This is the story of Georgia, in the city of Athens, there exists a local landmark which is one of the most famous trees in the world. So how does this tree own itself? And does the government agree with the public’s general sentiments?
To understand this, we need to go back in history. In the 19th century, a Georgian citizen named Colonel William Jackson, born in 1786, reportedly developed liking to said tree and pledged to protect it from any danger. If you are wondering why he loved this tree so much, you need to learn what is written on the front-page article in the Athens Weekly Banner that was published on 12th August 1890. The article says that Col. Jackson had watched this famous tree grow from his childhood. He grew to love it almost as if the tree was human. He watched tree’s growth, and when he reached his old age, he was pained to think that the tree would fall in the hands of those who might destroy it after his death.
The ownership deed
During his end, Col. Jackson made an ownership deed of the tree and a little land around it. He made the said tree the owner of the property he acquired. Finally, on 9th October 1942, the tree, which was approx 300 years old and 30 meters tall, fell because of a severe windstorm, as per the rumors.
After four years, the Junior Ladies Garden Club members took a small tree that grew from an acorn taken from the original tree. This new little tree that grew from the acorn of the original tree was transplanted to its forebear’s location, and this tree was known as The Son of the Tree That Owns Itself. People assumed that it naturally inherited the land it was transplanted to.
