The Tree That Owns Itself is an
oak
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
tree in
Eufaula, Alabama
Eufaula is the largest city in Barbour County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census the city's population was 13,137.
History
The site along the Chattahoochee River that is now modern-day Eufaula was occupied by three Muscogee Cre ...
.
A tree in the same location was given its freedom by E. H. Graves, the mayor of Eufaula, in 1935. Confederate soldier Captain John A. Walker previously owned the land that the tree is on, so the original tree was known as the Walker Oak. The deed also named the tree as the Post Oak Tree.
The original Walker Oak was destroyed in 1961 after it was hit by a tornado, and a new tree was planted by the
International Paper Company
The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 39,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
History
The company was incorporated January 31 ...
to replace it.
An iron sign was affixed to the railings surrounding the new tree; at some point after 1961, the word "Post" was removed from the sign and it was then known only as Oak Tree.
The new tree was subsequently replaced again, but each replacement tree has been given the deed to the land.
Deed
In 1935, former mayor of Eufaula, E. H. Graves, recorded a deed giving the tree ownership of itself, including its roots, branches, and trunk. It reads:
All replacement trees have also been given the deed to their land.
[
]
Plaque
There is a large plaque on the fence surrounding the tree. It reads:
See also
*
List of individual trees
The following is a list of individual trees. Trees listed here are regarded as important or specific by their historical, national, locational, natural or mythological context. The list includes actual trees located throughout the world, as we ...
*
Plant rights
Plant rights are rights to which certain plants may be entitled. Such issues are often raised in connection with discussions about human rights, animal rights, biocentrism, or sentientism.
Philosophy
Samuel Butler's ''Erewhon'' contains a ...
*
Individual trees in the United States
An individual is one that exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of living as an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) as a person unique from other people and possessing one's own needs or go ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
The Other Tree That Owns ItselfTom Scott, 3 December 2018.
Individual trees in Alabama
Individual oak trees
1960s individual tree deaths
Tourist attractions in Barbour County, Alabama