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Home > Kansas City Today > Kansas City says goodbye to Frank the Liberty Tree
Podcast: Kansas City Today
Episode:

Kansas City says goodbye to Frank the Liberty Tree

Category: News & Politics
Duration: 00:09:48
Publish Date: 2026-01-14 09:00:00
Description:

A huge tree is being cut down in Kansas City's Historic Northeast. The burr oak predates even the Revolutionary War and survived as the city sprang up around it. But after a lightning strike and years of disease, this Liberty Tree has reached its end.

A doomed tree in Kansas City, one as old as the United States, started coming down yesterday. It’s got a name, Frank the Liberty Tree, and it’s had an impact. When neighbors gathered recently to kiss the ancient tree goodbye, many glimpsed a deep link to the past. As KCUR’s Frank Morris reports, some also saw a potent metaphor for the present.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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