An Updated Look at the Christmas Tree Memorial on 1-75, Arenac County
Time once again to check in on that Christmas tree alongside I-75 in Arenac County.
For those who are not familiar with the story, here's a brief synopsis:
On Father's Day weekend in 1998, 20-year-old Jason Porter was on his way north with his uncle. When they were in the vicinity of mile marker 199, there came a vision in their windshield that caused instant terror: a drunk driver had entered the highway the wrong way and was heading straight for the Porter's vehicle.
The two vehicles hit head on, killing both Jason and the drunk driver. The uncle survived.
As with many highway accidents, a memorial cross was erected at the site by Jason's mother. Not long afterward, the local road commission took it down. Undaunted, she put up another cross, but when the road was re-paved, it, too, was taken down. She went to the road commission and asked if she could at least keep the cross...but they had already thrown it away.
At least one man on the commission had some initiative and planted a tree in the same spot as a memorial for Jason.
A scrawny little tree at first, but it survived the harsh winters, hot summers, and all the exhaust fumes from the ongoing traffic. A local woman happened to drive by one day and saw that little tree, standing all alone, looking lonesome. In a gesture of kindness, she came back and hung a Christmas ornament on a branch as a way of saying “you're not alone”.
Soon, other passersby began noticing the tree with one ornament and soon others began adding their own decorations.
Today, that tree has a good amount of ornaments adorning it all year-round, with new ones being added and replacing broken ones. The display seems to differ each year. Even so, there are people who try to disuade others from leaving decorations by saying it's too dangerous to pull over to the side of a busy highway and then try to enter again.
Jason was buried at Christian Memorial Gardens in West Rochester Hills in Oakland County. The gallery below shows how it has appeared over the years...
Christmas Tree on I-75
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