The chestnut oak tree holding Brown County’s famous Gobbler’s Rock fell this summer. The large sandstone boulder, which once rested 30 feet high in the fork of the tree, is one of the county’s most popular tales of lore.

The boulder was discovered several years ago by a hunter scouting for wild turkey in the middle-of-nowhere Yellowwood State Forest south of Needmore.

Word spread quickly. Soon people from around the globe became familiar with Gobbler’s Rock via the Internet. The July 5 Brown County Democrat said a Google search found 102 links to Web pages featuring the rock.

Theories as to how the boulder got in the tree range from UFOs or tornadoes to blasting operations or practical jokers using a block and tackle.