Historic "Treaty Oak" Finds Home in County's Future

On Saturday, October 18th, in commemoration and recognition of the 100 year anniversary of the arrival of Hidalgo County's court records and subsequent founding of the county seat in present day Edinburg, our office will dedicate and plant a seedling from one of our country's most historic trees in the Hidalgo County Courthouse Square.



The tree is a southern live oak grown from an acorn hand-selected from the historic Treaty Oak in Austin, Texas. Treaty Oak is believed to be more than 500 years old and is the lone survivor of the "Council Oaks" a grove of 14 trees that served as a revered meeting place for Apache and Comanche tribes of Central Texas. The tree is said to have shaded Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas, as he signed the first boundary treaty with local Native American tribes in the 1830's. Folklore also holds that Sam Houston rested beneath the Treaty Oak after his expulsion from the governor's office at the start of Texas' involvement in the American Civil War. In 1989, the tree was deliberately poisoned with a powerful herbicide strong enough to kill 100 trees. The tree survived and the American Forestry Association inducted the Treaty Oak into its Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.

The Treaty Oak has long been a symbol of strength and permanence. Over this last week we have seen those same characteristics expressed in the people of our community. In celebrating Edinburg's centennial we have retold a city's rich and vibrant history. As we commemorate the founding of the county seat in Edinburg these 100 years ago it is appropriate to reflect upon our past and with a clear vision begin our plans for the future. These grounds and this tree will witness our next courthouse and the many generations that follow.

We will be joined by Hidalgo County, the City of Edinburg, the Edinburg Environment Advisory Board, the Sierra Club, and other various community and school organizations. The tree will be planted directly across from the Museum of South Texas History on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

Update: We planted the tree.