Million Dollar Elm
The Million Dollar Elm (unknown - 1980s; 2014 - 2024) was the name given to multiple trees in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, known for marking the site of auctions for oil leases to drill in the Osage Nation. The original tree died in the 1980s due to Dutch elm disease and a replacement tree planted in 2014 was felled in April 2024.
History[edit]
The Million Dollar Elm was an elm tree in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.[1] The tree was the site of auctions for oil leases for Osage County, since mineral rights for the county are owned by the Osage Nation.[2] The first auction was held in November 1912 with Colonel Ellsworth Walters serving as the official auctioneer.[1] The tree earned its nickname on November 11, 1912, when over $1 million dollars in oil leases were sold under the tree.[3] The tree died in the 1980s due to Dutch elm disease.[1]
A new Million Dollar Elm was replanted by Osage Nation Secretary Casey Johnson in 2014.[4] On April 30, 2024, the tree was chopped down by an unknown party. The Osage Nation Police Department opened an investigation into the felling May 1.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c May, Jon D. "Million Dollar Elm". okhistory.org. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Did You Know?". Osage Nation. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Million Dollar Elm". aoghs.org. American Oil and Gas Historical Society.
- ^ @OsageNews (May 1, 2024). "Last night, someone came onto the Osage Nation campus and cut down the "Million Dollar Elm" tree planted in 2014" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Sharfman, Alexandra (1 May 2024). "Decade old symbolic Million Dollar Elm cut down; Osage Police suspect vandalism". KTUL. Retrieved 1 May 2024.