Famous trees

Believe it or not there is a list of famous trees in Texas that some people, nerds like me, are willing to travel and to see firsthand. These trees mark incredible events that took place under or around them. Things that shaped our history, good and bad.

This highly caffeinated Christian would like to take you on a small tour of famous Texas Trees this week.

Philip Nolan’s Tree

On the south side of Hwy 174, about five miles south of Rio Vista, you will find a marker that heralds the death place of Phillip Nolan. A three hundred year old Post Oak marks the spot where Philip Nolan and a band of frontiersmen fought and lost a battle with 120 Spanish soldiers way back in 1801. Nolan’s death became the early seeds of rebellion against Spain, and later what would be Mexico, for western expansion.

Sam Houston’s Oak

A giant Live Oak tree just east of Peach Creek and 8.5 miles from Gonzales marks the spot where Sam Houston was on March 14th, 1836. Alamo survivor Susanna Dickinson found Houston there and personally reported her account of the horrific slaughter and that Santa Anna was hot on her heels.

The Dueling Oak

It was under this tree in Jackson County where two Generals in the the Nation of Texas’ army, decided to handle a dispute by blasting each other to pieces in a civilized manner. They both squared off, drew from the hip and shot three rounds apiece before one of them fell. The looser miraculously survived and later would become a confederate hero.

The Cowboy Tree

From January to March of 1871, more than 43,000 head of Longhorns moved through the town of Pleasanton, Texas. Can you Imagine? In just three months, herds bigger than anyone had every seen moved slowly through this tiny town and cowboys wanted to get wild and “see the elephant”. A local business man wanted to separate the rowdy behavior at his saloon from all of his other buildings so he built a new saloon as a tree house. This high rise casino served well until a drunken cowboy fell out and broke his neck. The tree is still there.


The Goose Island Oak

Texas' largest tree is found on the Lamar Peninsula within the Goose Island State Park just off highway 35 before you reach the Copano Causeway. It is known to be the world’s largest live oak with a trunk that is 43 feet around! The cannibalistic Karankawa indians used to eat their enemies under the shade of that tree and it is believed to be over 1000 years old.

Hanging Trees

Texas has more Hanging trees than I have ink to write about. You can find them and a plaque that tells its story in places like Evergreen, Bandera, Clarksville, Coldspring, Hallettsville, Kyle, Orange, Sequine and on countless private properties throughout the state. A lot of these trees are located just outside the courthouse because execution would usually take place within an hour of the verdict. Vigilante justice and injustice was carried out when cooler heads failed to prevail.

The most Famous Tree of All

Joyce Kilmer is famous for her flowery poetic ode first published in 1919.
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” she wrote. It ends like this, “Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.”

God made an amazing tree several thousand years ago and the Romans cut it down and made a cross out of it. Now we don’t know what kind of tree it was. Some say it was dogwood. There is an old legend with the dogwood that says Jesus himself changed the tree from the size of a mighty oak to what it looks like today. The old yarn says Jesus said. “...never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals.”

In the center of the outer edge of each petal looks like the print of nails. In the center of the flower it looks like a crown of thorns stained with blood. Pretty neat stuff, I think.

I don’t know if the old tale is true but I do know the cross is. The Cross of Christ is that place where God replaced my History with my Destiny. He became a curse for me so I could be blessed. Changing everything for my benefit, Jesus saved me in every way a man can be saved. Now thats a tree all of us should visit.


1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

The Brewer Pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be found at www.opendoorministries.org and www.troybrewer.com