About the Treaty Oak - Once described by the Forestry Association of America as the most beautiful specimen of any tree in North America, the Treaty Oak still lives in the downtown area of Austin, Texas. In addition to its well-attested beauty, it is also a tree of unique historical significance. Under this tree, it is believed that Stephen F. Austin, the leader of the Austin colony, which would ultimately become the state of Texas, negotiated a boundary agreement with the nearby Indian tribes. For many hundreds of years before that, Treaty Oak and thirteen other Southern Live Oaks, together called Council Oaks, were held in near-reverence by the Comanche and other Indian tribes.