Oh Christmas Tree
Many area residents fondly remember the 75-foot pine tree which once stood in downtown Powell just west of the Four Corners. It was first lit in 1948 by the newly formed-volunteer Liberty Township Fire Department. With strands of cascading-colored lights and a huge neon star on the top, it could be seen for miles around. Fred Reeves, the first Fire Chief, served as Santa for many years, usually arriving aboard one of the township’s firetrucks. Volunteer Eugene “Andy” Anderson, an electrician by trade, helped with the annual lighting since graduating from Powell High School in 1949. Fred Reeves, who also owned the local Red and White grocery and Clara Bell Landstrom, owner of the Powell Market, raised donations to pay for the electricity. They also put the donations towards food baskets for the needy. By the time Anderson retired as Chief in 1989, after forty years of service, the 100-year-old tree was getting brittle and dangerous to decorate and was eventually cut down in 1997. Andy Anderson passed away this December 2022 at age 91. Fred Reeves’ son Mac, who took this picture and often put the star on top of the tree, also passed away that year.
