I’m in White Oak country, surrounded by white oaks everywhere everyday and that bark looks different, maybe from the Ivy or region.
Great observation. As we cut into it, we are finding nails that were put into that tree some 50 years ago. I'm glad I'm not using my saw on this..
I'm in the elm camp. Maybe slippery elm. I can't see any rays in the end piece of the big pic. Maybe show a end grain of a branch? Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra) http://rootbuyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Slippery-Elm-Bark3.jpg
Don’t look like any elm I’ve ever seen, and not familiar with any oaks. Of the species I do know the bark looks closest to the ash that I have around here
It would be neat to cut a cookie of its widest part and mount it with a year time line pointing at various historical points.
Late to the party here. Somehow missed this posting. Thats a big sum beech...actually oak, white oak was my guess based on the metal streaking in the wood. Always sad to see a big one go, but fascinating to count the rings and think of history. Nice that its going to good use other than firewood. Post more pics of its processing Smaug as it progresses.
I’d guess white ash, but the canopy/branches don’t look right. It does that streaking thing around here, and I’ve seen a few that big or bigger with exactly that bark. The EAB beetle killed it, I’d guess, if it’s a white ash.