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Evergreen doesn't
have a sign to announce it. There's nothing to tell you that it
was the oldest community in Lee
County. The only reference is a metal sign on a gate to the
Evergreen Cemetery.
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The historical
marker in front of the tree
TE photo, 2001 |
Historical Marker:
1/2 mile south on FM 1624 from S Hwy 21/FM 1624 intersection; half-way
between S Hwy 21 and US 77
Old Evergreen
Tree
Said to have sheltered
in 1714 explorer Louis de St. Denis-- probably first white man ever
here. Site of pioneer court trails in 1870s.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967 |
The Evergreen
"Hanging" Tree
TE photo, 2001 |
The
massive Live Oak above has earned its title of "Hanging Tree" according
to locals, but we have been unable to uncover any specific executions.
Bill
Longley, Lee County's
most infamous black sheep was hanged twice, but neither time was on
this particular Quercus virginiana. Bill loved Evergreen and even
wrote about it from prison. You might say he pined for Evergreen.
Evergreen had a calming effect on Bill (See Bill
Longley Doesn't Get Along Well With Others).and he proved it by
farming and chopping the cotton of relatives when he wasn't shooting
people. The bright lights and brandy of Giddings
were just too close to Evergreen for Bill to settle down.
Officially, Evergreen is now part of Lincoln.
The present Lincoln Postmaster grew up in Evergreen and told
us he still has some .50 caliber lead slugs that he and friends found
while playing around the tree as boys. |
The oldest house
left in Evergreen awaits relocation
TE photo, 2001 |
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Recently, the
house you see here was donated to a historical group to be moved
and restored. The historical marker in front of the tree states
that the Live Oak is believed to have sheltered Louis de St. Denis
who was the surveyor of El
Camino Real. His visit would have occurred in 1713.
In 1836 Sam Houston
was passing through the area and became stuck in the mud according
to legend. He spent the night in the Stockman Hotel, which stood
next to the tree.
The town was laid out in 1856 and the town prospered until like
many towns, it was by-passed by the railroad in 1870. This time
it was the Houston and Texas Central that went East -West through
Giddings. What could be worse?
How about being by-passed by two railroads? In 1890 The San Antonio
and Aransas Pass (SAAP) went through Lincoln
(South-North) and the last holdouts in Evergreen gave up and moved
there.
The gate to the Evergreen Cemetery is on the west side of
FM 1624, opposite the tree.
© John
Troesser
2003
Sources:
A History of Lee County by the Lee County Historical Survey Committee,
Nortex, 1974.
Famous Trees of Texas, Published by the Texas Forest Service (A&M
University), 1970
Interview with Lincoln Postmaster, January, 8th, 2001.
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Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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