The Senator Tree Destroyed By Fire And Collapsed, Big Tree Park, Longwood, Florida, United States

The Seminole Indians and other Native American Indians who lived throughout Central Florida used this tree as a landmark. In the late 19th century, the tree attracted visitors even though much of the surrounding land was swamp; reaching the tree was done by leaping from log to log. A walkway was later constructed by the Works Progress Administration. In 1925, a hurricane destroyed the top of the tree, reducing its original height of 165 feet (50 m) to a height of 118 feet (36 m). The Senator was named for Florida State Senator Moses Overstreet, who donated the tree and surrounding land to Seminole County for a park in 1927. In 1929, former president Calvin Coolidge visited The Senator and dedicated the site with a commemorative bronze plaque. The plaque and portions of an iron fence were stolen by vandals in 1945 and never recovered.
• Fire and collapse
On January 16, 2012, a fire was reported at the top of the Senator tree, which burned from the inside out, "like a chimney." Firefighters arrived to try to extinguish the blaze, but the tree collapsed. The cause of the blaze was initially believed to be arson, but was later found to have ignited high up in the interior of the hollow tree. An old, smoldering lightning strike or friction were speculated causes. The charred remains of the tree now stand only 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m) tall.