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 fourteenth 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.
63) Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak; planted in 2011 in Veteran’s Park.
• This tree was originally planted in 2010 to honor Damon C. Lavender May 16, 1931 - March 29, 2010. United States Army 119th Transport Company 1951-1953, Army Reserve 1953-1957. Beloved Husband and Father. “We will Love You Forever”. Planted by the family and the Tree Board. The tree was donated by the family. The original tree died. Another bur oak was planted in 2011. The tree is the furthest south tree on the west side of Veteran’s Park. The tree has bullet galls but is in good condition.
64) Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Patmore’, Patmore Green Ash; planted in 2008 in memory of Pete Cartwright at 131 N. Maple.
• This tree was planted in 2008 in memory of Pete Cartwright by the Townsend Tree Board. The tree was donated by Laurie and Carol Somers. The tree is located between two white ash trees on the front lawn next to North Maple Street. The tree is in good condition.
65) Celtis occidentalis, Common Hackberry; planted in 2021 to honor the Kearns Family at 114 N. Cedar Street.
• This tree was planted in spring 2010 to honor the Kearns Family at 114 North Cedar Street on the east side of the State Bank and Fire Hall parking lot. The tree was planted by the Tree Board. The tree was donated by the State Bank of Townsend. The parking lot vegetation was killed with Pramitol which killed the tree. Three other trees have been planted since 2010. The last tree was planted in 2021 and has survived to date. The tree is in good condition.
66) Ulmus americana ‘Lewis and Clark’ Prairie Expedition Elm; planted in 2022 in Heritage Park to replace a weeping birch planted on Earth Day 2004.
• A Dalecarlica Weeping Birch (Betula pendula ‘Dalecarlica’) tree was planted on Earth Day 2004 by the Cecelia Hazelton Elementary School 4th Grade Class, Sally Bostrom, and Jennifer Lane. A windstorm blew the tree over in July 2022. The Prairie Expedition Elm was planted to replace the birch in August 2022 by the Tree Board. The elm is in the same landscape bed as the Heritage Park sign. The tree is in good condition.
67) Pyrus ussuriensis ‘Mordak’, Prairie Gem Flowering Pear; planted in 2004 at Townsend School District #1 to honor the 2004 Arbor Day Poster Contest winners.
• The tree was planted on Arbor Day 2004 to honor the 2004 5th Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest winner, Rachel Cordova. Rachel also won second place in the State Arbor Day Poster Contest. The tree was planted by the 5th-grade students and teachers and the Tree Board. The tree was a gift from the DNRC Urban and Community Forestry Program. The tree is suffering from fireblight and is being treated with Reliant and Penta Bark twice a year by the Tree Board.
