Milan Area Historical Society
Milan, Michigan
Milan's Crooked Tree
There are two stories about the crooked tree. The first story is what I call the "romantic" story.
Milan was established where two Indian trails crossed, and the corner of Dexter Street and County Street was at the point where one trail turned west and continued on to the corner of Main Street and River (now Wabash) streets where the trail turned south.
A specialist in Indians came to Milan from the University of Michigan. He told people that the Indians used trees to mark their trails and that there were several trees like the Crooked Tree along the Indian Trail.
The second story is the one I believe to be true.
Early pioneers who watched the tree grow reported that it wrapped under a board fence on the property.
The tree began to rot so the city did minor repairs by filling in rotten out areas with cement. They were able to extend the life of the tree for quite a while but finally were forced to cut it down in 1960.
Warren Hale liked the shape of the tree and designed a logo that the Milan Area Historical Society had copyrighted.
Milan Area Historical Society Logo
Last Changed on October 7, 2005.