Marked Tree

ABC WEDNESDAY is the place to be to share your weekly letters. Today is letter M and I have a share from our vacation trip this summer.

While driving to New Orleans we passed through MARKED TREE, Arkansas.  The name was so intriguing to me and I had to do some research.

Marked Tree is in the southern end of the New Madrid Fault.  The city got its name from an oak  tree located on the bank of the Francis River.

Osage and Cherokee Indians roamed the woods and enjoyed fishing in the two rivers.  MARKED TREE is also noted for having two rivers a quarter of a mile apart but both flow in opposite directions.

The Indians slashed the oak tree to mark a crossing point on land to avoid paddling 12 miles upstream to reach the other bank.  The tree stood until 1890 when undermining caused the tree to fall into the river.  While digging in 1970 for a new bridge a large well preserved oak was unearthed. The workers brought the trunk back to the town and it is displayed with a historical marker.

Unlike many cities MARKED TREE is the only city with this name in the world.

Linking with ABC WEDNESDAY

Ann