The Real Story Behind the Bicycle Consumed by a Tree (3 photos)
The bicycle encased in a tree has long been a famous landmark on Vashon Island. However, the sentimental legend claiming it belonged to a young man rushed off to fight in World War I isn't entirely true. So what actually happened? 
As the popular story goes, back in 1914, a young man chained his bicycle to a tree just before being deployed to the front lines of World War I, from which he never returned. In his memory, his grieving parents left the bike untouched, allowing the tree to swallow it over the decades and turn it into a local attraction.
Except the details don't add up. For starters, the United States didn't enter the war until 1917, and the bicycle itself is far too small for a man of draft age—it looks built for a ten-year-old at best. A deeper look reveals that this specific model didn't even exist in the early 20th century. 
Once the tree-bound bike gained widespread fame, its true owner stepped forward to clear up the mystery. That owner turned out to be Don Puz, a 72-year-old retired sheriff living in Kennewick. The real story began in 1954 when he was just an eight-year-old boy.
Don grew up on Vashon Island and lived there until 1992. In 1954, tragedy struck his family when his father died in a house fire. Moved by sympathy for the widow and her children, the tight-knit island community donated various items, including the infamous bicycle. Don admitted he disliked the bike right away—it looked like a toddler's tricycle converted into a two-wheeler, complete with skinny handlebars and hard rubber tires. 
Soon after, Don's family moved to a home near a marsh, where he eventually left the bike behind and forgot all about it. As he recalls, he wasn't upset about losing it in the slightest.
Decades later, in 1995, Don returned to the island to visit his sister and decided to stop by to see the famous local phenomenon. The moment he laid eyes on it, his first words were, "That's my bike!" Still, even with all its newfound fame, the bike hadn't grown any more appealing to him.
As for the natural phenomenon itself, a tree wouldn't be able to lift a heavy bicycle as it grows. Most likely, someone hung or threw the bike up into the branches, and over time, the growing wood engulfed it. Today, locals deeply treasure their famous landmark: they carefully replace worn parts and sell souvenirs to the steady stream of tourists who visit the island just to see it.
