Bosnian pine will take root on Opera House lawn

Memories of a beloved towering evergreen that stood on the lawn in front of the Elgin Opera House for decades will be rekindled Friday morning. 

A 12-foot Bosnian pine will be planted on the north side of the Elgin Opera House’s front lawn during a 9 a.m. ceremony. 

The tree planting will mark the start of the annual Elgin Riverfest celebration that runs through Saturday.

The new tree is also meant to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Elgin Opera House. The opera house’s centennial will be formally celebrated Sept. 22.

The most famous tree in the opera house’s history may have been an evergreen that served as one of Elgin’s Christmas trees for decades before it was cut down about 10 years ago. The new tree is meant to help fill the void created by the loss of the Christmas tree.

The old tree was decorated with large lights each holiday season. Countless children would come to the tree each December to sit with Santa on a bench under the tree’s canopy.  The line of children who came to see Santa sometimes extended across the street to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Cindy Chandler of Elgin.

Chandler and Kem Brainerd are co-chairs of the Elgin Opera House’s centennial committee. They said the old Christmas tree was cut down because its roots were damaging a nearby sidewalk.

The Bosnian pine to be planted was donated by the GrandeScapes, a nursery and landscaping company in Island City. 

The Bosnian pine is a drought-resistant tree that is native to the Balkans, Italy and Greece, according the University of Utah’s Red Butte Garden website. The tree  will reach a height of about 40 feet.