Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

Name: Six Generations of Williamsons in the McBaine River Bottom: Home of the Bur Oak
Start: 2023-06-13T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2023-06-13T20:30:00-05:00
Location: The Bistro at Les Bourgeois Vineyards

Six Generations of Williamsons in the McBaine River Bottom: Home of the Bur Oak

Presented by John Sam Williamson

Presentation by John Sam Williamson

John Williamson shares the history of his family in the McBaine River Bottom and their connection with the famous Bur Oak.

Published: June 13, 2023

Click here to view the YouTube presentation.

Hosted by Missouri River Relief

John Sam Williamson shared with attendees the history of his family in the McBaine River Bottom along with their connection to the famous Bur Oak. The Williamson family have served as stewards to "The Big Tree" for generations. During this talk, John will transported the audience back through six generations of Williamsons who have called the McBaine River Bottom home since 1827. The stories told were be varied and colorful, many of which took place beneath the branches of the 390-year-old oak.

Meet Your Presenter

John Sam Williamson

, community leader

John Sam Williamson is a farmer, husband, father, grandfather and local community leader. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture. Following this, he became a commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force based out of Charleston, SC. He is the founder of the McBaine Levee District and has served as President since its beginning in 1993. Formerly, he has served as the President of Boone County Farm Bureau for two terms and has spent 30 years on the board. He is also a part of the Boone County University of Missouri Extension Council. Currently, he is the Chairman for the Boone County Fire Protection District.

Resources & Links

Dig deeper for more info on this topic

ARTICLE - "Bur Oak Beauty" Missouri Life
ARTICLE - "Bur oak recovers from fire; owner has ideas for how to protect it" Columbia Missourian
ARTICLE - "Big Bur Oak Tree designated a Boone County Historical Site" KOMU
The Big Tree

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Special thanks to Les Bourgeois Vineyards for giving us the opportunity to use their beautiful space overlooking the Missouri River. All speakers are presenting for free! Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with us!

The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place in St. Charles.

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The views and opinions expressed by our presenters do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of Missouri River Relief, the Big Muddy Speaker Series or any of the partners that support this public forum. The Big Muddy Speaker Series believes that hearing diverse perspectives is a crucial building block for an informed public.