COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – In the hopes that the old Indian Marker Tree next to the North Oak Grove Cemetery can be saved after it was badly damaged in the February 2023 ice storm, the Coldwater City Council approved a Conservation Easement Agreement with the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi on Monday night.
Onyleen Zapata from the Tribe said the easement would grant them legal access to treat and preserve the historic tree.
Because of how it was uprooted, there were initial fears the trees could not be salvaged. City Attorney Amanda O’Boyle said the easement will give the Tribe a chance to save it.
The Branch County Historical Society reported about three years ago the tree was overcome by the weight of the ice. Due to its out-of-balance structure, the north-side roots system was ripped out of the ground and the tree collapsed over on its side.
The Society studied the tree in 2014 and it was estimated the Marker Tree was between 250 and 300 years old. This would place its purposeful beginning existence around 1723 to 1773.
The easement would cover a portion of the Oak Grove Cemetery along the north side of US-12 and the south edge of the north cemetery.
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