Troll at the Center of Texas

In 1871, a survey found the small community of Hughes Store was situated at the center of the state of Texas and in the middle of this community was a large Oak tree. The survey crew decided to call the tree Center Oak. Thinking a change of name would help the settlement grow and wanting to take advantage of the newfound publicity for being in the center of the state, the community changed its name to Center City.

The town built around the Center Oak tree began to grow and thrive, but then the railroad bypassed it in 1885 and the town began to decline. A more accurate survey in the early 1900's determined the center of Texas to actually be about 50 miles away. The town lost even the recognition of being at the center of it all and rapidly declined.

Now a ghost town compared to what it once was, Lil Dude Troll visited the old Center Oak and found that like the town, the tree which had seen so much of history is just a shell. It died in 2011 and the trunk is slowly rotting away to nothing.
















(To read a more complete story of the Center Oak, click here.)