Bringing Christmas trees to the Capitol: The grand endeavor
Paul Leimbach, right, holds his breath as crane operator Allen Rice carefully lowers the Capitol Christmas Tree into the boxcar. At Left Bill Crismore, who cut the tree, mans the cable and Jim Simpson of Champion International signals Rice to position the tree and its stand directly over the opening. Photo from the Nov. 22, 1989, files of The Western News.
Jim Simpson of Champion International pauses in his last checkup of the 65-foot 1989 Capitol Christmas Tree as it rests inside the boxcar which will carry it to Washington. From the Nov. 22, 1989 files of The Western News.
Capitol Christmas Tree 1989
By BETHANY ROLFSON
The Western News
The project to bring the Capitol Christmas Tree from the Kootenai to Washington D.C. this year is up and running.
But there’s more to the project than simply cutting down a tree and shipping it.
After the tree is chosen by the Capitol Architect from six trees, the tree is cut down and boxed up (which itself may take three weeks). Sixty to 70 trees from across Montana also go to take the journey. Then, the tree will be taken across the midwest by truck accompanied by law enforcement and Forest Service escorts. This trip is estimated to take up to three weeks with varying stops along the way.
During this time, 6-8,000 ornaments have to be made along with tree skirts.
This is all according to Sand Mason of the Forest Service, who along with three others, has come together to form the Kootenai Christmas Tree Committee in light of the grand endeavor.
The committee is currently working hosting various events, including an upcoming ornament-painting workshop in Eureka on Feb. 18 from noon to 5 p.m. at the elementary school.
“People are encouraged to come, grab a cup of hot chocolate and paint an ornament while listening to Christmas music from local musicians,” Mason said.
They are also working on getting more events up in place in Eureka, Libby and Troy in conjunction with community events through the year.
Mason said that the local schools are also on board to have their students make an ornament.
The main Capitol tree is supposed to range between 60 and 80 feet in height. It will come from somewhere in on National Forest property — meaning a private landowner can’t donate a tree.
The tree can be anything from a Douglas fir to a spruce — there’s really no requirements Mason said.
The 60-70 six-seven-foot companion trees will come from around the state of Montana on state land. One of them will be a 25-foot-tree that will sit in front of the Department of Agriculture.
The Capitol Architect will come to choose the tree in July, after which it will be cut down by a member of the community sometime in November. Who chooses that member of the community hasn’t been decided yet. The tree will be boxed up in plywood with the last three feet made of plexi-glass so people can see it. On the side, will drape a banner that people can sign as they travel.
The banner is made by Choose Outdoors, a nonprofit out of Colorado, who will also help sponsor the trip.
As of now, they don’t have a final route, but Mason said they are going to stop off in Libby, Troy and Eureka and have a tentative route to go to Missoula, Helena and Great Falls.
They are also working on a theme and logo that Mason said should be chosen by either the end of this week, or the beginning of next week.
The trees need to be in Washington, D.C. by Nov. 27. After that, the Capitol Architect will decorate the tree.
The U.S. Speaker of the House chooses the date in which the tree is lit.
Historically, they always have an essay contest for fourth through sixth graders throughout the state from which the tree is chosen. The senior congressional office within the state chooses the student and they can go to Washington, D.C. to light the tree — with lodging and airfare paid for.