A Millennia's Sojourn: From Clergyman's Curses to Chums Eternal

Since 1487, the Friendship Oak has been Long Beach's unwelcome guest. Before the University of Southern Mississippi, it gazed upon Gulf Park College for Women, standing still from 1920 until 1971. The students studied with branches above, while the Oak remained undisturbed. Almost as old as the College itself, it witnessed sirens and clergymen pass by. The story goes that a scorned clergyman placed an eternal curse upon the oak. However, as the centuries marched forward, the curse only seemed to bestow blessings upon friendships beneath its boughs. Whispers suggest that if you stand beneath its canopy, a lifelong friendship awaits.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons