Benton Harbor bids farewell to 200-year-old landmark

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - The Benton Harbor community bid farewell to a 200-year-old community landmark, a cottonwood tree, after it was struck by lightning nearly five years ago.

The cottonwood tree, located in the 600 block of Territorial Road, was dedicated to the area by the Algonquin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1942.

A large stone that was placed by the tree in 1942 still sits there today.

The tree served the community as a GPS tool before the technology had been invented.

After the tree's removal, the plan is to take a closer look at growth rings within the tree to determine its actual age.