80-year-old tree removed from outside Aurora museum

A red maple that stood outside the Aurora Historical Society's Tanner House Museum since 1942 recently was removed. The tree, dedicated on Arbor Day in 1942 in memory of Grace Carter Bliss, a local gardener and high-ranking leader of the National Federation of Women's Clubs, had been in decline for years, Executive Director John Jaros said.

The Davey Tree Expert Company removed the tree as a donation to the historical society. The Davey crew also removed dead limbs from a large locust tree behind the house and trimmed an oak tree that was interfering with an elm

The trees surrounding the Tanner House today are mostly from the 1940s to 1970s. The Tanner family lived in the house from 1857 to 1934. The Tanner Historic District, however, still has some trees dating to the Victorian era.