Jasper organizations plant Liberty Tree to mark America 250 anniversary

An American elm now stands beside the Jasper Public Library as Dubois County’s Liberty Tree, planted and blessed Friday morning by the Jasper Chamber of Commerce and Patoka 2000 to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The ceremony gave the county a visible marker for America 250 in one of Jasper’s most public civic spaces. A commemorative plaque accompanied the planting, turning the elm into more than a landscaping addition and giving residents a place to connect the local observance to the larger national milestone.

Patoka 2000’s annual Tree Dedication and Blessing Ceremony was scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026, at 9 a.m. at the library as part of Arbor Day observances. The program was set to include the Liberty Tree planting, an explanation of the tree, remarks from Mayor Ryan Craig and a blessing from Father John Brosmer. The Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution listed the event as a Liberty Tree Dedication in Jasper and directed attendees to park behind the library.

The choice of an American elm carried its own historical weight. The National Liberty Tree Project says the original Liberty Tree in Boston, an elm near Boston Common, served as a rallying point against British rule before it was cut down in 1775. The project’s goal is to plant 250 Liberty Trees by July 4, 2026, each with a dedication plaque, to help educate the public about the American Revolution.

In Indiana, the Jasper planting fits into a broader America 250 effort that was signed into state law in March 2022. State materials say 2026 marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence and point to a July 4, 2026 celebration at the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis, along with a torch relay that will reach all 92 counties.

Dubois County’s planning has already moved well beyond a single ceremony. The Dubois County America 250 Committee has held at least five meetings and discussed Liberty Trees, fireworks and drone events, church bell ringing, 18th-century reenactments, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and community meals. The Indiana State Semiquincentennial Commission named the Dubois County Historical Society as the county connect leader, placing local historical groups at the center of what comes next.

For Jasper, the elm at the public library gives the county’s 250th anniversary work a permanent, public face. It is now part of the landscape, and part of the calendar, as Dubois County moves from planning into visible commemoration.