Renovation of Missouri City's Freedom Tree moving ahead

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

With the last piece of the puzzle now in place, Missouri City is soon to embark on a project to renovate and greatly expand Freedom Tree Park, which pays homage to the summer day in 1865 when enslaved people at the former Palmer Plantation learned that they were free.

According to the historical marker placed at the park, the Palmer Plantation was founded by planter and Texas state official Edward Palmer in 1860. After the death of Palmer and later his wife, the plantation was owned by their teenage daughter, Bettie.

After the end of the Civil War and the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston (now honored as the federal holiday Juneteenth), a white overseer and Ed Graves, one of the slaves at the Palmer Plantation, gath- ered the remaining slaves underneath the large oak tree to announce that they were now free. They would be able to continue working the on the property, with a portion of the crops as compensation.

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Among the items the facilities bond referendum approved by Missouri City voters in 2021 was a $3.5 million item for the renovation of Freedom Tree Park, which has gained more public notice in recent years, according to District B Councilman Jeffrey Boney.

The tree is located in the smaller portion of the present park, tucked