Hay and The Old Historic Oak

The Historic Oak, the old tree located at the corner of Colorado and Washington Streets also known as the Muster Oak, has suffered some indignities through the years, including being scarred by lightning in the 1840s. Surrounding the tree with concrete sidewalks and paved streets helped speed its general decline. After noticing the lack of leaves on the oak, several measures were employed that began to restore the tree back to health and it is looking pretty good these days. However, things could have been very different after two other serious accidents that happened within just one week almost a century after Nicholas Dawson and his company organized under its canopy.

These days, you wonder why trucks full of hay were traveling in front of the Historic Oak, as reported in the March 27, 1941 La Grange Journal:

“The Dawson oak, old rugged reminder of the days long ago when Dawson’s company was organized under its then spreading branches, for the expedition into Mexico, later to be brought back in pieces and buried together with the remains of the Mier Prisoners on what is now a Texas shrine—Monument Hill—was twice in the past several days almost jolted into the historic heroic past it represents by a load of hay.

“La Grange State Bank employees heard the first impact which came the latter part of last week, when a large load of hay struck one of its lower and few remaining branches, and watched the old oak ‘take it on the chin’ as the entire tree shook from top to bottom. It was their opinion at first that the old tree could not take it, but she did.

“There is not much left in the way of a living trunk; several years ago a tree surgeon filled in the decaying parts with concrete and, although looking sturdy, the old oak is really just a shell.

“Monday morning the onslaught came again, and strangely enough, it was another load of hay. This time, perhaps, the load was a little higher and heavier, and this time a four inch limb fell to the pavement as the truck continued on its way.

“One of the last of the living reminders of the days when Texas bartered free men’s blood for liberty, the old oak may be insulted at this double and dangerous attack with horse feed, and maybe not—after all it’s just an ordinary tree—or is it?”

Footprints Of Fayette

Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.