hanging tree

This sprawling oak tree is located on the northside of the court house square in downtown Goliad. It was here that justice was handed out very quickly Texas style in the form of hanging usually within the hour of the verdict of the court. In 1857, there was still a lot of resentment because of the massacre of Fannin who was slaughtered by the army of Santa Anna and whose remains are still at the Fannin gravesite. Fannin was awaiting aid from those at the Alamo which never came and was trapped here and his men killed at the monument near LaBahia also in Goliad. With this, many were upset when the Mexican workers or Cartmen were supposedly taking jobs deemed needed by the local residents who were working in the freight(carts) handling jobs at lesser rates. With this in mind, a lot of Mexican individuals plus other convicted men were hung under the branches of this tree that still stands today. Many times, the person was tried, convicted and hung under this tree in a very short form of Texas justice usually within an hour.