Kyle Auction Oak, Texas famous tree. (original) (raw)

The auctioning off of town site lots occurred under this tree in October of 1880.
Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, June 2009

Jay Gould, the 19th Century railroad magnate decided that his International-Great Northern Railroad needed a station between Austin and San Marcos. He made a deal with property owners David Moore and Fergus Kyle and 200 acres of their former land was auctioned off in 1880 under the Kyle Auction Oak.

The Auction Oak is located inside Kyle on Sledge Street, about two blocks south of Center Street. Since there seem to be two distinct trunks, it is sometimes referred to as The Auction Oaks.

Historical Marker (204 S. Sledge) :

The Kyle Auction Oak

When Kyle was founded along the International & Great Northern Railroad in 1880, this giant liveoak was site of a public auction of town lots. The railway was given 200 acres of land by Fergus Kyle (1834-1905), state representative for whom the community was named, and the family of David E. Moore. Free rides were provided to the townsite on auction day, Oct. 14, 1880, and all business and most residential lots were sold. In 1881, the railroad gave 4 acres around the tree for a school, Kyle Seminary, which burned in 1889. The Alex Kercheville family now (1975) owns and preserves the tree.
(1975)

The Kyle Auction Oaks in April 2001
TE photo

The Kyle Auction Oaks in
December 2000
TE photo

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