Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Mosaic in Beachfront Park.
Tsunami Walking Tour
Madam Yoko’s gravesite.
Madam Yoko’s Grave
Garden path.
Garden of the Presidential Mansion
Anabaptist Cages
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Aerial view of Bell Labs Holmdel
How the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex Inspired ‘Severance’
2 days ago
Omni Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House: Inside the History of Boston’s Most Iconic Hotel
3 days ago
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
4 days ago
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Alabama Eufaula The Tree That Owns Itself

The Tree That Owns Itself

An autonomous oak in Alabama.

Eufaula, Alabama

Added By
Rachel M
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Mom0ja / Atlas Obscura User
  Mom0ja / Atlas Obscura User
  Mom0ja / Atlas Obscura User
  Mom0ja / Atlas Obscura User
The tree   thomasmom710 / Atlas Obscura User
Sign for the spot   thomasmom710 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Not to be mistaken for the other Tree That Owns Itself, in Athens, Georgia, the self-owning oak tree in Eufala, Alabama (often called the "Walker Oak") sits proudly independent in the middle of town, with a fitting declaration on its plaque: “ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE.”

In 1935, in the small town of Eufala, the president of the local garden club petitioned the mayor and city council to help her in ensuring the protection of a beloved city tree. The 65-foot tall wide post oak which grew near the center of town was a landmark for the city and a favorite place for local children to play.

A “deed of sentiment” was granted and recorded by Mayor E.H. Graves, who stated that the tree was “a creation and gift of the Almighty, standing in our midst—to itself—to have and to hold itself, its branches, limbs, trunks and roots so long as it shall live.” An iron fence was erected around the tree, and a plaque was installed to inform visitors.

Then, in 1961, the 200-year-old oak was toppled by a terrible windstorm. A local business donated and planted a new oak on the same spot only 10 days after the storm passed. Ownership rights were transferred to the replacement tree.

Related Tags

Trees History Plaques Plants Flora

Know Before You Go

From Cotton Avenue, turn onto Highland Avenue/Shorter Street.

Community Contributors

Added By

Mom0ja

Edited By

The Anonymoose Traveler, thomasmom710, mattgibbons91

  • The Anonymoose Traveler
  • thomasmom710
  • mattgibbons91

Published

October 18, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://alabamapioneers.com/tree-owned-eufaula-alabama/
  • http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/07/from_ancient_underwater_forest.html
The Tree That Owns Itself
512 Cotton Ave
Eufaula, Alabama
United States
31.898708, -85.146127
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Memorial to Leroy Brown

Eufaula, Alabama

miles away

Whiskey Bottle Tombstone

Clayton, Alabama

miles away

Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area

Lumpkin, Georgia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Eufaula

Eufaula

Alabama

Places 2

Nearby Places

Memorial to Leroy Brown

Eufaula, Alabama

miles away

Whiskey Bottle Tombstone

Clayton, Alabama

miles away

Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area

Lumpkin, Georgia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Eufaula

Eufaula

Alabama

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

14 Plaques That Will Make You Smile

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • The Much Marcle Yew Tree

    Much Marcle, England

    Much Marcle Ancient Yew

    One of the oldest and most majestic living trees in Britain, thought to be over 1,500 years old.

  • Joan of Arc medallion

    Cedar Crest, New Mexico

    Sandia Medallion Trees

    Mysterious markers have been giving the public a lesson in dendrochronology for over a century.

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

    Roxburgh Court Tree Plaques

    These plaques located in a court preserve a small piece of Edinburgh's history.

  • London, England

    Cheapside Plane Tree

    What might be the oldest living tree in London has survived fires, bombings, and estate agents.

  • A movable glasshouse protects the camellia in winter.

    Dresden, Germany

    Pillnitz Camellia

    An engineering wonder at Pillnitz Castle protects a precious 230-year-old flowering shrub.

  • Bowthorpe Oak.

    Lincolnshire, England

    Bowthorpe Oak

    England’s ancient oak tree has such an impressive girth, people have been hosting parties within the hollow trunk for centuries.

  • The patriotic plantations.

    Derbyshire, England

    England's 'ER' Plantations

    The patches of trees pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

  • Tulare County, California

    Mark Twain Stump

    The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they’re spectacular.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.