Austin, Texas: A Place in Time

Anyone who has spent any quality time in Austin, Texas, (and those who will visit or locate there) must read "The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic: A ‘Walk’ in Austin" by Kinky Friedman. Talk about a nostalgic trip down memory lane!

As a new divorcee striking out from hearth and home in Kansas, I got to Austin in the early 70s, about the same time Willie Nelson gave up on Nashville and came home to Central Texas.

It was a great town, just what I needed at this stage of my life, seeking that oft-mentioned freedom to be, to do, to become. Austin was the epitome of tolerance, everyone doing their own thing, with none of that “I think this way so you should too.”

As Kinky notes in the introduction to his book, one of the most stand-out aspects of Austin is all those fantastic, incredible people. From the early historical days of Mirabeau B. Lamar, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin to J. Frank Dobie and John Henry Faulk, to Liz Carpenter, Molly Ivins, Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards, to Janis Joplin, Lance Armstrong, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, and, not to be forgotten, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, one could wonder if the town made the people. Of course, it was the other way around.

This book is one in the Crown Journeys Series. I’m sure the series suffers from the fact that none of the other books were written by Kinky. His irrepressible humor and often irreverent style seems to be the quintessential flavor of Austin.

There’s the tale of the Treaty Oak, no doubt of special interest to me because of my relationship with that tree in the late 80s. This Southern Live Oak Tree on Baylor Street between 5th and 6th Streets in downtown Austin is estimated by Forestry experts to be at least 500 years old. In its prime, the spread of its branches measured 127 feet. Yes, feet. It is the last surviving member of a grove of 14 trees, known as the Council Oaks, that is reported to have been a meeting place for Tonkawa and Comanche Tribes.

In 1929 this Treaty Oak, so-named because legend has it that an Indian treaty was signed beneath it, was added to the American Forestry Association’s list of famous and historic trees in the United States. In 1937 the City of Austin purchased the lot on which it stands to ensure its preservation.

In modern times, citizens of Austin celebrated and appreciated the Treaty Oak by picnicking under its branches, bringing schoolchildren to see it, and even getting married in its shade.

I worked as typesetter just a mere half block away when, in 1989, the village idiot poured a drum of powerful herbicide around the historic tree in an effort to improve his love life. The evildoer was arrested, tried, and convicted, receiving hard time in prison. The campaign to help the tree recover is classic Austin.

Effects of the poison was devastating, and the tree soon deteriorated into critical condition. In massive shock, it began to shed most of its leaves. Ross Perot has been credited with writing a blank check to finance the desperate battle to save the tree. Major amounts of tainted soil were removed and replaced with clean dirt. A large amount of the crown was removed, and a fertilizing process was carried on for months. We had to wait until the next year to know it would survive to send out new growth.

This major campaign to save a single tree captured the hearts of people around the world. Experts, who had never tried something like this before, say it was a miracle that the fight was successful, the damage was so great. The tree lost the beautiful shape it had for literally hundreds of years, but it’s still here. Something like 35% of the tree remains, and in 1997, acorns were produced for the first time since being attacked. The acorns were collected and germinated, and in 1999 these baby trees began continuing the legacy of the Treaty Oak all across Texas.

And here’s what I believe contributed to recovery for this amazing, much-loved, historic living object. Many fans of the tree, myself included, would stop by the tree whenever we had a few minutes. Scarcely a day went by without people visiting, not only locals but visitors from across the nation and even a few other countries. Some talked to it. One co-worker of mine, a musician, even wrote a song for the tree, and would strum his guitar and sing. Others would touch the trunk, leaning against it, placing palms against it, or stretching arms around as far as they would go. I can only speak for myself as believing this mighty, ancient oak received something from us that enabled its recovery.

Austin was a place and a time in the years I lived there that will never be duplicated or seen again. In a way the change was inevitable, sort of like being a teenager, you can’t stay there forever. I fret that, with so many of those fascinating folks gone far too soon, all the newcomers pouring into town will fail to see and feel the essence of this amazing city.

Kinky Friedman’s book could help with that. A copy of “The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic: A ‘Walk’ in Austin” should be given to every new resident. At least they would know there’s so much to look for beyond the skyscrapers and freeways.

Story ID:	3552
Written by:	Carol J Garriott (bio, link, contact, other stories)
Organization:	home/retired
Story type:	Only Here
Location:	Austin Texas USA
Year:	1989
Person:	Treaty Oak