Turner Oak
This was my first time to locate one on my own.
The Famous Trees of Texas book said the Turner Oak was about 200 yards from the main entrance of the Greenwood Cemetery, which turned out to be quite obvious.
Before I could get there, I stopped spotting two big oaks on the corner of the grounds in a strip of earth near parking for church-like building.
When I'm searching for a specific tree, I’ve noticed there are often nearby trees that throw me off at first. I began calling these: decoys.
Jumping out to take photos of these lovely decoys, I discovered that Greenwood Cemetery is loaded with big ol’ live oaks planted in an imperfect grid pattern amongst the tombstones.
Still not realizing that I came in the "wrong" entrance, I wandered a while on foot sweltering in 97 degree September heat, trying to discern if one or the other tree was larger, or how many yards from the entrance this particular one might be.
Is it this one?
Hmmm… maybe this one??
Clearly, my sense of distance is vague. I had no idea if there would be a marker of some kind? or if the right tree was even alive???
I walked out toward one that had a faux bois cement trash can at the trunk base, made to look like a tree stump. Viewing this from my vehicle, I thought might be a marker of some kind???
Nope.
Reminded me of tombstones out west in Colorado City, TX (where my grandparents are all buried) shaped like pine and cedar trunks.
After appreciating some impressive specimens up close, I drove around the cemetery roads, noting anything with possible significance.
I felt pretty stupid when I finally spotted the huge circular median that surrounds the well-marked Turner Oak,
especially when I saw the triumphant four horse equestrian sculpture that clearly delineates the main entrance nearby.
Ok, yeah, that's probably about 200 yards.
One of the first settlers in Tarrant County, Charles Turner helped found the city of Fort Worth. He wisely buried a stash of gold under this tree, to avoid exchanging it for Confederate notes, as per the directive when Texas seceded from the union.
When he settled on this land 168 years ago, it must have been large enough to serve as an unmistakable landmark, because he eventually returned, dug up the gold and used it to "restore prosperity to the town he helped found."
When I reported the trek to my sister, she asked if I had scratched around at all to see if any gold was left. Dang.
A sizable chunk of cement rested in an older branch scar of this historic exemplar, an outdated practice no longer recommended. Blanketing the median with water-loving St. Augustine turf was questionable, not to mention the strips of summer annuals a few feet away from the trunk. The rest of the boneyard was thriving without supplemental water.
A distinct figurine visible in the photo background, holds up her hands (in sorrow? worship?? ecstasy??? Who knows??? Her toga is falling off, a jug of coins dumps out at her feet, so there is a lot going on).
Searching the decoys, I scanned for this identifier and happily it remains in good condition, expressively marking the Wallenberg gravesite. On one side of the pedestal, I recognized the opening lines of Psalm 121, one of a few my mother pressured my sister and I to memorize as children…
“LIFT UP THINE EYES UNTO THE HILLS FROM WHENCE COMETH THY STRENGTH”
It was not at all pleasant to be outside this hot day, so I went back to the car to make an attempt at drawing, using a style I learned in my first art class in high school.
Contour drawings are an exercise in looking and seeing. Done with one continuous line, your eyes stay constantly on the subject, not looking at your paper. There is plenty of opportunity for them to come out looking like a drunken scrawl, which is pretty much what happened. The point of the technique is to force yourself to keep your eyes on your subject, not your drawing.
I can’t believe I’m showing this pitiful drawing
Even just an outline of an extremely complicated subject, such as a live oak would take quite a bit more patience than I had that sweltering afternoon. I gave up and went to find the Traders Oak.
This was my first official tree from the Famous Trees of Texas book.
If you really want to know how I got started, (I know you do) the Presbyterian Oaks were my first attempt at hunting and writing about trees.
