DUARTE, Calif. (AP) — The “Hanging Tree” of Duarte has bitten the dust.
KNBC-TV (http://bit.ly/1t3ftk3 ) says the huge old oak uprooted around 2 a.m. Wednesday in the eastern Los Angeles suburb. It hit the roof of a townhome complex and knocked down part of a balcony.
At least five residents were forced out of their homes until the units can be safety-inspected.
A crew is cutting up the 50-foot tree.
Alan Heller, whose wife wrote a book about Duarte’s history, says local lore declares the tree was used to dispense “swift justice” in the late 1800s — although there’s not a shred of evidence to back it up.
Heller says it’s a shame to lose a piece of history. However, a chunk of the tree will wind up in the town’s historical museum.
