An opportunity to view the nation's Christmas tree is coming up, and no, driving nearly 900 miles will not be necessary. The 53rd U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is scheduled to make a whistle-stop from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Menards in Poplar Bluff during its journey from the Kootenai National Forest in Montana to Washington D.C.
Once departed, the tree will make two more stops, first in Paducah, Ky., the other at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, before its delivery at the nation's capitol on Nov. 27. The lighting ceremony will be held Nov. 30 and the tree will remain on display, along with 70 smaller trees from Montana placed throughout D.C., during the holiday season.
"To my knowledge, this tree has never been through Poplar Bluff," Chamber of Commerce President Steve Halter said. "We are always looking for exciting things to bring to Poplar Bluff that will entice people to visit the community."
According to Halter, he worked for several months arranging the visit and said the public will have exactly 1.5 hours to view the 79 ft., tall Engelmann Spruce, also known as, "The People's Tree," before it leaves promptly at the scheduled departure time.
During its 15-day journey of more than 3,460 miles, the tree will visit 20 communities in six states. Prior to its arrival in Poplar Bluff, folks in the Springfield, Mo., area can see it at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium on Tuesday.
Halter said special events, such as this, benefit local commerce and hopes people from surrounding towns take advantage of this unique experience to check out Poplar Bluff's recent growth in time for the holiday season.
"I believe it will draw a lot of people to our area, which will be great exposure and hopefully they will shop, eat and stay," he said.
The People's Tree will be riding with Larry Spiekermeier, a trusted driver for Whitewood Transport and his wife, Mary Ann, who plans to ride along for 900 miles. Spiekermeier was honored as Whitewood's Driver of the Year in 2009 and 2015 and has reportedly logged 1.6 million accident-free miles.
The tree itself, which was cut down on Nov. 7, will be packaged in an 80 ft., long and 30 ft., wide trailer. Once in D.C., it will be decorated with 150 boxes of ornaments made in Montana and a nine-foot tall copper star will sit at the top.
The 2016 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, also an Engelmann Spruce, was provided by the Payette National Forest in Idaho. This is the second capitol tree to come from the Kootenai National Forest. The last tree to come from Montana was a Subalpine Fir from the Bitterroot National Forest in 2008.
Southeast Missouri will have another tie to the national Christmas celebration because of one Eminence, Mo., native. Artist Jennifer Dodson designed ornaments, showcasing historic structures from Missouri national parks and historic sites, to be featured on one of 56 trees representing each U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia as part of the America Celebrates display.
Dodson said she emphasized Ozark National Scenic Riverways sites, which appear on six of the twelve ornaments.
"I get the unique opportunity to show the nation many of Missouri's crown jewels, and also pay tribute to my home park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which was recently devastated by record flooding in late April of this year," she said. "I want to celebrate the spirit of recovery and resilience that have been demonstrated by the people of our area and convey the message that although we have been bruised a bit, we are alive and ready for visitors."
Dodson was nominated by Ozark National Scenic Riverways, where her talents as a volunteer artist are well-known. She said she painted historic structures "because they have stood the test of time and are of great cultural significance, with each having a unique story to tell."
Included in her designs are Alley Spring Mill, Big Spring Lodge, Klepzig Mill, and Storys Creek Schoolhouse. She said the ornaments depict snow scenes representing the serenity and peace, which abound in many of the parks, particularly in winter months.