This
large Black Oak was part of a parcel of land given by James Watts in
1844 for the building of the Battle Creek Baptist Church. The
church was so named for the Indian massacre in 1780 of a group of
white settlers on the nearby Battle Creek. The one surviving member
of the group, a widow named Betty Jones (grandmother of James Watts)
hid in the forest for 4 days before being rescued by a hunter and
taken to Eaton’s Station for safety.The church
was organized in 1845 and some of the property was utilized as a
community cemetery. In 1872, Timothy & Mary Demonbreun, son of
Jacques Timothy Demonbreun (the first white man to live in Nashville
and establish a business), donated an additional parcel of land for
a school house and extra cemetery space, requesting that the land
also be used to have a Sabbath worship every month for the Methodist
Order, the Cumberland Presbyterian Order, and the Baptist Order in
the community.
The property became a meeting place for several
churches in the community over the years and many wagons were tied
to the large oak during church gatherings and picnics.
The oak was recently aged to be over 183 years
old and represents an established and common feature of the Battle
Creek community, and has played a significant role in the heritage
of the community and the early settlement of Middle TN.
Nominated by Mrs. Anne Crutcher, church clerk.
Entered into the Landmark & Historic Tree Register in 2005 as a
Landmark Tree.
