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Historic Trees
of Texas
The
Matrimonial Oak of San Saba County
aka
The Wedding Oak
The Marriage Oak
San Saba,
Texas
by Luke Warm
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"The
Wedding Oak is a legendary Indian site that was popular into the 1900s.
This tree sheltered many marriage services. On December 24, 1911,
three marriages took place here." - Photo courtesy Jim &
Lou Kinsey, 2003 |
Also
known as the wedding oak, the marriage oak or the matrimonial oak,
the legend is that before the settlers arrived, that Indians stood
under the tree to be wed and that the tradition was adopted by the
settlers. It's a simple story. That's it. Indians and then settlers
got married under it.
No ghosts, hangings or mysterious signs carved into the trunk. Just
a wedding tree. Outside of San
Saba. End of story. |
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Photo
courtesy Barclay Gibson, 2004 |
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After being
inspired to visit the tree (perhaps by the Kinsey's photo) photographer-at-large
Barclay Gipson made the trip all the way from Carlsbad, New Mexico
to photograph the tree.
Some people have confused this tree with the "Center of Texas
Oak" near Mercury in nearby McCulloch County. But although they're
both live oaks - they are indeed separate trees with separate stories.
(They also happen to be about 40 miles apart.) People who wanted
to get married stood under this one - and people (for whatever reason)
who wanted to stand in the geographic center of Texas stood under
the other one.
This might be a good opportunity to explain a basic difference between
folklore and history. Historians would want to see documentation
about Indian courtship rituals while folklorists would just say
people got married here and leave it at that. If the real truth
was known, we might be calling it the "Getting out of the Rain"
oak - since that was another tradition shared by both Indian and
settler.
(Our
thanks to both The
Kinseys and Mr.
Gibson and if anyone else wants to send in a photo of the tree
- we'd love to have one taken from the other side. - Editor)
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The
other side
Photo courtesy Judy McBride, November 2005 |
Directions:
From San
Saba: Turning north from in front of the San Saba High School,
you follow 9th street for 1/4 mile. After turning left onto China
Creek Road, proceed about a mile and you'll see the shade provided
by the tree.
Photographer Gibson provided another tip: "The Wedding Oak is right
up (down) the road of the Beveridge
Suspension Bridge near San Saba. If you've been to the bridge,
you've passed under this tree."
Anyone
wishing to share their wedding stories or information on Indian courtship
and marriage, please contact
us.
October 13, 2005
© John Troesser |
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