The Herald-News - News Story

A towering Pin Oak tree that shaded the Rhea County Courthouse lawn well before the historic 1925 Scopes Trial was toppled this week.

Concerns that the 65-foot frail, hollowed-out oak would shed one of its massive branches caused county officials to call for the ax. A loud thud echoed through downtown Tuesday about noon when the final piece of the trunk crashed onto the courthouse lawn.

The tree at the corner of Second Avenue and Court Street was at least 100 years old, although an official age of the tree won't be known until its rings can be counted.

"We need to appreciate these pieces of nature that are a matter of our heritage," said Dr. Richard Cornelius, a local historian and Bryan College professor emeritus who has worked to preserve trees around the historic courthouse.

Cornelius said nine of the 20 trees in the courthouse grove predate the Scopes Trial, the famous 1925 hearing that tested laws against teaching evolution in schools.

The Pin Oak may have been the oldest of the lot, and it can be seen in dozens of historic photographs taken of the courthouse, including those shot during the Scopes Trial, Cornelius said. But he said the pin oak was also the "weakest, sickest and most dangerous" in the grove.

Cornelius said he did not object to the county cutting the tree down because of its sickly condition, but he said more effort must be put into preserving the historic courthouse trees.

"There is a tourist attraction getting away from us by sheer neglect," said Cornelius, who has worked with arborists to study the trees. He said plans are in place to add markers and historical information about the trees.

Rhea County Executive Billy Ray Patton said the county is working to properly prune trees in the courthouse grove. He said the towering trees that anchor the center of downtown Dayton can be deadly, however, and the pin oak was at risk of falling.

The dangers of the downtown trees were evident last week, Patton said, when a large limb broke off a tree and crashed on Market Street near The General Store. Luckily, the branch fell on a Sunday when fewer cars and pedestrians were on the street, and no damage was reported.

"We do realize the importance of these trees but we also have to consider the liability," said Patton, who noted that there are no other plans of removing more trees from the courthouse square. "This tree was an accident waiting to happen."

Barber Bobby Beard said he understood why the county decided to saw the pin oak down. His shop sits across the street from the oak, and he and customers watched as workers dismantled its impressive branches Monday.

"If they don't cut it down sooner or later, it's going to hurt someone," Beard said. "I hate to see it go, but it has to go."

Others in the barbershop were upset to see the tree toppled. Some suggested the county should have pared back the top branches of the tree in order to save it from gusting winds.

David Hancock, an employee of Ted's Tree Service who helped remove the tree, said the pin oak was badly damaged. He said a gaping crack split the trunk and the tree's interior had become hollow.

Hancock said he had memories of the tree from his childhood and it was difficult to see it taken down.

"My grandpa would sit under this tree and whittle wood," Hancock said. "He always said this tree would be here long after we were gone. I really hate to see it go, but it needs to come down."