A 38-year-old iconic landmark was “deforested” and scrapped last Thursday when crews removed and demolished the 30-foot tall, tree-shaped Thacker Christmas Inn and Restaurant sign near Interstate 75 exit 134 in Caryville. 

The larger-than-life sign was cut at the tree’s base by a welding torch before a tall crane lowered it down to a flatbed truck. It was eventually hauled away to a Knoxville scrap yard, although a large chunk of it lingered late Monday afternoon in the parking lot of a shuttered gas station across the street.