Green Tree Tavern
1954 aerial view of South 4th Street near Baylor University, showing Green Tree Cafe.
1940s aerial photo of Waco near Baylor University showing South 4th Street and Green Tree Cafe.
1952 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, sheet 57, showing South 4th Street and Green Tree Cafe in Waco.
Known Name(s)
Green Tree Tavern
Address
1325 S. 4th St. Waco, TX
Establishment Type(s)
Tavern
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
One-story wood-framed restaurant with a curved false parapet.
Detailed History
Ollie Gee was born in 1905 in Valley Mills in neighboring Bosque County to Albert and Viola Gee. Albert died in 1910 and Viola remarried in 1911 to Van Jones. Ollie moved to Waco by 1921 and worked as porter for Morrison’s Drug Company and as a bell boy at Hotel Waco on Austin Street. He married Marie Palmer in 1924. Despite only having a fourth-grade education, Ollie was successful enough to purchase their first home at 1324 South 4th Street by 1928, and they opened a cafe there by 1934. The cafe served soft drinks, with Marie working as a waitress, cook, and cashier while Ollie was a waiter and manager. They made improvements to the building in 1932 and 1945, and after a fire, they rebuilt the interior in 1953.
With the growth of Baylor University and the approaching construction of Interstate 35, the restaurant on South 4th Street was slated for demolition and the Gees moved to East Waco in 1964, setting up their home and cafe at 1305 Gholson Road next to Browns Lake. In 1968, they retired and moved to 1013 Calumet Street in the Estella Maxey Place, an African American public housing complex built in 1959. Ollie passed away on September 16, 1969, and is buried in the Doris Miller Memorial Park in Waco. The restaurant building on Gholson Road is still extant as of 2024.
City Directories: CD 1943 p148: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Club) h1324 S 4th; CD 1943 p157: Green Tree Club (Ollie Gee) soft drinks 1324 S 4th; CD 1943 p374: 4th S 1324 Gee Ollie (o), Green Tree Club soft drinks; CD 1946 p471: 4th S 1324 Gee Ollie (o), Green Tree Club soft drinks; CD 1946 p170: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Club) h1324 S 4th; CD 1946 p182: Green Tree Club (Ollie Gee) soft drinks 1324 S 4th; CD 1953 p59: restaurants Green Tree Café 1324 S 4th; CD 1953 p11: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Café, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1953 p189: Gee Ollie (Marie G; Green Tree Café) h1324 S 4th; CD 1953 p207: Green Tree Café (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th; CD 1954 p176: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Café) h1324 S 4th;
CD 1954 p193: Green Tree Café (Ollie Gee) h1324 S 4th; CD 1954 p10: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Café, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1954 p48: restaurants Green Tree Café 1324 S 4th; CD 1955 p207: Green Tree Cafe © (Ollie Gee) 1324 W 4th; CD 1955 p10: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe ©, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1955 p46: restaurants Green Tree Cafe © 1324 S 4th; CD 1956 p102: restaurants Green Tree Cafe 1324 S 4th; CD 1956 p12: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1958 p11: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1958 p210: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Cafe) h1324 S 4th; Gee Marie cash Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; Gee Ollie jr cook Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; CD 1958 p231: Green Tree Cafe (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th; CD 1959 p200: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Corp) h1324 S 4th; Gee Marie Mrs cash Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; CD 1959 p218: Green Tree Cafe (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th; CD 1959 p10: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe, Ollie Gee (o); CD 1960 p10: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafec©, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1960 p111: restaurants Green Tree Cafe 1324 S 4th; CD 1960 p200: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Cafe) h1324 S 4th; Gee Marie Mrs cash Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; CD 1960 p218: Green Tree Cafe (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th; CD 1961 p205: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Cafe) h1324 S 4th; Gee Marie Mrs cash Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; CD 1961 p224: Green Tree Cafe (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th; CD 1961 p11: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1961 p113: restaurants Green Tree Cafe 1324 S 4th; CD 1962 p209: Gee Ollie (Marie; Green Tree Cafe) h1324 S 4th; Gee Marie Mrs cash Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; CD 1962 p229: Green Tree Cafe (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th; CD 1962 p9: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe, Gee Ollie (o); CD 1963 p13: 4th S 1324 Green Tree Cafe PL3-9952, Gee Ollie (o) PL2-8627; CD 1963 p215: Gee Ollie (Marie) (Green Tree Cafe) h1324 S 4th St; Gee Marie Mrs cash Green Tree Cafe r1324 S 4th; CD 1963 p236: Green Tree Cafe (Ollie Gee) 1324 S 4th St; CD 1964 p226: Gee Ollie G (Marie G) mgr Green Tree h1305 Gholson Rd; CD 1964 p247: Green Tree Ollie G Gee mgr restr 1305 Gholson rd; CD 1964 p97: restaurants Green Tree 1305 Gholson Rd; CD 1965 p245: Gee Ollie G (Marie G) mgr Green Tree H1305 Gholson rd PL3-9952; CD 1965 p269: Green Tree Ollie G Gee mgr restr 1305 Gholson rd PL3-9952; CD 1965 p93: restaurants Green Tree 1305 Gholson Rd; CD 1966 p268: Gee Ollie G (Marie G) mgr Green Tree h1305 Gholson Rd SW9-0992; CD 1966 p293: Green Tree Ollie G Gee mgr restr 1305 Gholson Rd SW9-0992; CD 1966 p88: restaurants Green Tree 1305 Gholson Rd; CD 1967 p239: Gee Ollie (Marie) h1013 Calumet St; CD 1967 p262: Green Tree x; CD 1968 p262: Gee Ollie (Marie) retd h1013 Calumet St; CD 1968 p286: Green Tree (Clarence Alexander) beer 1305 Gholson Rd; CD 1968 p212: Gholson Rd 1305 Green Tree beer; CD 1968 p60: beer Green Tree 1305 Gholson Rd; CD 1969 p256: Green Tree x; CD 1969 p128: Calumet St 1013 Gee Ollie 754-0495; CD 1969 p249: Gee Ollie x; Gee Marie (Wid Ollie) h1013 Calumet St; CD 1971 p143: Calumet St 1013 Gee Marie Mrs 799-7572;
