May 2009 - Posts
By Stephanie Himango, NBC News Producer
A tree has died in Minnesota. You may think it sounds silly, but the tree’s demise has made those of us who knew it sad. And mad.
From the time I was a small child on the shore of Lake Superior, it was special when we drove past the "Honk Tree."
The pine tree stood awkwardly and proudly in the vast median of Highway 61 between the northern Minnesota towns of Two Harbors and Duluth. During the summer months, it had green grass at its feet, and in the long winter months, white snow.
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| Stephanie Himango |
| The famous “Honking Tree” landmark on Minnesota’s Highway 61 before it was destroyed by vandals. |
As the story goes, in the 1960's, a highway engineer named Charlie Hensley insisted that during construction of "the new highway 61," the tree should be spared.
For years, it was known to be the only tree to stand in the median for that 21-mile stretch. Over the years, it grew from a small tree to a big strong one.
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