Local girl takes a stand
Teenage girl protests against workers cutting down tree.
Top right: Juli Baker sitting in the sycamore before it was cut down.
Bottom left: student staring up at Juli during her protest.
Eight hours; she would not budge. Juli Baker spent all this time trying to save a piece of her life.
On the morning of September 17, 1963, thirteen-year-old Juli Baker was enjoying her usual morning setup - sitting in the sycamore tree while waiting for the school bus - when she heard a noise coming from below.
Landscapers were ordered to cut down her favourite tree. This was because the landowner wanted to build a house, but the tree was in the way.
"I couldn’t believe what was going on," said Juli. "I was determined to save the sycamore."
The workers threatened to cut down the tree while she was up there, but she stood her ground and did not back down.
"She was feisty, I can tell you that." said the one of the landscapers.
The sycamore tree was right in front of the bus stop, so Juli cried out to her fellow classmates for help, but none of them seemed to care. As soon as the bus came, they hopped on and went to school – but not Juli. She stayed right where she was, in her beloved tree.
“That girl has an iron backbone,” said Chet Duncan. “My wife would’ve sat up there with her. She would’ve sat up there all day.”
Juli caught the attention of many of her neighbours; they all came up to the tree to find out what all the fuss was about.
Juli loved the tree; she often spent her days sitting on the branches, looking out at the world. Even as a child she would climb it with her brothers and swing from the branches.
"The breeze up there smelled like sunshine and wild grass. I couldn’t stop breathing it in." Juli explained. "It was the sweetest smell I’ve ever known."
"And the view was absolutely beautiful," Juli continued. "I could just sit up there for hours, looking out at the world. You could see everything from up there."
A few hours later, Steven Baker (her father) was assisted up to branch in which she was sitting, and persuaded her to come down.
“No view is worth my daughter’s life.” Steven said.
Shortly after, the tree was cut down.
“I must’ve cried for two weeks straight” said Juli.
However, Steven knew how much this tree meant to his daughter, and he painted her a portrait of the sycamore so that she could always remember what it felt like to be up there.
Juli now rides her bike to school – rather than taking the school bus – to avoid seeing the stump of what used to be the “world’s most magnificent sycamore tree”.
"I couldn’t believe what was going on," said Juli. "I was determined to save the sycamore."
The workers threatened to cut down the tree while she was up there, but she stood her ground and did not back down.
"She was feisty, I can tell you that." said the one of the landscapers.
The sycamore tree was right in front of the bus stop, so Juli cried out to her fellow classmates for help, but none of them seemed to care. As soon as the bus came, they hopped on and went to school – but not Juli. She stayed right where she was, in her beloved tree.
“That girl has an iron backbone,” said Chet Duncan. “My wife would’ve sat up there with her. She would’ve sat up there all day.”
Juli caught the attention of many of her neighbours; they all came up to the tree to find out what all the fuss was about.
Juli loved the tree; she often spent her days sitting on the branches, looking out at the world. Even as a child she would climb it with her brothers and swing from the branches.
"The breeze up there smelled like sunshine and wild grass. I couldn’t stop breathing it in." Juli explained. "It was the sweetest smell I’ve ever known."
"And the view was absolutely beautiful," Juli continued. "I could just sit up there for hours, looking out at the world. You could see everything from up there."
A few hours later, Steven Baker (her father) was assisted up to branch in which she was sitting, and persuaded her to come down.
“No view is worth my daughter’s life.” Steven said.
Shortly after, the tree was cut down.
“I must’ve cried for two weeks straight” said Juli.
However, Steven knew how much this tree meant to his daughter, and he painted her a portrait of the sycamore so that she could always remember what it felt like to be up there.
Juli now rides her bike to school – rather than taking the school bus – to avoid seeing the stump of what used to be the “world’s most magnificent sycamore tree”.
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