Treaty Oak in Austin
The Treaty Oak is a southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) located in Treaty Oak Park on Baylor St.
between 5th and 6th downtown.
This historic tree is said to be over 500 years old.
In 1927, our green piece of history was inducted into the American Forestry hall of fame.
They said it to be the "most perfect specimen" of a tree in north America.
The Treaty Oak is the last tree standing from a group of trees known as the Council Oaks.
The grove was 14 trees strong at one time.
There is no written documentation, but old stories say that Stephen F Austin negotiated a boundary treaty with the native Americans in the 1830's.
The Council Oaks were a known meeting place for the Comanche and Tonkawa tribes.
The majority of the Council Oaks grove was removed in 1927 by development.
The remaining two lots (where the Treaty Oak resided) owned by Walter H Caldwell's widow were up for sale with a price tag of $7,000 at that time but were never purchased.
In 1937 the City of Austin mustered up $1,000 to purchase the land, and more importantly, the tree.
Mr.
Caldwell purchased the parcel of land containing the Treaty Oak from 1882.
The land was previously owned by James Raymond during the republic and early statehood days before being sold to John Ireland who governed Texas from 1882 to 1886.
Based on the timing of the transactions, the funds John Ireland received from Caldwell may have supported John's gubernatorial campaign.
Walter H Caldwell was a Texas ranger, born 1840.
He was shot in leg in in Florence AL in 1864 during the Civil War.
He was last know to be alive while attending a Texas Rangers Reunion in 1898.
Caldwell's exact year of death is unknown.
In 1989 the Treaty Oak was poisoned with Valpar by Paul Cullen who ended up serving 9 years in prison.
Paul believed that killing the tree would kill the love his un-requiting mate had for another man.
Probably, Paul Cullen derived this theory based on the old Indian ceremony native American women performed.
A tea was brewed from the acorns of the treaty oak and drinking it was believed to help bring their warrior husbands back from the battlefield.
Ross Perot wrote a blank check for the recovery attempt of our historic oak.
Soil from the poisoning site was excavated and removed, however, still, half the crown was lost.
The treaty oak produced its first crop of acorns since the poisoning in 1997.
And, in February of 2003, one thousand trees were offered back to the community to plant in a joint effort spearheaded by the City of Austin and the Texas Forest Service.
You can purchase a descendant of the treaty oak today from historictrees.
org.
During my research I found an interview of some crazy guy giving his version of why the treaty oak survived the poisoning.
It was just too funny to leave out.
between 5th and 6th downtown.
This historic tree is said to be over 500 years old.
In 1927, our green piece of history was inducted into the American Forestry hall of fame.
They said it to be the "most perfect specimen" of a tree in north America.
The Treaty Oak is the last tree standing from a group of trees known as the Council Oaks.
The grove was 14 trees strong at one time.
There is no written documentation, but old stories say that Stephen F Austin negotiated a boundary treaty with the native Americans in the 1830's.
The Council Oaks were a known meeting place for the Comanche and Tonkawa tribes.
The majority of the Council Oaks grove was removed in 1927 by development.
The remaining two lots (where the Treaty Oak resided) owned by Walter H Caldwell's widow were up for sale with a price tag of $7,000 at that time but were never purchased.
In 1937 the City of Austin mustered up $1,000 to purchase the land, and more importantly, the tree.
Mr.
Caldwell purchased the parcel of land containing the Treaty Oak from 1882.
The land was previously owned by James Raymond during the republic and early statehood days before being sold to John Ireland who governed Texas from 1882 to 1886.
Based on the timing of the transactions, the funds John Ireland received from Caldwell may have supported John's gubernatorial campaign.
Walter H Caldwell was a Texas ranger, born 1840.
He was shot in leg in in Florence AL in 1864 during the Civil War.
He was last know to be alive while attending a Texas Rangers Reunion in 1898.
Caldwell's exact year of death is unknown.
In 1989 the Treaty Oak was poisoned with Valpar by Paul Cullen who ended up serving 9 years in prison.
Paul believed that killing the tree would kill the love his un-requiting mate had for another man.
Probably, Paul Cullen derived this theory based on the old Indian ceremony native American women performed.
A tea was brewed from the acorns of the treaty oak and drinking it was believed to help bring their warrior husbands back from the battlefield.
Ross Perot wrote a blank check for the recovery attempt of our historic oak.
Soil from the poisoning site was excavated and removed, however, still, half the crown was lost.
The treaty oak produced its first crop of acorns since the poisoning in 1997.
And, in February of 2003, one thousand trees were offered back to the community to plant in a joint effort spearheaded by the City of Austin and the Texas Forest Service.
You can purchase a descendant of the treaty oak today from historictrees.
org.
During my research I found an interview of some crazy guy giving his version of why the treaty oak survived the poisoning.
It was just too funny to leave out.
"I used my medicine pipe to bring balance back to the tree after it had been attacked.
In a layman's term, what I did - my part - was similar to a doctor who comes in and gives a patient who's ill a shot to help their immunity system come back to a place of balance so they can heal themselves," Stronghorse said.
Now 15 years later, Treaty Oak is still standing tall, but Stronghorse refuses to take credit for saving it.
"The truth is I didn't heal this tree.
The truth is what healed this tree is the prayers of children.
The children came here and set up an altar at the front and they had their candles and they left their messages.
That's what saved the tree," Stronghorse said.
Source...