The Sycamore Stump and Old Ben in Kokomo, Indiana
“The Sycamore Stump was raised in western Howard County along the Wildcat Creek, and this one thrived. It grew to be about 57 feet in circumference, about 100 feet tall, estimated maybe 800 years old,” says Tom Tolen of the City of Kokomo’s Department of Development.
But of course, it's a stump, not a tree. So what happened?
“The tree was damaged [by a] lightning strike, so it was dying. Some people thought it would be a good idea to bring it all the way into Kokomo to Highland Park,” Tolen explains. “It is the biggest sycamore stump in the world. You go out here to our park, and there are dozens of giant sycamore trees. If you take the circumference of the big sycamore stump here, you can put four or five of those sycamore trees in that circumference.”
To keep the big theme going, right next door, they’ve put a bovine behemoth.
“Old Ben was a giant steer. He was 125 pounds at birth. The people who owned him took him around to county fairs and state fairs throughout the midwest, [including] the Indiana State Fair,” states Tolen.
Weighing in around 4,000 pounds—that's three times heavier than your average steer—Ben was a serious hunk of beef.
“In about 1910, he fell and broke a leg. He was put down, and the owners considered having frankfurters made of him,” Tolen describes. “Well, the locals were outraged, and that didn't happen. The owners had the hide taxidermied and brought back here. The city acquired Old Ben and brought him here next to the Sycamore Stump.”
Visiting the Steer and the Stump in Highland Park
Just like any good roadside attraction, everyone around here knows all about the Steer and the Stump.
“That's what we refer to it as—the Steer and the Stump—locals, anyway. You can bring your kids here. You grow up here. It's in Highland Park, our most popular park. I think it's unique. I think it's quirky. Roadside attractions are, by their very nature, quirky and unusual; they’re large and exaggerated. I think people like that,” concludes Tolen.
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The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/
