A photographer from the country of Lebanon returned to the Wilson County city to plant a cedar sapling.  

Last year, Fadi Boukaram made it his mission to visit cities and towns named Lebanon in the United States—including right here in Middle Tennessee.  

MORE: Man from Lebanon visits all the Lebanons in the country

Boukaram learned about the history of Lebanon and a goodwill tour to the country of Lebanon in 1955. 

“What’s interesting to me is the Vice Mayor, who went from Lebanon is actually Lebanese-American.  His name was Frank Baddour and he was a dentist and a prominent citizen of Lebanon, Tennessee,” said Boukaram.  

The U.S. delegation came back with cedar trees to plant, but Boukaram said he could not find it when he came through Wilson County so he came back to help plant the sapling in the city that made a big impression on him.  

“I started in California and this is the first big Lebanon I passed through. I passed through two smaller ones before but they were too tiny, and the weather there is too hot to be able to grow a cedar tree. I love Lebanon, Tennessee. I spent a week here in 2017 when I first came and I just loved it,” added Boukaram.  

The cedar sapling is planted at Don Fox Park on Baddour Parkway.