MONROE - The last tree sacrificed for a wider 9th Street stood at the corner of 13th Avenue. It met its demise Wednesday.
The pine tree was about 80 years old, according to Inez Goecks, who grew up in the house on the lot.
Goecks remembers her father, Frank Buehler, planting the tree when she was in high school. At the time, Buehler ran a plumbing business located behind the home.
He eventually became the mayor of Monroe from 1940 to 1952.
Goecks, now 93, still lives in the neighborhood where the tree stood.
There was no special occasion for the planting, Goecks said, and she doesn't know why her father chose that particular corner for his tree.
"I guess that's where he wanted it," she said.
Goecks said the water and sewer mains in the area are old and need to be replace.
"He (her father) told me they were never made for (kitchen sink) disposals," she added.
The Common Council Tuesday approved acquiring the tree for about $400. Dan and Barb Gelbach, who now own the home and lot as rental property, agreed to the city's offer.
The City of Monroe has removed about 70 trees along 14 blocks of the 8th/9th street corridor to make room for a wider roadway that will include an additional turn lane.
The city finalized most all of its land acquisitions, including any trees, last year.
The city had hoped to keep the Buehler pine tree, according to City Engineer Supervisor Al Gerber, but construction crews determined that too many of the tree's roots would be damaged during the digging process to replace water and sewer mains.
Gerber said the city plans to plant more trees to replace many of those that were lost. The new trees will be a low-growing variety whose roots will not interfere with the new mains.
The city began a three-part re-construction project in March, which includes replacing water and sewer mains and the Badger State Trail bridge that runs over the road, as well as setting back utility poles and widening the road.
Construction runs the length of the corridor from Wisconsin 69 to 20th Avenue and is expected to conclude in November.
The pine tree was about 80 years old, according to Inez Goecks, who grew up in the house on the lot.
Goecks remembers her father, Frank Buehler, planting the tree when she was in high school. At the time, Buehler ran a plumbing business located behind the home.
He eventually became the mayor of Monroe from 1940 to 1952.
Goecks, now 93, still lives in the neighborhood where the tree stood.
There was no special occasion for the planting, Goecks said, and she doesn't know why her father chose that particular corner for his tree.
"I guess that's where he wanted it," she said.
Goecks said the water and sewer mains in the area are old and need to be replace.
"He (her father) told me they were never made for (kitchen sink) disposals," she added.
The Common Council Tuesday approved acquiring the tree for about $400. Dan and Barb Gelbach, who now own the home and lot as rental property, agreed to the city's offer.
The City of Monroe has removed about 70 trees along 14 blocks of the 8th/9th street corridor to make room for a wider roadway that will include an additional turn lane.
The city finalized most all of its land acquisitions, including any trees, last year.
The city had hoped to keep the Buehler pine tree, according to City Engineer Supervisor Al Gerber, but construction crews determined that too many of the tree's roots would be damaged during the digging process to replace water and sewer mains.
Gerber said the city plans to plant more trees to replace many of those that were lost. The new trees will be a low-growing variety whose roots will not interfere with the new mains.
The city began a three-part re-construction project in March, which includes replacing water and sewer mains and the Badger State Trail bridge that runs over the road, as well as setting back utility poles and widening the road.
Construction runs the length of the corridor from Wisconsin 69 to 20th Avenue and is expected to conclude in November.