Lyndonville Shoe Trees – Lyndonville, New York - Atlas Obscura
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Lyndonville Shoe Trees

Lyndonville, New York

A tree full of wishes and footwear. 

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Lyndonville Shoe Trees Chris Clemens; Rochester, NY
Lyndonville Shoe Trees Chris Clemens; Rochester, NY
Lyndonville Shoe Trees Chris Clemens; Rochester, NY
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Shoe trees are a phenomena that pop up all over the place, all of them loaded with legend, but rarely explained as much more than a tradition of the area.

The Shoe Tree of Middlegate was said to be started by newlyweds in a quarrel that ended with good fortune, while the Albany Shoe Tree has no story, just a lot of participation from the community. The Lyndonville Shoe Trees are made up of four different trees, and have a variety of legends depending on who you ask, the most popular idea being simply that successfully catching your shoes in the branches will grant a wish. One thing that remains undisputed is that footwear has found its way into these branches for several decades, and despite officials discouraging the practice as environmentally irresponsible, the shoes remain. 

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Four trees are within a triangular grassy median at the intersection.

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Chris Clemens
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Chris Clemens
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Published
December 4, 2013
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