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Kansas City says goodbye to Frank the Liberty Tree

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.

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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.

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As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Jacob Smollen is the 2025-2026 intern for KCUR Studios. Email him at jsmollen@kcur.org.
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