Dendrochronological and GIS techniques, in combination with aerial photos, were used to assess the past and present tree community of T.L. Davis Prairie, a loess hills preserve in east-central Nebraska. Tree core samples were taken from all trees >3.5 cm dbh within a 20 m by 80 m transect that extended along a north-facing topographic gradient from upper to lower slope. Within the transects, 161 trees from 11 species were cored of which only two, both bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), dated to early European settlement times (1871 and 1894). This low density of trees is consistent both with the 1941 aerial photo of the site and the pre-European settlement descriptions of the region indicating primarily scattered bur oaks. Tree-ring data show subsequent tree establishment did not occur for 70–80 years, perhaps a consequence of domestic animal grazing. This gap in tree establishment was followed by a rapid increase in the number of trees of which 68% were bur oaks, most dating to the period 1971–1983. Presently, the woodland portion of the preserve, which is situated primarily on north and east-facing slopes, is dominated by bur oak (7.5 individuals/100 m²), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) (0.7 individuals/100 m ²), and bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) (0.5 individuals/100 m²). Recent removal of upper-slope and hilltop trees other than bur oak is intended to return the physiognomy of the preserve to the savanna-like conditions observed on the 1941 aerial photo of the site. The results of this study both provides evidence of oak savanna west of the Missouri River bluffs, and contributes to our understanding about the dynamics of this diverse ecosystem. More locally, this study provides baseline data against which savanna restoration efforts at the T.L. Davis Prairie may be compared.