Thunderstorm Wind in Edwards County, Kansas

Calves killed...cars blown off the highway...a window was blown out of a pickup...60 power poles blown down...a large tree was uprooted in Belpre. The tree was Belpre's historic balsam fir tree, a landmark in the town for 108 years. It was also the first balsam fir tree planted in Kansas. The tree was plnated by a local blacksmith in 1888 after a trip back from Colorado. Note: The balsam fir tree is one of the most difficult trees to transplant and almost never grows outside of its native areas of the Rocky Mountains and the northeastern states. Considering that the tree was dug up several days before and transported to Kansas under less than ideal conditions, the survival of the tree was remarkable. The spring and summer of 1888 were unusually wet, which probably aided its growth and development.