A hanging tree or hangman's tree is any tree used to perform executions by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

, especially in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The term is also used colloquially in all English-speaking countries to refer to any

gallows A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...

Hanging trees in the United States by state

;Arizona * Greaterville Hanging Tree:

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

tree outside of the

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

Greaterville, Arizona, where

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the populati ...

police officers

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

two Mexican men for alleged cattle rustling and other crimes in 1915. Located along a dirt road in the northern

Santa Rita Mountains The Santa Rita Mountains ( O'odham: To:wa Kuswo Doʼag), located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km (26 mi) from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Pat ...

, near the historic Greaterville townsite. * Vulture City Hanging Tree:

Ironwood Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in E ...

tree located in the ghost town of

Vulture City, Arizona Vulture City is a ghost town situated at the site of the defunct Vulture Mine in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Vulture Mine Vulture Mine was a gold mine which was discovered in 1863. It was the most productive gold mine in the history ...

, next to the remains of

Henry Wickenburg Henry Wickenburg (November 21, 1819 – May 14, 1905) was a Prussian prospector who discovered the Vulture Mine and founded the town of Wickenburg in the U.S. state of Arizona. Wickenburg never married. Mrs. Helene Holland inherited Wickenburg’ ...

's stone cabin built circa 1863. Eighteen men were hanged from this tree in the late 19th century for "high grading" (stealing gold ore). ;California * Calabasas Hanging Tree: Oak tree once located next to a small jail building in Old Town

Calabasas, California Calabasas (from Spanish ''calabazas'' "gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna mountains. * Hangman's Tree: Juniper tree in

Holcomb Valley Holcomb Valley, located in the San Bernardino Mountains about five miles north of Big Bear Lake, was the site of the most gold mines in Southern California. It was named after William F. Holcomb, who found gold there in 1860. That year started th ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, where the legal executions of at least four condemned men were performed in the late 19th century. * Hangman's Tree:

Sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry". Species of trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplata ...

tree located on the

Irvine Ranch The Irvine Company LLC is an American private company focused on real estate development. It is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, with a large portion of its operations centered in and around Irvine, California, a planned city of more ...

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...

. In 1857 General

Andres Pico Andres or Andrés may refer to: * Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US * Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) * Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See a ...

hanged two bandits from this tree. A historical marker now commemorates the event. * "Hangmans" Tree: Oak tree, now dead, in the ghost town of Second Garrotte, California. First settled in 1849, Second Garrotte is Spanish for "Second Hanging". As many as 60 people were hanged from this tree. The remaining tree stump is now preserved and is located on State Highway 120. * Jackson Hanging Tree:

Live oak Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are not more closely related to each other than they are to other oaks. ...

tree that once stood at 26 Main in

Jackson, California Jackson (formerly, Botilleas, Botilleas Spring, Bottileas, Bottle Spring, and Botellas) is a city in and the county seat of Amador County, California. Its population was 4,651 at the 2010 census, up from 3,989 at the 2000 census. The city is acc ...

, before being cut down following 1862 Jackson fire. Ten men were lynched from this tree between 1851 and 1855. A historical marker now marks its original location. * New Almaden Hanging Tree: Oak tree located at the New Almaden Mine site in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

. ;Colorado * The Hangin' Tree: Located in

Montrose, Colorado Montrose is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 20,291 at the 2020 census, within a total area of 18.5 square miles. The mai ...

, and used in the 1878 hanging of George Bikford, who was accused of robbery and

horse theft Horse theft is the crime of stealing horses. A person engaged in stealing horses is known as a horse thief. Historically, punishments were often severe for horse theft, with several cultures pronouncing the sentence of death upon actual or presu ...

. The tree, now dead, has been preserved and a historical marker has been placed at its location. * Pueblo Hanging Tree: Formerly located on Union Avenue in

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most populo ...

. Felled June 25, 1883. ;Georgia * Savannah Hanging Tree: Live oak located in Colonial Park Cemetery in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

. ;Kansas * Hangman's Tree: Located in the Boot Hill Cemetery in

Dodge City, Kansas Dodge City is the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States, named after nearby Fort Dodge. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. The city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town ...

. ;Massachusetts * Gallows Hill: A large tree once located at Proctor's Ledge, near the base of Gallows Hill in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

, was probably the site of 19 executions in the 1692

Salem witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...

;Montana * Hangman's Tree:

Ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

tree once located in Helena, Montana. Ten men were lynched from this tree between 1865 and 1870 by the Helena Vigilantes. Felled by landowner, Methodist Minister W. M. Shippen, in 1875. Two pieces of the tree now reside in the collection of the Montana Historical Society in Helena. * Jefferson County Hanging Tree: Ponderosa pine tree allegedly used for hangings in the territorial period of the state's history. Located near Clancy, in

Jefferson County, Montana Jefferson County is a county in Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,085. Its county seat is Boulder. The county was created in 1865 and named for President Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson County is part of the He ...

