BROCKTON, Mass., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A 300-year-old sycamore Liberty Tree that served as a Massachusetts meeting place for abolitionists has been cut down because of storm damage and disease.
The tree in Brockton, Mass., was used as an Underground Railroad marker and secret meeting place for anti-slavery forces in the 19th century. A plaque in front of the tree read: "Famous Historic Site. Under this old sycamore tree were held many meetings to help free the slaves."
But time had ravaged the tree. Two weeks ago, a 2,000-pound branch was ripped off the tree in a windstorm and crashed into a nearby parking lot with the sound of an explosion, the Boston Globe reported Tuesday. Arborists determined the tree was rotting inside, a diagnosis confirmed when its trunk was cut down Monday.
Brockton Mayor John Yuntis said the city plans to erect a park at the site, with the auction of some of the branches to help pay for construction.
Clones of the Liberty Tree have been planted in several locations in Brockton, the Globe reported.
