Seiders Oaks - Austin, TX - Historic Trees on Waymarking.com

The history of the Seiders Oak grove and the Seiders Springs begins in 1839 when Gideon White move to the newly settled area around Austin, TX. White chose a homestead along this part of Shoal Creek and build his log cabin and began rearing his family. By 1842, he was settled in and was out searching for one of his strayed cows when he as attacked by a band of marauding Indians. Like any pioneer frontiersman, he fought back and took cover in this grove of Live Oak trees. He killed at least one of his attackers before he was killed.
Four years after Gideon White's death, his daughter, Louisa Maria White married Lee Edward Seiders, who was an entrepreneur in Austin, operating several businesses there. For a while, the couple lived in the same log cabin her father had built. Over time Edward Seiders had become popular enough to have the oak grove and nearby spring referred to by the local Austin residents as Seiders Oaks and Seiders Spring. Part of this may be due to the Seiders developing the grove, spring and creek area into a sort of tourist attraction by building bath houses, picnic areas, and dance pavilions. The trees, the spring and the location names have survived. In 1865 General George Custer camped his cavalry unit in the Seiders Oaks.

There is a Texas historical marker among the Seiders Oaks that reads:
"Site of 1839 home and 1842 massacre of Gideon White. A daughter, Louisa wed (1846) Edward Seiders, for whom oaks are names." See waymark WM8K0N: (visit link)

The Seiders Oaks are presently part of the Seiders Springs Greenbelt, a linear city park with Shoal Creek Trail pathways for walking, biking or jogging passing by and through this area. The Seiders Oaks are located on the west bank of Shoal Creek, between 34th Street and 38th Street. They are between the Shoal Creek Hospital and the Sutton Medical Center Austin.

The street address of 1380 W 34th St., Austin, TX will get you to the part of the park where the trees are.

Website: [Web Link] Historic Event: Gideon White was a pioneer settler who was attacked and killed by Indians near his homestead along Shoal Creek near Austin about 3 years after he settled there. His daughter survived and married Lee Edward Seiders who became a successful entrepreneur and who lived in the homestead of his wife. The Seiders popularized the area where the grove of trees and spring is on their land and the local folks began referring to them as Seiders Oaks and Seiders Springs. General George Custer camped in the Seiders Oaks during the Civil War. Bath houses, picnic areas and dance pavilions made the Seider Springs and Seider Oaks a popular place and keep the legend alive of its history. Year: 1842-1870 Species: Texas Live Oaks Approximate Age: 200 Location: Austin, TX at or near 1380 W 34th Street.

Visit Instructions:
To log this waymark you must visit the site and post an original photo of the tree. Photos taken off the web, or from other sources are not acceptable.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/18/2018 WayBetterFinder visited it