The majestic "Toaster Tree" of Pope County, Minnesota
Surrounded by scenery, Terrace Mill is an historic site in Pope County. It offers peace and tranquility, while its neighbor down the road offers kitchen appliances.
Sedan is a few miles from the mill and its population is 45. It's a "don't blink or you'll miss it" type of town. But when the tree outside Mayor Keith Kirchhevel's house began to sprout toasters, visitors didn't blink — they stared.
It all began 27 years ago when his small appliance went haywire.
"Smoke was coming out so I just pulled it out. There was snow on the ground, so I threw it outside," Kirchhevel said.
Later, when his daughter was talking about how much snow there was in the yard, Kirchhevel tied the toaster to a branch so they could remember how the high drifts were after they melted.
"There were a couple of pranksters, I'd say. The next day they were here putting up more toasters," he said. "It's just never stopped."
For a while, every day was like Christmas morning, with Kirchhevel waking up to find something new. There are now nearly 50 toasters in the tree. And from time to time, other odd and unusual things have been added.
"There was a whole boat in this tree once," he said.
Kirchhevel had to take that one down because it didn't fit the countertop appliance criteria. He made an exception for neighbor and city clerk Julie Lloyd and her pizza oven.
"Since it had a heater element in it, it qualified for the project," Lloyd said.
If anything, she's noticed more traffic in this one-horse town.
"Cars going really slow and then, they'll stop, and a group of women will get out and get their picture taken with the toaster tree," Lloyd said.
It's even "popped up" on the internet, gaining its own following in the U.S. and overseas. Lloyd once got a Facebook message from China.
"I had to send it to my foreign exchange student to translate it for me, and they asked me about this idea and how much we charge for it [laughs]," she said.
Toaster tourism has become a thing in this small town, and it shows no sign of burning out.
"It's kind of neat. You go places and if you say 'Sedan,' this is what they know about," Kirchhevel said.
"We enjoy life and we like people," Lloyd said. "Come and check us out."
The "Toaster Tree" is located on Marsh Street, which is essentially Sedan's main street.
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