Kyle Hanging Tree
This tree’s entry in Famous Trees of Texas is short and vague.
Sometime in the late 1840s, cowboys discovered a man hanging from a tree and buried him there, knowing nothing about who he was or why he was hanged.
This barely acknowledged event took place about a quarter mile from the (now historic, still standing log cabin*) home of Colonel Claiborne Kyle. It goes on to say that the Colonel donated 15 acres that became this cemetery, where pioneers and war veterans are buried.
The absence of information is unsettling.
Figuring I would first find the more remote of two trees in Kyle, Texas, then head back toward civilization, I drove to the cemetery. In contrast to another burial ground I explored finding the Turner Oak, this one is less cultivated than the urban, manicured vibe of Greenwood.
A clear indicator was lacking for The Hanging Tree, which was supposedly 200 feet from the entrance. Driving down the gravel road, I hopped out to investigate when I spotted an official historical marker.
Over on the edge of the main cemetery, behind a fence were old, crude and disintegrating grave stones, many of which were hand-carved and not so sturdy to begin with. The 2015 marker explained that this was the burial ground for the slaves of Claiborne Kyle, who numbered up to 29, according to an 1850 slave census.
One of them, Samuel, was possibly his son with, I guess, not his wife, Kitty Kyle, also believed to be buried there.
The deteriorating stones were in a lovely grove of junipers and smaller live oaks, that may have taken over the area when another cemetery was established nearby for the African American community.
I could see where their trunks had been limbed up, likely in the 1990s restoration mentioned on the marker, implying that the whole area had been overgrown and forgotten for a time.
Though this was intriguing, I felt a nagging tension of not yet completing my mission. Plus, it was hot as hell, especially for October, so exploring was less appealing.
Three robust live oaks near the entrance threw me off.
In the 90 degree heat, I ventured on foot to inspect these big specimens, which had the historic look, though I had a feeling they were not the one. Back toward the graveyard entrance was another marker, which pointed out that, though records listed Kyle’s adopted son, Willie Parks as the first one buried here in 1849, “local tradition” claims that the un-named man hanging from the tree was the first. A correction was also expressed on this 1992 marker: only 5 acres were donated by Claiborne Kyle.
Sweaty and befuddled, I squinted around, knowing the tree was somewhere in the vicinity.
Where?
The warm weather was not energizing. Trudging slowly back toward my car, I finally noticed a scraggly tree with an odd horizontal branch and recognized that what I’d been searching for was RIGHT THERE between the big live oaks and the slave cemetery.
Unlike many of the trees I've seen so far, with cascading branches creating an umbrella you can walk underneath, the sparse nature of this one created the effect of a silhouette, particularly in the bright, mid-day light.
It looks as though it is in serious decline. I imagine the healthier specimens that confused me will hold up much better.
Interesting to think about how we revere the dead, and by default, the cemetery ends up being a protected space for plants as well.
Good photography takes patience and attention to light patterns, among numerous other factors. For this project, I made the decision that the best camera is the “one in your hand,” as they say, which would be my iPhone. Documenting my journey, I have never once planned to arrive early morning or at sunset, when light could enhance the images. In fact, planning is not my thing. I prefer spontaneity and I roll with current conditions whenever I show up. Then again, it might be something to consider moving forward.
Harsh mid-day lighting is not flattering.
Almost every day when she exited our common workspace, one of my friends used to say, in her cute, rather high pitched voice, “OK, I’m gonna make like a tree.” I snapped a few more pix, then made like a banana and split to find the Kyle Auction Oak.
*I would have tried to locate the nearby cabin, but I did not learn about it until after I was home
The Hanging Tree is located in the Kyle City Cemetery. A historical marker is at the top of the main cemetery drive and the tree is located about 200 feet to the right of the entrance. A marker "Kyle Hanging Tree" has been installed at the base of tree beside the headstone of Wm. Melton.
29°57'44.6"N 97°53'52.4"W