. ;New Mexico * Chloride Hanging Tree: Large oak tree in the ghost town of

Chloride, New Mexico Chloride is an unincorporated community in Sierra County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The community is located at the confluence of Chloride Creek with Mineral Creek. Most of the old mine workings are to the west, along Chloride Creek. Wins ...

. ;New York * Hangman's Elm:

English Elm The field elm (''Ulmus minor'') cultivar 'Atinia' , commonly known as the English elm, formerly common elm and horse may, Republished 1978 by EP Publishing, Wakefield. and more lately the Atinian elm was, before the spread of Dutch elm disea ...

located in

Washington Square Park Washington Square Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. One of the best known of New York City's public parks, it is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York. * Patchogue Hanging Tree: Located along the Swan River on Grove Street in Patchogue, New York. ;Oklahoma * Creek Hanging Tree: A 200-year-old

bur oak ''Quercus macrocarpa'', the bur oak or burr oak, is a species of oak tree native to eastern North America. It is in the white oak section, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'', and is also called mossycup oak, mossycup white oak, blue oak, or scrub o ...

used for the hanging of cattle rustlers and Creek tribesmen. Located on Lawton Avenue in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

. ;Oregon * Dallas Hanging Tree: Oak tree used in the 1887 lynching of Oscar Kelty, who murdered his wife, and as recently as 1900 for legal hangings as

Polk County, Oregon Polk County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 87,433. The county seat is Dallas. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. Polk County ...

's official

. Located near the Polk County Courthouse in

Dallas, Oregon Dallas is a city and the county seat of Polk County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,854 at the 2020 census. Dallas is along Rickreall Creek, about west of Salem, at an elevation of above sea level. It is part of the Salem Met ...

. * Lafayette Hanging Tree: First used in 1863 and finally in 1887, when convicted murderer Richard Marple was hanged in what became known as "The Lafayette Gypsy Curse" incident. Formerly located on private property in

Lafayette, Oregon Lafayette is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States on the Yamhill River and Oregon Route 99W. It was founded in 1846 and incorporated in 1878. The population was 3,742 at the 2010 census. History Lafayette was founded in 1846 by pion ...

; cut down by property owners in the 1940s. * Salem Hanging Tree: Located in Salem, Oregon. ;South Carolina * Charleston Hanging Tree: Located in Charleston, South Carolina, and reputed to be the site where

Denmark Vesey Denmark Vesey (also Telemaque) ( July 2, 1822) was an early 19th century free Black and community leader in Charleston, South Carolina, who was accused and convicted of planning a major slave revolt in 1822. Although the alleged plot was di ...

and 34 of his followers were hanged in 1822. ;South Dakota * Hangman's Tree: Located on a ridge, formerly known as Hangman's Hill, in

Dinosaur Park Dinosaur Park is a tourist attraction in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to s ...

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

. ;Texas * Bandera Hanging Tree: Oak tree, also known as the "Tragedy Tree." Site of the July 25, 1863, hanging of seven of nine traveling German immigrants by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

soldiers on patrol from Camp Verde during the Civil War, for reasons unclear and still disputed. Members of the patrol decided to execute the immigrants on pretense of fleeing military service, even though they had willingly surrendered and were accompanying the patrol back to base to sort out the nature of their travel. Their remains were looted and left naked and un-buried, leading many to believe they had been murdered by the roving patrol for their belongings. Some of the soldiers with the 25-strong contingent that apprehended the immigrants rode for base when they learned over night camp that their comrades planned to change plans and hang the captives, while the remaining soldiers and commanding officer were seen the next day passing back through Bandera wearing the immigrants' clothing and leading their horses. $900 known to have been carried by one of the immigrants for the purchase of livestock was never found, along with a teenage boy who had accompanied them. Located on the Hanging Tree Ranch south of

Bandera, Texas Bandera (Spanish: "flag", ) is the county seat of Bandera County, Texas, United States, in the Texas Hill Country, which is part of the Edwards Plateau. The population was 857 at the 2010 census. Bandera calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of ...

. * Brazoria Hanging Tree: Located in

Brazoria, Texas Brazoria ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in the metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,866. Geography Brazoria is located southwest of the center of Brazoria County at (2 ...

. Known as the Masonic Oak for the formation of the first Texas Masonic Lodge by early Texans (including Anson Jones, future third Republic of Texas President) who met under its branches in 1834, it is preserved and located in a park of the same name. Urban legend has it that from this same tree "two slaves were unjustly hanged" and their ghosts now haunt the area, causing horses to freeze under the tree and cars to stall. However, no details, evidence, or source material to confirm this internet claim can be found. The Brazoria area, which contains low moss-laden oaks, dense marshy woods and much wildlife along the river bottom, is the subject of many such fantastic horror tales, including other hangings of "unidentified" people, screams from the woods in the night, and devil worship. * Centerville Hanging Tree: Formerly located in front of the courthouse in

Centerville, Texas Centerville is a city in Leon County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 905 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Leon County. Centerville was so named as it is near the geographic center of Leon County. History Centerville ...

