Historical Period: 20th Century (1900 & Later)
Historical Topic: Odds & Ends, Pecan-Our State Tree
Species: Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)
County: Travis
Public Access: No longer applicable; tree is dead
Though the Memorial Pecan is no longer alive, its story is grounded in the sacred soil where it once flourished.
On May 30, 1945, the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs planted this tree in a Memorial Day ceremony at the state capitol to honor the heroic service of Texans in World War II. A pound of earth from each county in the state—a total of 254—was sent by Texas clubwomen to surround the roots of the new tree. Notably, it included soil from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s birthplace at Denison and Adm. Chester W. Nimitz’s old home near Fredericksburg.
The original tree was removed during a capitol expansion project in the early 1990s, and its wood was reportedly used to make benches for the capitol.