El Encino del Poso (The Oak in the Hole)
Encino, Brooks County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In this vicinity once stood a magnificent live oak tree that was an early landmark on the South Texas Plains for many years. Noted for its size and its wide canopy, it was located in a large hollow created by livestock that gathered beneath its branches and by winds that eroded the exposed soil. El Encino del Poso was a landmark for early trails and land grants. It also served as the location of a stagecoach station and as the basis for naming Encino (1 mi. N). The tree died in the 1890s, before the formation of Brooks County, the victim of an extended drought. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A magnificent live oak once spread its canopy over this stretch of the South Texas plains, growing in a hollow scooped out by sheltering livestock and eroding winds. "The Oak in the Hole" guided early trails and land grants, sheltered a stagecoach station, and gave the nearby town of Encino its name. An extended drought killed the great tree in the 1890s.
Why it matters
Natural landmarks like this oak served as the road signs of the frontier, orienting travelers and settlers long before fences and highways divided the land.
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Themes & tags
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