Kyle Auction Oak

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Kyle Auction Oak, out there in Hays County. Now, some trees just stand in a yard and look pretty. This one?

This one was there when a whole town got born. When Kyle was founded along the International and Great Northern Railroad in 1880, there was already a giant liveoak waiting at the townsite, like it had been holding that spot for somebody. And somebody came.

The railway had been given two hundred acres of land, donated by Fergus Kyle, state representative, born in 1834 and gone by 1905, and by the family of David E. Moore. The community took Fergus Kyle's name, and that old oak took center stage.

On October the fourteenth, 1880, the railroad offered something that would get any Texan out of bed: free rides to the townsite on auction day. Now, you offer a free ride in 1880, people are going to show up. And show up they did.

Under the shade of that liveoak, all the business lots and most of the residential lots were sold. Just like that, a town had itself a foundation. Then in 1881, the railroad turned around and gave four acres around that very tree for a school, Kyle Seminary.

A seminary, right there in the shadow of the auction oak. The school stood until 1889, when it burned. The tree, though.

The tree stayed. And as of 1975, the Alex Kercheville family owns and preserves it, standing quiet watch over all that history it saw get started on one October afternoon in 1880.

What the marker says

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.