Missouri City has dedicated the new Outdoor Classroom built underneath the branches of the city’s 200-tear-old Great Oak, known as the Freedom Tree.
Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen holds a pair of large scissors after cutting the ribbon on the new Freedom Tree Park Outdoor Classroom. The octagon-shaped wooden learning center includes seating for 30 people, and is adjacent to the 200-year-old oak tree. Pictured, left to right, are: Vickie and C.W. Gibbs, descendants of a former worker on the land; Owen, City Councilman Bobby Marshall, Kelly Matte, community coordinator for H-E-B Sienna Market and Janet Calvin, president of Quail Valley Proud.
The classroom, an octagon-shaped wooden deck with capacity to seat 30 people, was dedicated in front of the oak on Feb. 24. During the ceremony, members of the Lake Olympia Middle School Choir performed in tribute to the tree, which reportedly served as a gathering place in 1865 for slaves on the Palmer Plantation to be informed of their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation.
“I think about what this tree has seen, including picnics and meetings,” said Don Smith, founder and chairman of the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation. “But also about our people who endured the ordeal of bondage and how these same people expressed jubilation when that bondage and those shackles were removed. The tree is not only a symbol of that era but of what Missouri City is all about when folks come together regardless of what their backgrounds are to become as strong and steadfast as this tree.”
The great-great-great grandson of a former worker on the Palmer Plantation attended the dedication of the Outdoor Classroom. He spoke of the significance of the Freedom Tree Park for him and his family.
“This is a tremendous occasion for us to celebrate the history of our ancestors who worked so hard and diligently on this land and to see that we are still around enjoying the prosperity of their work,” said C.W. Gibbs. “And I think the new deck is awesome.”
C.W. Gibbs and his wife, Vickie, stand in front of a plaque that details the importance of Missouri City’s Freedom Tree. Gibbs’ great-great-great grandfather, Ed Gibbs, was a slave on the plantation and later became a landowner and farmer.
“We are honored to have the direct descendants of the people who lived here attending today,” said Missouri City Parks and Recreation Director Kelly Snook. “When I come here, I think of the word ‘community’ and that’s what makes this tree so special.”
City Council approved a $47,900 contract for the construction of the wooden deck last December. The city’s share of the cost was about $12,000. The structure was also partially funded through approximately $35,000 in donations from the Lake Olympia Civic Association, Quail Valley Proud and HEB.
The Freedom Tree Park Deck is about 1,500 square feet, and the decking material was made from environmentally-friendly lumber. In addition, the structure is supported by a base that will not affect the Great Oak’s root system.
At the ribbon-cutting, Mayor Allen Owen spoke about future plans for Freedom Tree Park, which involves using the land across the street from the historic tree.
The Lake Olympia Middle School Choir sang three selections at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Outdoor Classroom under the Freedom Tree in Missouri City.
“Later, we will have an amphitheater with a replica of a cross-section of the tree designed to show the rings and point out the history of what was happening at each point in time as the tree aged so people can read that and learn about it,” said Owen.
HEB, Quail Valley Proud and Lake Olympia Civic Association were recognized at the ceremony and Blackgum and Persimmon seedlings were given to guests.
An octagon-shaped Outdoor Classroom was dedicated at Missouri City’s historic Freedom Tree Park on Feb. 24. It will provide an educational area for residents, students and visitors to learn about the historic oak.
