Quincy, Illinois: Tree Resembling Jesus Holding a Lamb (Gone)

I took a photo of the Jesus Tree a couple of years before it was chopped down. Frankly, I didn't see the resemblance everyone speaks of [Jesus holding a lamb], but others can decide for themselves.

The "Jesus Tree" was first noticed in 1998, when a visitor to Calvary Cemetery saw a shadowy image, in the trunk of an old tree, of Jesus holding a lamb. Thousands came to see the tree, but the passage of time gradually blurred the image, and the tree became increasingly frail. With its fan base nearly gone and its limbs dying, the tree was chopped down by the cemetery maintenance crew on July 18, 2014.

When it first appeared the Jesus Tree resembled a statue of Jesus holding a lamb. The natural outgrowth of the tree was covered in gold-like moss -- only on the part that resembled Jesus.

Quincy is a 'small' town of about 50,000 or fewer at any given time. It is not New York City. So the person complaining about not finding things open 24 hours, or souvenir stands seems a bit misguided. I want to ask them, did you try the mall? You can get things in some of the card shops there. And yes, if you go near the river in summer there will be bugs. It's called Mother Nature. Most people don't go picnic in the thickets, though!

There are museums, and miniature golf, a mall, cinemas, restaurants, and hotels. You can also go across the river and see Mark Twain's childhood home. (There is a bridge, in case anyone still thinks it's not a real town - You don't have to swim across.) It is a very nice, middle American small town. It was a stop on the Underground Railroad, it has some of the best examples of Victorian and Bungalow architecture anywhere in America. There is even an architectural museum. Please don't believe this other person's post that seems to paint Quincy as a sort of bog swamp. LOL

This is actually at Calvary Cemetery 1730 N 18th St in Quincy. I've lived here most of my life and remember when they discovered it. It is really interesting and doesn't take much imagination to see the figure in the tree.