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Austin Treaty Oak LbNA #67825

Owner:Silver Eagle Supporter Verified
Plant date:Oct 25, 2014
Location: TX State Cemetery
City:Austin
County:Travis
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: CherryOnTop
Last found:Jun 11, 2019
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Jan 1, 2016
My 700th Letterbox
*** Part of my Famous Trees Of TX Series ***
Terrain Difficulty: Easy (flat, 100 yards RT)
Status: alive


Texans are fortunate to have such a rich and colorful historic heritage and trees which serve as witnesses to some of these historic events. Texas has also been blessed with trees famous for being the largest of their kind in America. "Famous Trees Of Texas" is a book written in 1970 by the Texas Forest Service that describes these trees, and this series will take you to some of them.


Estimated to be over 500 years old, the large oak tree standing on a busy urban street corner is a local symbol of Texas history and an international symbol of resilience. It is the last of fourteen Live Oak trees once known to Comanche and Tonkowa Indians as the Council Oaks where both peace and war parties were initiated. Legend also tells that Stephen Austin himself signed the first treaty between the Anglos and the Indians beneath the shade of this tree in 1824, thus the name Treaty Oak. In 1937 the tree was in danger of being removed by its owner, but was purchased by the City of Austin and its site dedicated as a city park. In 1989 the Treaty Oak was again threatened, this time by vandalism. In a twisted take on the old Indian legend, the tree was poisoned by a troubled young man intent on killing the tree's spirit in order to keep a woman from another man. But when the tree began to fade, local experts sprang into action and saved the tree. Not only can you still see this famous tree, you can also visit the grave of Stephen F. Austin in the Texas State Cemetery.

Directions:
From TX 1 go east on 5th Street for about 0.5 mile then left on Baylor Ave to the Treaty Oak on the right. To get the letterbox, continue east on 5th street about 0.5 mile to Lavaca street and turn left. Go right on 7th street for about 1 mile, going under I35, to Navasota street and turn left. Go to 11th street and turn right, then turn right into the Texas State Cemetery and continue to end by Republic Hill and Stephen F. Austin statue on the right.

Clues:
Walk to back of SFA statue and find little blue sign in middle of ivy. LB is within ivy behind blue sign. Please be discreet.