Sign Up  /  Login

Deaf Smith Oak LbNA #68080

Owner:Silver Eagle Supporter Verified
Plant date:Jan 28, 2015
Location: Concrete Cemetery
City:La Vernia
County:Guadalupe
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: txcachem
Last found:Mar 11, 2015
Status:FF
Last edited:Jan 28, 2015
*** Part of my Famous Trees Of TX Series ***
Terrain Difficulty: Easy (flat, 100 yards RT)
Recommended Ink: brown & green
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.


On October 2, 1835, a small force of Mexican troops attempted to retrieve a cannon from the Texans at Gonzales but were put to flight in the first battle of the Texas Revolution. After hearing of the incident, Mexican Colonel Ugartachea, in charge of the Mexican Army at San Antonio, proceeded to Gonzales to recapture the fieldpiece. Volunteers from nearby settlements marched toward San Antonio to stop him and camped a few miles east of this tree. Deaf Smith was one of the first to enlist in Austin’s army of Texans and being thoroughly familiar with every part of the country between San Antonio and Gonzales, he was a logical choice to scout Ugartachea’s advance. High up in this tall live oak, which commands a wide view of the surrounding countryside, Erastus “Deaf” Smith spied on Mexican troops which were camped on Cibolo Creek and it became known as the Deaf Smith Oak. The tree is on private property, but you can see it from the road near Concrete Cemetery where this letterbox resides.

Directions:
From Hwy 87 go northeast on FM 775 about 1 mile to Circle N Lane and turn left for about 0.6 mile to see Deaf Smith Oak in the distance on the right (it had lost a huge branch when I saw it). For the letterbox, go back to FM 775 and turn left for 0.4 mile to Concrete Cemetery on right. Park near entrance.

Clues:
Walk right along the fence to Y-shape tree with stump next to it near corner of cemetery. LB is between stump and tree under a rock and leaves.