Generations of Johnson County residents have driven under the locally famous leaning tree, wondering how it doesn’t topple over, amazed that it has stood that way for so long.
The leaning tree, which has stood at a 45-degree angle for roughly 200 years, is about 3 miles south of Franklin in the 3500 block of Airport Road.
The historic sycamore tree has been leaning for as long as anyone in Johnson County can remember.
Now, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners and Johnson County Highway Department are considering whether it needs to be removed due to safety concerns.
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County doing its due diligence
The commissioners postponed making a decision about the tree at its meeting Monday after Luke Mastin, county highway director, told the board the report by a master arborist hired by the county is not yet finalized.
The county closed Airport Road last week based on a preliminary report that said the tree had reached a state of decay in which it could fall at any time, Mastin said. Travelers, usually only those who live in the area or commute between Franklin and Camp Atterbury in southern Johnson County, drive or ride directly under the tree.
The investigation began after a resident complained nearly two weeks ago that the tree looks to have rotted significantly. The road will remain closed until it is more clear how bad of shape it is in, he said.
The waters are muddied because a second master arborist from Purdue University also looked at the tree and reached a different conclusion, Mastin said. That arborist said the base of the tree is not likely to fall, but the canopy is at risk of falling into the roadway, he said.
Since their reports are conflicting, Mastin told the commissioners and the public Monday he plans to reach out to the arborists and see where the discrepancy lies. If all else fails, he will seek out a third arborist for clarity, he said.
“The key is that we have good information,” Mastin said. “We do not take this decision lightly.”
When Mastin first began looking into the tree’s history, he wasn’t expecting this outcome, he said.
“If you look at the tree, it still looks solid, but there is quite a bit of rot. We had anticipated that we had a lot more time before we had to do anything,” Mastin said.
But that may not be the case.
Whether the tree goes or stays, the highway department will, at least, trim back dead parts of the canopy, he said.
Symbol of survival
Gary Long, 74, of Franklin, grew up around the corner from the tree on County Road 300 South and has farmed the land where the tree stands his entire life. As a young man, he helped the Mullendores farm the land, later leased it and now owns it, he said.
The tree has been standing since before he was born, despite its slant. Though it has been rotting for many years, the tree hasn’t lost any large limbs, he said.
“It doesn’t look like it should be standing; all the weight is on one side. But it is big and strong and probably has a great root system,” Long said.
The county highway department asked Long years ago if he wanted it removed, but he said no in hopes it could continue standing for as long as it remains safe, he said.
But now that the tree is a potential safety hazard, Long said he would be sad to see it go, but understands if it must.
“Like anything that is no longer there, you will miss it when it’s gone,” he said.
If the tree is removed, Long’s main concern is making sure his crops aren’t damaged, which is especially critical given the low crop prices predicted and planting delay from the wet spring, he said.
He is not the only one who will miss the tree if it comes down. Hundreds have posted about the leaning tree on social media, and others have formed Facebook groups with a goal of saving it.
Franklin resident Dan Catlin did more than post about it. He took action by reaching out to county officials as soon as he found out the tree was at risk of removal. Catlin emailed every member of the Johnson County Council, and was eventually forwarded to Mastin, who wrote back to him with information about the tree, he said.
Catlin, an avid bicyclist, has enjoyed riding past the tree since he moved to Franklin more than 16 years ago. He shares his appreciation of the tree by incorporating it in organized bike rides through rural Johnson County, he said.
“That tree is a testimony to never give up. That’s why I bring them by it,” Catlin said. “People see it and they think, ‘If that tree can stand-up, I can make it home.’”
The leaning tree, to Catlin, is more than just a tree.
“I feel like, in a weird way, it is a symbol. I think it is a sign of living things that can survive under (adversity),” Catlin said. “These days, with COVID-19, people are trying so hard to take care of each other. They are still standing just like that tree.”
Despite the tree’s symbolism, he understands the danger it could pose and why it may have to come down, he said.
The commissioners will discuss the tree again at its next meeting, set for 10 a.m June 22. In the meantime, the tree will remain off limits to the public.
