Dorri Partain
Northeast News

As trees lining the streets along Northeast’s avenues and boulevards begin to show their fall colors, one local tree has stood above the rest for more than two centuries.

A faded plaque in front of that tree, a bur oak at 328 S. Monroe, shows that the tree was designated as a “Liberty Tree” during the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. Across the nation, trees were many of the landmarks sought out and recognized as most likely being in existence during America’s revolution.

In Missouri, recognizing those trees was a project headed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Missouri. During Revolutionary times, patriots often met under designated trees, nicknamed “Liberty Tree” to discuss forming a new nation independent from British rule.

Plaques were placed adjacent to the tree and owners of the trees also received a certificate signed by then-governor Kit Bond and their city’s mayor; Kansas City’s mayor at that time was Charles Wheeler.

Phyllis Edwards grew up under the shade of that massive bur oak. Her father Frank E. McLaughlin bought the property in the 1950’s, not so much for the tree, but the building next to it a two-story brick structure built to house a business on the first floor with an apartment above.

McLaughlin used the first floor to run his self-named plumbing business, and ended up living there the rest of his life. Phyllis, who married Harold Edwards in 1962, came back to live on Monroe Avenue when her parents became elderly and needed assistance. The first floor was converted to an apartment, and her parents moved downstairs while she and Harold lived upstairs.

The tree was central to their daily lives.

“I loved that tree,” Phyllis recalled. “We watched the squirrels go up and down. We had a falcon that would hang around, up in the top branches.”
After her parents passed away, she and Harold moved down to the first floor apartment and one of their sons – they had three – moved into the upstairs apartment.

In 2002, The Northeast News interviewed the Edwards’ and told readers about their Liberty Tree. That year, they also celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. But in 2016, they made the difficult decision to move away – away from Northeast, the family home, the Liberty Tree.

“That was the longest walk I ever made, just the last time walking from the front door, to the car and driving away,” Phyllis said.

The framed certificate printed with her father’s name, declaring their tree as a Liberty Tree, was left behind in a closet for the next owner.

Another change to her life happened last December, when Harold passed away at 81.

This spring, the house was on the market once again. Shawn Arcedino, who owns an auto body repair shop on Truman Road, was looking for a two-story property, one that had possibly been a store front at one time. By June, he was moving in. The certificate for the Liberty Tree was sitting on a window ledge.

On a sunny but slightly chilly Sunday afternoon, Phyllis arrived to visit her former home, the Liberty Tree, and meet the new owner of the building. Her son Jack accompanied her and soon the stories and memories flowed under the shade of the old tree.

Following introductions, Phyllis proclaimed, “I love that tree. So many memories…”

Jack instantly recalled a former pet, a rabbit, that was buried in the old vegetable garden along the fence.

“My daddy grew tomatoes, and green beans, and my husband Harold did too, then the yard got to be too much work, and we moved,” Phyllis said.

She pointed out the concrete stepping stones and told Arcedino, “My daddy made those. I took the one that says ‘Home Sweet Home’ when we moved.”

Arcedino brought out some framed certificates he found in the building’s basement, including Phyllis’s diploma from Northeast High School dated 1961.

“We left some things behind, seems we couldn’t get to all the boxes down there,” she said, as she held them in her lap.

The conversation shifted to the building, how it looks today, and former neighbors. Arcedino had a new screened-in porch built, to enlarge the previous one. The view from the porch is mostly of the upper branches of the Liberty Tree.

The bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is native to Missouri. A slow growing species, once mature they can measure 85-120 feet tall with an 85 foot spread. The post that holds the Liberty Tree marker shows the most recent measurements: 80 feet tall, 62 inch diameter, and 16 feet around.

A Northeast News clipping from July 29, 1976, offers a few details of the ceremony that took place on July 19 in front of the tree. In addition to Mayor Wheeler, other digataries involved in the tree’s recognition attended. The article states that Jerry Monterastilli, a forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation, had estimated the tree’s age at 265 years.

“We didn’t know they were having a ceremony,” Phyllis recalled. “We missed it; we had gone on vacation visiting Harold’s family, he was from Alabama. I sure wish we could have been here though.”

Once the plaque was in place, her father installed a flag pole next to it. Sometime after she moved away, the pole was shortened and now holds lights that illuminate the plaque at night. Arcedino has added an antique light fixture that hangs from the tree.

“It was hit by lightning one year, and we had it trimmed regularly, we didn’t want any branches falling and hurting someone,” Phyllis said. “And the acorns, and all the leaves – we had 20 bags one year – Daddy liked to wait until all the leaves had fallen.”

Even though he’s only been there a few months now, Arcedino is ready for the task of taking care of the historic tree and building. He’d like to restore the front of the building to look more like the original storefront it once was and create a bigger sign for the tree.

“I love it here, just all the history… I imagine it was pretty much the same as it was back then,” Arcedino remarked.

As the visit wound down, Jack offered to find photos of the building and family to share with Arcedino. Arcedino extended the invitation to both to come back again any time, or stop by his business on Truman Road.

As he reached out his hand to Phyllis to say good-bye, she declared, “I want a hug!” to which he gladly complied.

Under the wide branches of the tree that has created so many memories, new memories, and perhaps new friendships, are still being created.