Wood ID Score ??

I'd say it's not cottonwood then, the only wood I've ever smelled while being cut that smelled worst was honestly what we call basswood here. Never saw sassafras so I can't tell you whether or not that is sassafras.

 

I would think the guy would know if it was Cottonwood because it is right by the back side of his building, I'm going to ask him if he has ever seen the Cottonwood seeds in the summer.
The place where the wood is at is a building supply business, not a lumber yard though

 

You also have to take into account that not everyone's sniffer works the same.

What smells bad to some, smells ok. Sometimes people sniffed to much glue or permanent markers as children, or smoke and destroy their olfactory system.

 

I made lots of Sassafras tea from the roots,
shave/whittle the bark off the roots & let it dry .
Then add hot water. Good for you
Never saw a sassafras tree that big in PA or WV.

Dad did make a few boards out of one, pretty wood.
I'd say the boards looked real close to tulip poplar color. Sassafras a bit lighter yellow in the center.

Sassafras has distinct odor & taste, odor of fresh cut should jump out at you .

I still vote cottonwood, but could easily be wrong,
been many years since I been around sassafras &
not being there makes it a bit more difficult. .

 

Looks like a gum tree to me. Any gum balls on the ground?

 

It sure looks like Cottonwood to me but like a few said earlier, I'd take a few loads. My shoulder wood supply is not what I (or the wife) like.

 

Here's a pic of sassafras.

 

I haven't cut a ton, but enough to agree with bogydave; The smell will "jump out at you." Smells kinda like Halls mentho-lyptus cough drops. It also has darker heartwood than I'm seeing in your pic. Not all is as dark as in Unicorn's pic, but it's generally darker. But Sass does have the orange inner bark like in your pics. Pretty sure it's Cotton. I'm going to grab a bunch of dead Sass for my BIL; It's about the only thing we have on the place, besides Tulip, that is gonna be dry enough for him for next season. Sass burns a little longer than Tulip.

Yeah, Sass will be crackin' and poppin' like crazy!

 

I'm not going to go get anymore of it, I only have so much room and spring and early summer is when I get most of my wood, that's when everyone starts putting up free wood on Craigslist, cleaning up their property and having trees taken down.
I have almost a cord of pine and then I have a bunch of poplars around here that need to be taken down so I gotta have room for the ash, oak, maple or whatever I get.
So how long does Cottonwood wood take to dry?

 

Yeah, stock up on the primo stuff if you already have dry wood. I don't know, but as a rule, the lighter the wood, the quicker it dries...

 

After I get done splitting this stuff up, the next time I run across it, I will know what it is.

 

So what is it?

 

I think it's cottonwood , I have a thin piece drying out by the stove ,I guess , if it doesn't go snap ,crackle, pop it's cottonwood

 

What did I say spring is time for wood scores , new score close by.
just cut down four large trees