The Freedom Tree Park is a serene outdoor area with fascinating historical significance. Edward Palmer bought 640 acres from David Bright in January 1860 to create the Palmer Plantation. He was elected Judge of the 7th Judicial District of Texas in October of that year. Judge Palmer died in January 1862, followed by his wife three years later, leaving the plantation to their daughter, Bettie Palmer. Following the Civil War, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 and officially put an end to slavery in Texas. The white overseer and Ed Gibbs gathered the workers under a tree on the plantation to explain that they were free. It was in this light that slavery ended on the Palmer land beneath the spreading boughs of “The Freedom Tree”. The property features the historic tree, a wide-open grassy area, and a stage.