DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and I wouldn't change a word. Somewhere out in Comanche County, there's a tree with a story rooted so deep it earned its own marker. They call it the Choctaw Robinson Tree, and to understand why, you've got to meet the Reverend William Robinson.
Born in North Carolina in 1809, Robinson made his way to Texas in 1848. He was a pioneer Baptist missionary, the kind of man who didn't just pass through a place — he organized churches in it. Rusk County, Johnson County, Erath County, Comanche County.
He built congregations across the frontier, and all the while, he was farming to support what the marker calls his large family. The man was busy on multiple fronts. Now, somewhere along the way, he picked up a nickname: Choctaw Bill.
And here's where it gets good. A band of Choctaw Indians once complained about his long sermons. Not the theology, mind you.
The length. The man could preach. He could preach and preach and then, apparently, preach some more.
Which brings us to this tree. The Reverend Robinson often preached for hours beneath it — right near a rough frontier town. And while he spoke, he rested his gun in the fork of the tree.
Now, whether that was a comfort to the congregation or a gentle suggestion to stay seated through the third hour, the marker doesn't say. But picture it: a Baptist preacher, sermon rolling like a river, pistol propped right there in the branches overhead. The Reverend William Robinson lived until 1898.
His grave is in nearby Baggett Cemetery. And the tree where he preached — gun resting in the fork, words filling the frontier air — it's still standing as a testament to a man who clearly had a lot to say.
What the marker says
The Rev. William Robinson (1809-98), pioneer Baptist missionary, was born in North Carolina and came to Texas in 1848. He organized and served as pastor to churches in Rusk, Johnson, Erath and Comanche counties. At the same time, he supported his large family by farming. He was called "Choctaw Bill" because a band of Choctaw Indians once complained about his long sermons. The Rev. Mr. Robinson often preached for hours beneath this tree, near a rough frontier town. While he spoke, he rested his gun in the fork of the tree. His grave is located in nearby Baggett Cemetery. (1975)