping Birch’ in 2016 and it died. Finally, the Prairie Dream Paper Birch was planted in 2017. The tree is southeast of the Bob Curtis bench on the southeast corner of Heritage Park. The tree is in good condition.
