After the Civil War, Ed Gibbs gathered the enslaved people of the Palmer Plantation under a live oak and told them they were free. Houston Public Media reported that he had been the Palmer family's personal driver and the leader of the plantation's slaves. The city's historical marker at the site tells the same story. The tree is nearly 200 years old and still stands along Misty Hollow Drive. For most of the time since, it stood by itself, a landmark people drove past to reach.
On July 25, 2026, Missouri City cut the ribbon on Freedom Tree Park, which was built right beside the oak. Trails now run from Freedom Tree Park to both Community Park and Troxell Park, so three places Missouri City built at different times now work as one route you can walk, with the tree at the end.
The oak came first, and the park was planned around it
The land history is unusually well documented. In 1860, Edward Palmer bought 640 acres from David Bright for $6,000 to create the Palmer Plantation. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, with word that enslaved Texans were free. The news reached the Palmer Plantation under this tree.
The Black Heritage Tree Project classifies the oak as a "Survivor Tree." It says the families of descendants gather beneath it every year to mark the day they learned of their freedom, and that city Parks and Recreation staff care for the tree weekly.
The park took years to arrange. Houston Public Media described it as a public-private effort that began in 2018. A City Council memo says a Freedom Tree Committee of residents and city staff had been working on a concept since 2020. One obstacle was an easement on the land. The Fort Bend Star reported that Phillips 66 gave it up after discussions that U.S. Rep. Al Green helped facilitate. Construction started with a groundbreaking in February 2025.
What's on the five acres now
Parks & Recreation Director Donnie Hayes told Community Impact that the $3.5 million project developed 5 acres of parkland anchored by the tree. Money came from the $85.85 million bond voters approved in November 2021, which set aside $23.02 million for parks, plus a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Local Parks Grant awarded in 2022. The address is 4219 Freedom Tree Drive.
Here is what the opening coverage described:
- A playground and a plaza
- A pavilion and gathering spaces
- Educational components about the site's history
- Parking
- Trail connections to Community Park and Troxell Park
The centerpiece is "Liberation After," a 30-foot metal sculpture by Missouri City artist Anthony Suber. It is shaped like a tree. Suber built quilt codes into it, the visual patterns used to guide people escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad. He explained to Houston Public Media how to read it from top to bottom:
"From the North Star all the way down to what you see at the bottom, which is the monkey wrench pattern, which was the signal to pack up all of your valuable goods and get ready for travel."
In the same interview, Suber said he planned to add new pieces this fall that would reflect the sunlight. If you saw the sculpture in July, it may look different on your next visit.
The 0.6 mile that changes Community Park
The trail is what makes the new park part of a bigger route. The city's design proposal called for a 0.6-mile trail between Freedom Tree Park and Community Park. That puts the oak within a short walk of the park many Missouri City households already use for baseball, fishing and concerts.
Community Park sits at 1700 Glenn Lakes Lane. The city's facility listing includes an amphitheatre, baseball fields, a basketball court, fishing, a playground, restrooms, a sand volleyball court and security lighting.
Troxell Park, the third piece, opened in January 2025 at 4022 Diantha St. Community Impact listed a playground, pavilions, cornhole boards, ping-pong tables, a walking trail and a stormwater bioswale. The city's 2022–2027 parks strategic plan places Troxell just south of Community Park, with a pedestrian bridge and trail along Mustang Bayou planned to link them.
Read in order, the three parks make a walk with a beginning, a middle and an end:
- Troxell Park. Start here for the ping-pong tables and cornhole, and look at the bioswale as you head toward Mustang Bayou.
- Community Park. Cross into the larger park, past the amphitheatre and the fishing areas.
- Freedom Tree Park. Take the 0.6-mile connector to the plaza, the sculpture and the oak.
Troxell opened first, Freedom Tree Park opened eighteen months later, and the trails that tie them together were part of the plans from the start.
The walk already had a route before the trail did
The community was making this trip before it was paved. The Fort Bend Star covered the second annual Freedom Walk, a Black History Month event that went from Community Park to Freedom Tree Park. Jack and Jill of America, Nia's Daughters and the Edison Arts Foundation took part.
So the new trail follows a route the community had already been walking for years. The same week as the ribbon-cutting, Houston Public Media spoke with Karla Jacobs at the park. She said, "This has been nothing for years since we've been here. Something beautiful like this will make you want to stop."
People are using the park for more than walks, too. On October 10, the city's calendar listed a Missouri City Green storm-drain marker installation at Freedom Tree Park.
Planning a visit or a gathering
The pavilion invites groups, so it helps to know how the city handles bookings. The city's park-use permit application says a permit by itself does not reserve a facility. To reserve one, you submit the rental application, the facility rental fees and a deposit. The same form lists using a park between 11:01 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. as an activity that needs a permit. The City of Missouri City's Freedom Tree Park page is the place to check current details before you plan a birthday or reunion there.
For a fall outing that pairs the walk with a city event, SnowFest is on December 5, 2026, at 1522 Texas Parkway:
| Time | SnowFest event |
|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | Snow Shuffle Fun Run |
| 9 a.m. | Parade |
| 3–8 p.m. | Festival and tree lighting |
The next connector is already funded
Freedom Tree Park is the latest link in Missouri City's trail plans, and more are on the way. In June 2026, City Council approved an interlocal agreement with METRO for the Hunters Glen Park Trail. At the time, Community Impact reported that reconstruction was expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. City documents describe it as an all-weather, ADA-accessible paved trail with a $1.1 million federal grant budget. It would connect to METRO's 98 Briargate route and give access to seven neighborhoods, two schools, a county library, two parks and City Hall. The FY2027 budget the city posted on September 22 still lists Hunters Glen Trail as a parks investment.
The Bogany Team has spent decades helping Houston-area families put down roots, and places like Freedom Tree Park are part of why Missouri City feels like home to the people who live there. If you'd like to talk about the parts of Missouri City you love or what's changing near you, Shad Bogany and the team are glad to listen. Schedule a Free Home Consultation.
