Tosa East Towne residents knew the elm in the 2500 block of North 64th Street was a huge tree just by walking past it. And the homeowner said it was estimated to be the biggest on record in the city, according to city forestry staff.
But no one knew how old it was, before city staff removed the tree in late April to prevent its great branches from falling and causing "catastrophic damage."
Its precise age is still a mystery — no one living today was there when it took root — but we now have a estimate: 120 years. That is what the city arborist told Jodi and Jay Nolte, who had considered the tree in front of their house like a member of the family since they moved to the block in 1998.
The rings of the tree were exposed for inspection only briefly. After city crews cut down the tree during the week of April 20, they returned last week to grind the stump, leaving a patch of dirt in front of the Noltes' house. They expect a much smaller replacement tree eventually will be planted.
"We are still in mourning," Jodi Nolte told Tosa Forward News this week. "Our house looks naked. And, I don’t recognize where to turn when I drive home. It will take getting used to."