Your Own Master: The Unique Story of an Old Oak Tree That Received Legal Rights to the Land Where It Grows (9 photos)
In a neighborhood in the town of Eufaula, Alabama, where ancient mansions are immersed in the shade of rustling foliage, a unique oak tree grows. 
It belongs to no local resident, for it is a Tree of Its Own. 
Eufala
On a tiny plot of land, a tall oak tree rises, its roots deeply embedded in the soil that legally belongs to it alone. This remarkable autonomy began in 1935, when Eufaula Mayor E. H. Graves signed a special document. 
He granted the then two-century-old oak the right "to have and hold itself, its branches, limbs, trunk, and roots, as long as the tree shall live." By that time, the tree had already survived the fire that destroyed the house of the land's previous owner. 
Standing under the shade of its branches, one can't help but wonder: why was it necessary to grant the tree ownership rights? There's no clear answer. 
Perhaps this green wedge at the fork in the road was designated as a picturesque buffer between residential buildings and the highway. Another theory is that the initiative was taken by the local Garden Club, who wanted to preserve the tree for posterity. 
The old oak tree, which had withstood many storms over two centuries, was uprooted by a tornado in 1961. The street corner seemed empty without its green symbol, and a new oak was soon planted there. 
The sign on the fence was updated to reflect this history. The new oak tree was planted on April 19, 1961, just 10 days after its predecessor fell. A weathered plaque reads: "Only God can create a tree." 
Like the original oak, its successor is completely self-governing, with city services visiting only for necessary maintenance. 
