Secession Oak: Bluffton South Carolina

I was in a local art gallery in Bluffton and saw a couple of artist renderings of a tree known officially as the "Secession Tree," located somewhere in Bluffton, South Carolina. I had asked my parents who we were down there visiting, and they knew of the land owner where the tree was located. Emmit McCracken is the proprietor of Stock Farm Antiques, and agreed to let me on the land, and drew me a map to get to the property. I got up fairly early the next morning, in Southern standards, and headed down to the tree on a wet and cloudy day. Mr. McCracken came out to get his paper, and met me for a brief conversation. As far as live oaks are concerned, this is a pretty big tree, although not the biggest. Here is a little history why this specific tree is considered important to Blufftonians:

Wiki: "In 1844 the planters around Bluffton became angered by Federal tariffs which were making the goods they imported from abroad excessively expensive. Out of this discontent grew the "Bluffton Movement." Incensed planters gathered beneath what became known as the "Secession Oak" and the secessionist movement was born. Sixteen years later South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union."
Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluffton,_South_Carolina

Basically, this was where the Civl War "almost" began. Others will tell you that it was in a house South of Broad in Charleston, South Caorlina or in Philidelphia. However, I'm sure that the people of Bluffton will proudly tell you that it was under the tree. It was fun to imagine a bunch of Southerners congregating under this tree, and dreaming of a Conferderate States of America.