By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp. — About 250 years ago American rebels threw 342 chests of British Tea into the Boston Harbor and George Washington was named  Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. About that same time there’s a good chance a white oak tree was growing in Atlas Township in what is today the Horton Cemetery.
In June 2022, the stately white oak tree, 36 inches across and an estimated 70 feet in height was removed from the west side of the historic Horton Cemetery after large branches and a decaying trunk prompted the township to have it removed.
To preserve the natural history of the white oak, the Atlas Board of Trustees approved $4,500 to use the salvageable trunk sections to create a 6 feet-by-8 feet table for the township hall.
“The tree was becoming a liability,” said Dustin Kruger, owner of Davison-based All Seasons Tree And Lawn. “A large branch had fell on the fence. The tree had split at the base and most of the first 10 feet was rotten.”
Currently, two sections of the tree will be cut into three-inch thick slabs and dried in a kiln. The table will include steel legs for support and live inside edges.
“We’ll construct a forever table for the township and preserve a small piece of history for the community,” said Kruger.
The project should be completed later this summer.