The Original Burkett Pecan Tree
N 32° 22.687 W 099° 09.675
14S E 484832 N 3582359
Texas Historical Marker at the site of the "original" Burkett Pecan Tree, providing a sound byte of information. Unfortunately, the tree is no longer with us, and there are no remains to be found.
Waymark Code: WM12BMF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/21/2020
Views: 2
This notable tree stood here, protected by an enclosure, near the dead end of the I-20 service drive about two miles east of Putnam. Lightning struck it in the 1990s, and Mother Nature then went to work on finishing the job, resulting in its removal in 1994. Nothing was left behind, and for a good reason: The wood was kept for family members for use as mementos for whatever project they liked. One family made a sign/bench, while another made a pen. Some of the tree's descendants are still with us, most notably in Clyde.
Technically, this wasn't the original tree, which was destroyed around 1910. In 1900, brothers Joe and Omar Burkett were hunting along Battle Fish Creek, and they collected some pecans. Upon their return home, their father, John, noted their quality and encouraged the boys to find the parent tree. They did, and Mr. Burkett needed a couple of tries to achieve success with grafts.
Marker Number: 573
Marker Text:
Bred from a native tree, 1900, by J.H. Burkett (1861-1945), Texas pecan industry leader.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1966
Incise: Callahan County Historical Survey Committee
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