Election Oak

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's what happened under that old oak tree in Bosque County. Now, picture August 7, 1854. Bosque County has just been organized, and somebody's got to run the thing.

So they hold an election. Three polling places, total of 21 votes cast in the whole county. Twenty-one.

That's not a landslide, that's a family reunion with a ballot box. But here's the thing about those 21 votes: 17 of them, the lion's share, were cast right here, under this tree. J.

K. Helton presided as election judge, and when the dust settled, Bosque County had itself a full slate of officials. L.

H. Scrutchfield came away as judge. P.

Bryant took the sheriff's post. Jasper N. Mabray was elected clerk.

Isaac Gary would serve as assessor-collector. And Archibald Kell, he was your new county treasurer. Five men.

Seventeen votes. One oak tree standing witness to the whole proceeding. Now, that tree didn't just fade into the background after that.

In later years the Bosque County Old Settlers Association held their reunions at this very site, and they could do it because Tom M. Pool, who owned the land, extended them the courtesy. Folks around those parts came to call it Pool Park.

So you've got one tree that started as a polling place and ended up a gathering ground, a place where the people of Bosque County kept coming back. Some roots, it turns out, go a lot deeper than the ones you can see.

What the marker says

One of three polling places in first election held after Bosque County was organized in 1854. Of 21 votes cast on that occasion (August 7, 1854) in county, 17 were polled under this tree. J. K. Helton was election judge. Officials elected were: L. H. Scrutchfield, judge; P. Bryant, sheriff; Jasper N. Mabray, clerk; Isaac Gary, assessor-collector; Archibald Kell, treasurer. In later years, Bosque County Old Settlers Association used this site for reunions, by the courtesy of Tom M. Pool, owner of the land. Site was known locally as Pool Park. (1970)