The Creek Council Oak Tree is a historic landmark which represents the founding of the modern city of

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, Oklahoma, United States by the Lochapoka"Muscogee Creek Council Oak -- Tulsa OK."
Retrieved October 18, 2014 Tribal Town of the

Creek Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

. The Creeks had been forced to leave their homeland in the southeastern United States and travel to land across the Mississippi River, where the U.S. Government had granted them land in what was then known as

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

. In 1836, after their arrival, the Lochapokas chose an oak tree on top of a hill that overlooked the Arkansas River as the site of their council ground. They lit a new ceremonial fire, using coals they had carried on their journey, established a busk ground, where all council business would be conducted. These grounds were also a gathering place for tribal ceremonies, feasts and games. The site continued to be used for these events until 1896."Creek National Council Oaks Park."
Historic American Landscapes Survey. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2014. The Creeks still hold an annual celebration of their arrival at this site on October 20.

History

The surviving Creeks then built their village near the Council Oak. They named the village ''talasi'' or "Old Town." The Council Oak is believed to have been a mature tree when the Creeks arrived."Creek Nation Council Oak Park,"
1750 South Cheyenne Avenue, Tulsa Oklahoma, midtown Tulsa." Cain, Lori. May 21, 2010 Retrieved October 13, 3014. Although its age is not known, the same tree still lives as of 2019. One source claims it is a

post oak ''Quercus stellata'', the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges also grows in poor soils, and is resistant to r ...

tree (''Quercus stellata''). The Tulsa Preservation Commission article identified the tree as a burr oak (''Quercus macrocarpa''). Both are species of

white oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...

and native to Oklahoma. Private citizens acquired the land during the early 20th Century. At one time, oilman

Harry Ford Sinclair Harry Ford Sinclair (July 6, 1876 – November 10, 1956) was an American industrialist, and the founder of Sinclair Oil. He was implicated in the 1920s Teapot Dome scandal, and served six months in prison for jury tampering. Afterwards he return ...

lived in a large house adjacent to the tree; a later owner, the

Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA) is a Pentecostal ministry started by faith healer and televangelist Oral Roberts and currently run by his son Richard Roberts (evangelist), Richard Roberts. Originally operating as a traveling revival ...

, razed the house but retained the tree. By 1960, it seemed that the tree and its surroundings would be destroyed to create a parking lot. Instead, the Creek Nation and several individuals bought the site, which they donated to the City of Tulsa. The city turned the plot into Creek Nation Council Oak Park. Richard Thornton was named as the architect for the park. The tree was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, with NRIS number 76001576. The tree was placed in a Historic Preservation Zone at 18th Street and Cheyenne Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma in January, 1992. The tree was still living as of 2014.

Other park features

The park contains an ethno-horticultural garden displaying an assortment of plants that the Creeks used in their Alabama homeland. An image of the original planting plan for the park from the Library of Congress Historical American Building Survey (HABS) is shown at right.Planting Plan - Creek Nation Council Oak Park, 1750 South Cheyenne, Tulsa, Tulsa County, OK
/ref> Creek Council Tree Site, Tulsa, OK, Monument Close-Up 01

Creek Council Tree Site, Tulsa, OK, Monument Close-Up 01

In 2008, the Oklahoma Centennial Commission sponsored a "Trail of Tears" monument honoring the Creeks' suffering as they were forced to endure the trek from Alabama to Indian Territory. The sculpture, created by Creek artist Dan Brook, depicts a flame rising from a hearth. It is named ''Morning Prayer''.

Commemorative painting

An oil painting by Mike Larsen titled ''Creek Council Oak Tree'' hangs in the Oklahoma Senate wing of the state capitol, over the staircase at the fifth floor. The work was sponsored by former governor

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (initially born as David Rowland Keating) (born February 10, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five governors in Okl ...

and dedicated on March 6, 2002. "Creek Council Oak Tree".
Oklahoma Senate. Retrieved October 13, 2014.

Notes

References

External links

Creek Council Oak site
- National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form {{coord, 36.1362, -95.9901, type:landmark_region:US-OK, display=title Pre-statehood history of Oklahoma History of Tulsa, Oklahoma Muscogee (Creek) Nation Protected areas of Tulsa County, Oklahoma Individual oak trees Individual trees in Oklahoma National Register of Historic Places in Tulsa, Oklahoma