Champaign County officially dedicated a newly planted heritage tree in Urbana on Thursday as part of Ohio’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The dedication ceremony was held at 11 a.m. at Freedom Grove, located next to the Champaign County Community Center at 1512 South U.S. Highway 68. The site was selected for its connection to patriotism, military service, first responders and the remembrance of the September 11 attacks.
The tree is part of the Heritage Trees: Planting History program through America 250-Ohio, the state commission coordinating Ohio’s celebrations of the nation’s semiquincentennial in 2026.
The initiative began in 2025 and aims to plant a commemorative tree in all 88 Ohio counties. White oak trees native to Ohio were selected for the program because of their ability to grow in a variety of soil types and their resistance to many tree diseases.
The program draws inspiration from the historic Liberty Tree in Boston, which served as a gathering place during the American Revolution.
Doug Crabill, the Community Development Manager for the City of Urbana, discusses the dedication of the tree.
Urbana was selected as the location for Champaign County’s tree in part because of its status as the county seat and its commitment to preserving trees. The city has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 24 consecutive years.
America 250-Ohio was established in 2022 to plan and coordinate commemorations of the nation’s 250th anniversary and recognize Ohioans’ contributions to the country’s past, present and future.
The Heritage Trees program is supported by presenting sponsor Cenovus Energy and supporting sponsors Ohio Liquor and The Lubrizol Foundation, in partnership with several Ohio conservation and arboretum organizations.
