These historical designations occasionally seem arbitrary.

Why was a random preacher, William "Choctaw" Robinson, worth remembering and why did he get a tree named for him?

Apparently something of a blowhard, this Robinson guy gained notoriety for his long-winded sermons and experienced some difficulty convincing folks to listen to him. He once managed to gather some native Americans from the Choctaw tribe to sit through his service. According to legend, these braves left before he finished, one after the other. They’re quoted as saying, “white man lie” and “talk too long.” After this apparently memorable incident, he was dubbed “Choctaw Bill.”

Having earned a name for himself, he showed up whenever the spirit moved him to preach under this live oak (Quercus fusiformis), which assured him an audience, as it not only provided rare shade from the scorching Texas sun, but was near a saloon, post office and general store.

Of all the grand, beautiful and interesting trees in the Lone Star state, why did this one get singled out because some big mouth appeared underneath it when others happened to be around?

Ok, he set up a number of local churches. The account on the embossed bronze plaque is more charitable than the book but, this tree left me with many unanswered questions.

Is he remembered because of his association with religion?
Why would non English speakers even agree to sit through the ramblings of Choctaw Bill?
Did the gun have anything to do with it?
How many visitors ever pay respects to this tree out in the middle of nowhere?

Surrounded by a metal fence in a little alcove created especially for the tree, the oak is visible from the road. None of the amenities mentioned remain.
I’m guessing that this is the edge of private land?
Who owns it?
A limestone wall surrounds the the marker at the trunk base. Was there some kind of a ceremony when this plaque was placed here? 

History is a new interest for me, but I have always been drawn to a personal account. Along with his well known fiction, such as Lonesome Dove and my favorite, The Last Picture Show, Larry McMurtry penned riveting non-fiction as well. Seeking guidance for this state based project, I revisited a book of his essays on Texas called In a Narrow Grave.

Ok, total tangent here… but a great read, especially if you enjoy memoir. The piece called Eros in Archer County hilariously documents how the folks he grew up with dealt with the subject of sex. This account not surprisingly includes the topics of repression as well as the shocking, but evidently commonplace practice of bestiality when other outlets were unavailable. Eww.

My dad’s older sister, my Aunt MaryBeth, typed up her own life story of growing up on a cotton farm in west Texas while waiting on letters from her husband who was a soldier during WWII. My siblings and I cherish these stories of a time gone by and her effort remains an influence on my writing.

After finding the Fleming Oak early in the day, but still miles from Dallas, I felt hungry enough to hunt some more. As with the Halfway Oak the day before, I simply drove at a medium pace along ranch road 591 hoping to recognize it. With my mind on the visual hunt, other trees seemed notable. The area is full of live oaks and I slowed to photograph a few of these possibilities. Once I spotted the real tree it was obvious - this was it.

The old photo in the book (at the top of this page) shows how healthy both of the two Choctaw Robinson trunks once were. The first thing you notice is that one of them is now inexplicably butchered and propped up on the ground.

Who the hell pruned this poor thing?

And Whyyyyyyy???
Was it damaged by lightning or something?
Perhaps the hope was to hold up the other trunk by leaving this one propped up against the ground?

Conspicuous splitting and some deterioration at the base doesn’t justify this use of power tools. A crime against horticulture, not to mention the name of Choctaw Bill. I completely forgot to get any video, but snapped stills and headed off to check in with my dear friends in Decatur.

🌿

This tree is located near Hazeldell, along Ranch Road 591 in Comanche County.