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Liberty Tree planted in Tyrone

Borough officials plant tulip tree for America250

By Matt Churella 3 min read

TYRONE -- Tyrone Borough officials reaffirmed their love of freedom by planting a Liberty Tree Monday for the 250th anniversary of Pennsylvania ratifying its first constitution.

The tulip tree planted near the Tyrone Railroad Park came from Mifflin County. It is expected to grow up to 150 feet tall and live for about 300 years, according to former state Rep. Samuel Hayes Jr., who donated the tree to the borough in honor of America250PA.

Hayes, a Republican, served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1971-92. Before then, he was a teacher at Tyrone Area High School and is a Vietnam War veteran. Hayes also served as the Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture from 1997-2003.

The first known Liberty Tree was in Boston, and it served as a symbol of early American resistance against British rule before the American Revolution, Hayes said. That tree was ultimately cut down by a group of loyalists and British soldiers in August 1775, but there were Liberty Trees thereafter throughout the colonies.

Hayes said he picked a tulip tree, sometimes referred to as "the yellow poplar," because tulips are an expression of love and affection.

"Today, we're not only planting a tree, we're also expressing our love for freedom and liberty," Hayes said, noting the tree also reaffirms the right to assemble and pursue happiness.

Borough leaders -- Mayor John Harlow, Borough Manager Kim Gurekovich and council members Bob Dollar and Debbie Kann -- planted the tree, with help from Showalter Landscaping representatives.

Larrie Derman, who dug up the borough's bicentennial time capsule earlier this year and buried a new one in its place, and members of the America250PA Blair County committee, including former county commissioner Donna Gority, were also on hand for the ceremony.

As Derman took a shovel from Harlow and prepared to dig up some dirt around the tree, he said, "I'm used to digging," with a big smile on his face.

"Don't bury it, Larrie," Hayes jokingly said.

Harlow thanked Hayes for donating the tree, who in turn thanked Harlow for watering and caring for the tree over the next few years.

"That is my homework assignment," Harlow said in response to Hayes, whom he referred to as "somebody who's been nothing but a servant leader."

"He will serve until his dying day; that's who Mr. Hayes is," Harlow said. "He is somebody I'm proud to call a mentor and somebody I'm unbelievably happy to be able to call a friend."

Harlow said the newly planted tree will make for a beautiful gathering spot at Railroad Park, situated along Pennsylvania Avenue between the Little Juniata River and the Tyrone Area Historical Society's museum.

"If you want to use this as something to come up and complain about whatever is happening or unify behind what's going on, I think that's an awesome thing," Harlow said, referring to the tree.

"It'll be a piece of history that we had a chance to put into Tyrone that 50 years from now or 100 years from now, people will still be talking about it."

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

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