A tree planted in 2017 by the Fayette Rotary Club on the lawn of the Howard County Courthouse was transplanted Thursday morning to the Fayette City Park. County commissioners feared the red oak tree would grow too large for the lawn.

Fayette Rotary Club President Greg Stidham and fellow members Roger Lembke and Kurt Rohrer oversaw the transplant by a crew from Rost Landscaping. Local arborist Dakota Wells was also involved in the transplant. Fayette employee Dennis Daniels helped with the city’s backhoe. 

Once the tree has been thoroughly watered, Wells will treat it with a root stabilizer to ensure its survival. When fully mature, the tree could reach heights of 60 or 70 feet, he said.

The red oak was initially planted on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn by Rohrer and Gale Schafer. A smaller dogwood tree will be planted in its place on the east side of the courthouse.

The Fayette Rotary Club has a history of planting trees. In 2017, the club planted 54 trees in areas all around Fayette, including the high school, the park, the golf course, and the Howard County Fairgrounds.

Rotary International encourages its local clubs to plant trees, Rohrer explained. Tree planting has been a symbol of the club in honor of founder Paul Harris, who planted thousands of trees around the world in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Fayette club plans to plant two more trees in Fayette this year: a dogwood tree at the courthouse and a burr oak near the ball field at the Fayette City Park.