|
|
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 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and recent/vintage/historic
photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
