Marker Inscription
Site of 1876 hearing presided over by Judge W. A. Blackburn, with Texas Rangers on guard and the accused chained to tree. (1971)
Historical Marker
First Court Tree
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
About this site
First Court Tree is a historical marker in Junction, Kimble County, dedicated in 1971. It is one of 56 historical markers documented in Kimble County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 64 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 30.5118, -99.7520 near Junction. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Court in Kimble County (historical marker), about 1.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include The Killing of Sam Speer, North East Junction, and Oliver Pecan.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5267009428. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
History
The First Court Tree marks the live oak on the bank of the Llano River where Kimble County's first district court convened in the spring of 1876, shortly after the county was organized that January. The proceedings were famously rustic: the jury sat on logs, another log served as the judge's bench, and prisoners were chained to nearby trees. The session led to the county seat being fixed at Junction City.
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Nearby in Kimble County
Cemetery
North East Junction
Junction
Historical Marker
First Court in Kimble County
Junction · 1967
Historical Marker
The Killing of Sam Speer
Junction · 1967
Historical Marker
Schreiner Park
Junction · 1970
Historical Marker
Oliver Pecan
Junction · 1973
Historical Marker
Kimble County's First Sawmill
Junction · 1966
Historical Marker
Kimble County Jail
Junction · 1964
Historical Marker
Log Cabin
Junction · 1965