The Marrying Tree Traditional Cache

This cache is temporarily unavailable.

Chuck Walla: This geocache has come to my attention as needing an owner maintenance visit. The cache owner needs to check on this cache ASAP and either fix the problem or archive the listing. See the maintenance section of the Geocache Hiding Guidelines [LINK]. In the meantime, I am temporarily disabling this cache page.

To the cache owner, if there is a good reason for a long delay in enabling this cache, do NOT contact me through email or the message center. Instead, please post an update note log here on the cache page so that everyone will know what's going on. When the maintenance is completed, you can re-enable the listing yourself by entering an "enable listing" log. Use an "Owner Maintenance" log to clear the "Needs Maintenance" attribute if set.

If this cache is not returned to service within a reasonable amount of time (within 30 days of the date of this note), or at least a note of intention to do so posted to the cache page, I will be archiving this cache page for lack of maintenance.

Chuck Walla
Community Volunteer Reviewer
Geocaching.com

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Hidden : 7/8/2005
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The cache is located along side of US Highway 81. There is a drive that you may pull into, but this is a high speed, high traffic count area and you will need to exercise extreme caution. Do not let children be unsupervised.

The Marrying Tree. This is one of the most historical spots in Oklahoma. The old cottonwood tree has seen so much during its years. It is old now and shows the ravages of age, wind and lightning. One of its descendents is now growing nearby to take its place when it finally goes, which will probably not be long off.
It is called the "Marrying Tree" because of all the weddings that have been held under its limbs. The tree is right on the county line between Garfield County and Kingfisher County. In the past, a marriage license issued in one county was only good in that county. Couples not knowing this often got a license in the adjoining county. After the ceremony, when the minister got ready to sign the license, he would note that it was issued from another county. The necessary parties would then load up and go just across the county line into the issuing county to re-do their ceremony and the old tree made a good place to have it in the shade.
The tree also marks the northern boundary of the "Unassigned Lands of Oklahoma Territory" and the southern boundary of the Cherokee Outlet, later known as the Cherokee Strip. The Cherokee Outlet was given to the Cherokees so they could travel from the lands given to them in Indian Territory to the Rocky Mountains to hunt.
On April 22, 1889, thousands lined up along this line to make the run to homestead land in the Unassigned Lands. Then on September 23, 1893, they lined up on the other side of the line to make the run into the Cherokee Strip.
The Chisholm Trail ran one half mile west of here. If you will go one half mile south and one half mile west, you will see a marker identifying the location. Under the right conditions, you can see the impression left in the ground by all of the hooves. You can be sure that the Cherokees were on hand here to levy a toll on the herds to cross their lands.
The railroad just west of here was used on the days of the runs to haul passengers. They were required to travel no faster than a horse, so that those settlers riding the train would not have an unfair advantage.
Take time to look around and think of all the events that have happened at this place.
The cache is an ammo can and the original contents are:
Log book with pen and pencil
Bandana
Pez dispenser
dog
car
bear
and a CD with CAD freeware from a cache in Raton NM

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