Son of the Tree that Owns Itself (Athens-Clarke County, Georgia)

 

While in Athens running errands, I wanted to stop by and visit a local landmark known as the Tree that Owns Itself. This is a tree near downtown Athens, also known as the Jackson Oak. As the legend goes, sometime between 1820 and 1832, a man named Colonel William Henry Jackson, who owned the surrounding property, had cherished childhood memories of the tree and wanted to protect it. He deeded the tree and the land within eight feet of its trunk to the tree itself. The tree itself was thought to be the biggest tree in Athens at the time and to have started life in the mid-16th century. 

The tree stood for more than a hundred years after being granted possession of itself, but finally fell in late 1942 during a violent windstorm and after years of declining health. Soon after, a young man with ties to a local garden club suggested a replacement be planted in the trees place. As luck would have it, several acorns had been collected from the original tree over the years and one such specimen was planted on the site, becoming known as "The Son of the Tree that Owns Itself". That is the tree that I visit today.

There are two tablets standing within the chained off area meant to protect the tree. Both commemorate the proclamation of Colonel Jackson. The proclamation and tree itself have been the source of healthy legal debate over the years, regarding the validity of such an action. Generally considered invalid due a non-sentient being's (such as a tree) in ability to understand the terms of the deed. However, the city of Athens and the larger public acknowledge the tree's self-ownership and the current property owners adjacent to the tree and the local government have accepted stewardship over the tree's care. It's an interesting legend and legal anomaly.