CANE HILL -- The tale of the annual Cane Hill Christmas tree tradition starts with a cedar toppled at the Springfield Ranch during a storm in December 2000, according to its benefactor.
The town had a barbecue establishment at the time, recalls the benefactor, who asked to remain anonymous (although it's likely everyone in town knows who the person is).
"It was decided this sad event should not go to waste, so the tree was dragged down to the BBQ and lashed to a light pole next to the building," she said in an email detailing the tradition. "The necessary decorations were collected from various sources, and a party was planned. Many locals showed up and the lighting was even accompanied by an impromptu snowfall that evening."
Townspeople cut a tree the next year and placed it on the frontage of Springfield Ranch, a local stables and event center, in a hole dug for it. In the ensuing years, celebrants lashed a newly cut tree to the tall trunk of a long-deceased sycamore tree, the benefactor remembers.
"Once the BBQ went out of business, Springfield Ranch supplied a tent for the festivities, which became more elaborate as the years passed by. What started out as just cookies and hot cocoa morphed into several tables loaded with every kind of holiday goodies imaginable," she said.
Festivities included a trivia contest, door prizes, carols and Santa, of course. One lucky person was picked to throw the switch and light the tree.
The sycamore served well until advanced decay got it in 2007. Patrons who wanted the tradition to continue bought a live tree, and the benefactor agreed to decorate the evergreen each holiday season and remove decorations afterward.
The hole was dug to the precise specifications and measured thrice, just to be sure, the benefactor recalled.
"The planting and blessing were scheduled; the day was perfect as the crowd gathered in anticipation."
When the delivery truck came rolling down Arkansas 45, a cheer went up, she said. Then the drivers declared the hole too big. The crowd started for their shovels.
"There was a loud explosion from the highway as a truck towing a trailer had a blowout. It was destiny that this tree should begin its life in Cane Hill with a miracle, for the trailer was carrying a back hoe," she recalled.
The 2008 tree lighting was even more joyous than previous years as guests marveled at the beauty of the tree that would celebrate the season for many years to come.
Fate is fickle. The great ice storm of 2009 bent the tree almost to the ground, the benefactor said.
"In the following years, the tree suffered from drought, disease, flooding and more drought. A whole section on the backside died, but it kept fighting," she said.
The original 20-by-20-foot tent became a 20-by-40-foot tent as the party grew over the years. A Santa annex was added in 2018.
Weather and covid-19 have scuttled the community lighting celebration for the last three years, the benefactor said, but the Cane Hill tree is lit every night through the Feast of Three Kings, which is Jan. 6 this season.
"The Cane Hill Christmas tree is about the spirit of Christmas and community. Although we have not had a party to celebrate the lighting, the presence of this unusual, beautiful and enduring tree gives hope to those who pass," she explained.
The benefactor can hear cars along the highway at times, but unlike their usual break-neck speed, many slow when the tree comes into sight.
"Occasionally, I hear one pull into the driveway and stop for a bit," she said. "If you are traveling through downtown Cane Hill this holiday season, slow down and admire a real survivor of a tree."
The sun sets Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, on the town Christmas tree along Arkansas 45 in Canehill. The town has had a Christmas tree of some sort since 2000, when a tree was placed nearby a barbecue stand along the highway. After years of cutting down a tree, a tree was purchased and planted thanks to an anonymous resident who continues to care for and decorate the tree each year. Visit nwaonline.com/211223Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)