The Five Elm Trees

I grew up on Main Street in Lisle. My grandpa worked and my grandparents lived in The Morton Arboretum, so trees were a big part of my life!

The five elms surrounded our house on Main Street. They were tall and majestic. They housed birds and squirrels and provided shade in the hot summer. The bottom branches were too high for good climbing, but dad did manage to put a great rope swing one summer.

Then came Dutch elm disease, and all five towering trees had to come down! I remember being profoundly saddened by the loss of those trees. The loss of ours as well as many more on Main Street really changed the home-town feel of the area.