With the red, white, and blue waving across the headlines, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in Kalamazoo have taken to Bronson Park, starting the drumroll for America's upcoming 250th birthday bash, albeit a bit early. The local chapter dubbed the Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Chapter, planted what's intended to become a beacon of liberty—a Tri-Color Beech tree, labeled a 'liberty tree,' in proud homage to pivotal colonial gathering spots.
The move to plant the tree now is a deliberate nod to ensure it's mature by America's semi-quincentennial, a celebration the DAR members are already jazzed about. "This is the first official America 250 event happening in Michigan," Sharon Carlson, a historical and archival consultant, stated, as per FOX 17. According to Carlson, the goal is to put roots down for what will become a gathering place in which community members can freely assemble, remember, and celebrate by the time the nation hits its major two-and-a-half milestone.
At Sunday's event, Chair of the Liberty Tree Committee Karen Woodworth said, per News Channel 3, "We’re planting this tree now because we’re really starting the celebrations of the semi-quincentennial as we approach the 250th birthday of our country in 2026." The dedication ceremony featured female patriots and historians alike, eyeing not just the past but the future of American tenacity.
Indeed, the humble beginnings of such a tree root back to the early days of American defiance. The original Liberty Tree was a historic conspiratorial cornerstone for colonists in Boston, a prime plot for plotting against the Stamp Act in 1765—a fact not to be forgotten as this new tree hopes to carry on the legacy. "The liberty tree is important to the community because it should be a gathering place for people just like Bronson Park is a gathering place," Woodworth emphasized, according to News Channel 3.
It's not the park's first tribute to freedom. A liberty pole, long gone and believed perhaps to have been melted down for war efforts, once claimed the spot the tree now takes. Sharon Carlson, bringing a semi-retired historical consult's eye to the ceremony, highlighted an ambitious vision to local media that this 250th celebration aims to "be a more diverse inclusive celebration that brings in multiple perspectives and stories," as reported by News Channel 3. Kalamazoo, it seems, is set firmly to branch into America's upcoming commemorative year with invigorated spirit and a fresh canopy to gather under.
The event and the planting itself were supported in part by an America 250! Celebration Grant from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, assures that this sapling, carefully chosen by local forestry experts, marks just the beginning of a sprouted campaign to mix greenery with history. Kalamazoo's residents and visitors, come 2026, will be able to savor shade and patriotism in one spot, as reported by WKZO.