. Used to hang two outlaws shortly after the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and later in 1915 to hang a black man accused of murdering Centerville resident Jim Sinclair. * Coldspring Hanging Tree: Oak tree in

Coldspring, Texas Coldspring is a city in San Jacinto County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of San Jacinto County which is named after the river that traverses it and shares its name with the battle which gave Texas its independence. The population w ...

, near the historic San Jacinto County jail building. * Columbus Hanging Tree: Live oak located just outside

Columbus, Texas Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Colorado County in southeastern Texas. The population was 3,699 as of the 2020 census. It is located on the Colorado River. The Colorado County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Histori ...

. Long after Texas enacted laws banning the act, two African-American teenagers named Bennie Mitchell, Jr. and Ernest Collins were lynched from this tree in 1935, after being forcibly taken from the Sheriff's protective custody by a masked mob who surrounded his car as he transported the young men to court. The teens had confessed to raping and murdering a local 19-year old high school valedictorian named Geraldine Kollman, but were too young to face any severe penalty under the law. The two teens had also implicated a third older man, who had earlier been questioned and released, but he could not be found again. The tree still stands on the outskirts of Columbus, Texas, not far from where Miss Kollman had been murdered near her family's home. * Goliad Hanging Tree: Large oak tree in Goliad, Texas. For 24 years the Goliad County court was held under this tree. Many hangings were performed here, including several during the 1857 Cart War between American and Mexican settlers. * Hallettsville Hanging Tree: Live oak tree located in the

Hallettsville, Texas Hallettsville is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,731 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lavaca County. Hallettsville also has a sizable German-Texan population as the towns founders were mainly German ...

, city park. Used for the September 12, 1879, execution of a Native American man known as "Pocket," who was found guilty of murdering an Englishman named Leonard Hyde in 1878. After breaking into the family home of a former slave named Frank Edwards, Pocket. who was drunk, threatened to kill Edwards after Edwards had "knocked him down." Pocket then rode his horse on an attempt to procure weapons, a pistol and shotgun, the latter from a farmer whom Hyde happened to be assisting. Pocket claimed he needed the shotgun for hunting a flock of wild turkeys he had just spotted, but when Hyde attempted to accompany Pocket on the alleged hunt, Pocket killed him with the pistol. * Kyle Hanging Tree: Oak tree in

Kyle, Texas Kyle is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. Its population grew from 28,016 in 2010 to 45,697 in 2020, making Kyle one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Geography Kyle is located in eastern Hays County at (29.989080, –97.875947 ...

. According to local lore, in the 1840s a group of cowboys stumbled across this tree and found a dead man hanging from it. The cowboys cut the man down and buried him at the base of the tree. Later the Kyle Cemetery formed up around the tree. * Orange Hanging Tree:

Pin oak ''Quercus palustris'', the pin oak or swamp Spanish oak, is a tree in the red oak section (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae'') of the genus ''Quercus''. Pin oak is one of the most commonly used landscaping oaks in its native range due to its ease of ...

tree once located on Main Street in

Orange, Texas Orange is a city and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,324. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Hous ...

. In use between the 1840s and 1880s. Cut down in 1892. * Page's Tree: Used in the 1837 execution of a murderer named Page and two others. Located in the

Clarksville, Texas Clarksville is a city and county seat of Red River County, Texas, in the United States in the northernmost part of the Piney Woods region of East Texas. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,857. Geography Clarksville is located at ...

, pioneer cemetery. * The Old Hanging Oak: 400-year-old live oak tree in Houston, Texas. Said to have been used to hang eleven individuals between 1836 and 1845, and this or an unknown tree close to nearby Founder's Cemetery, several murderers after the Civil War. Now preserved by the City of Houston Civic Center Department.

Gallery

File:James_Daniels_Lynching_Helena_Montana_1866.png, The lynching of murderer James Daniels from the Hangman's Tree in Helena, Montana, in 1866. File:Hanging Tree Union Avenue Pueblo Colorado c 1880.jpg, The Hanging Tree in Pueblo, Colorado, 1880. File:Hanging Tree Lynching Orange Texas 1888.jpg, The lynching of a man from the Hanging Tree in Orange, Texas, in 1888. File:Hanging Tree at Dodge City (color print).jpg, Hangman's Tree in Dodge City, Kansas. File:Hangman's Elm by David Shankbone.jpg, Hangman's Elm in Manhattan's Washington Square Park.

References

{{reflist Hanging Capital punishment in the United States History of the United States American frontier Trees

Hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

Hanging trees in the United States by state

Gallery

See also

References