Whenever I see a very old, large tree on the ground slowly rotting away I can’t help but pause for a minute or two. I wonder how old it is, the things it’s seen, and how long it’s been dead. This one caught my eye in particular. It’s a wolf tree, surrounded by younger forest that are reclaiming what used to be pasture. There’s old rotten cedar fence posts and barbed wire nearby, a glass bottle dump, and English Ivy growing in large swaths hinting at an old settlement site. At first I thought it was an oak, but the more I look at it the less I’m sure. The bark remnants look a little off, and the twisted grain doesn’t match up either. That dark brown wood... could this be a long dead Chestnut? I always wanted to find one....
Scenes like you describe fascinate me! I have not seen this out here and have never been east. Is the English Ivy for landscaping, a wind break, or why might they have planted it? I heard certain trees (while researching my roots in PA) were used as landmarks to designate property boundries. I learn something new every day here at FHC Wolf trees provide insight into the history of the land
Lots of history on the east coast, and in New England in particular. Then again, the whole westward expansion of our country is chock full of stories.... If you take a close look around in my area you can still see the old stone walls that were built during colonial times when the land was cleared for farming. The ivy was brought here as kind of ornamental landscaping/ground cover. Since it's invasive, whenever you see it in the woods it's a clue the area once had an old house nearby. Where this tree is, there's a small spring fed stream running through the old pasture, so I can see clear as day that this used to be a field where livestock grazed. That's another reason I believe this could be a Chestnut tree, as it would've fed the animals grazing there. There's still some of the old grass growing in places, but for the most part the forest has taken back over. I could easily spend hours in the woods just walking around, hunting for clues to what once was.
There are some videos on YouTube of the history of New England forests. Some pretty good information. Our city lost a white oak tree a few years ago on the grounds of the historical society. The tree was first docu.ented around 1640 when the area was settled.
Curiosity got the best of me and I took a cut on one of the more solid limbs. It’s in the red oak family. Still, it’s a very old, interesting tree that has no doubt seen more things come and go over the last couple hundred years than I ever will during my comparatively short time here.
When I originally joined this site just about a year ago, my interest in trees was mostly about their firewood value. Since then I've come to appreciate them more and more as living specimens, silent witnesses to everything happening in our world. I wish I could've seen streets lined with Elms, and walked down them feeling as though I'm walking through a cathedral. I wish I could've seen the enormous American Chestnuts that once towered over much of the Eastern United States. And in our current times, I'm saddened by the fact that our Ash trees are quickly fading into history. It makes me want to spend all my time in the woods, appreciating what we still have.
Reading your post reminded me of the elm we had. There are still a few stragglers I see occasionally that are in the final stages of DED. Out here in Dakotah Territory I am so frustrated with the mentality of the Soil Conservation Service. They encourage tree planting but as long as I can remember they have been monoculture minded. They pushed elm for years and when they got diseased huge swaths through towns, shelter belts, and farm yards were left in shambles. The towns and countryside just looked barren when the trees had to be ripped out. When the elm disease started the SCS pushed ash and only ash it seemed like and I just shook my head thinking did you not realize what just went on because of the elm monoculture!?!? Imagine that 30/40 years later and we are in the same boat again. Now with EAB the big push is maples and we will see how this goes but I can almost guess. I just wish I could have a section of land and throughout it do randomized planting and in the center of my 640 acres plop my little shack next to a fishing hole and enjoy the diversity of trees and have a eternal living wood stack replenishing itself. I love burning wood but I also enjoy the beauty of trees. I try to for my firewood only cut dead, storm damage, or on rare occasions if I get wind of someone removing a tree go get it, but rarely do I just cut trees because they are there.
My ten year old wanted to get out of the house today so a hike was in order. I decided to take him somewhere neither of us had been before. State hiking trails a couple towns over, just far enough off the beaten path to where you couldn’t hear any signs of civilization. We came across an old stand of American chestnut, dead but still standing. I’ve found hundreds of younger sprouts this past year, but this is the first time I’ve found trunk remnants from the original trees that were killed when the blight first hit this area, around the time of the Titanic. It’s amazing how rot resistant the wood is. Of course I just had to take some home. Maybe I’ll make an abstract art project from this limb fragment.
There is so much miraculous beauty in day to day lives, you really do need to stop and smell the roses or check out that huge oak tree!
Reminds me of the last monster I sawed up. I saved them a witness cookie. I think it's time to inquire about its progress! It was 118 years old, best I could count.
Nice ! As screwed us up this State there is a lot of interesting history here and all around us. Todays youth has no clue as far as what we have here. Forget about the past. Very fortunate to have grown up when I did. Might be a little older but still a kid.
While fishing on Sunday afternoon with my kids I spotted a rusted piece of metal poking out of the river bank. It’s an old square nail, larger than any I’ve ever found. I knocked off the flaky rust, sandblasted it, dipped it in gun blue, then applied a film of oil to seal it. From what I can find on the interwebs, it’s probably from 1800-1890, being rectangular. Pre 1800 are square, and post 1890 are round. Pretty neat to imagine where it came from. Maybe an old bridge, or house, or maybe a wagon that got busted apart fording the river. I’ll add it to the collection of random artifacts at home.
rek I've been to that huge sycamore next to the Farmington river several times. It's very impressive with its sprawling limbs. Once the leaves are out I should take my kids there again. I've heard of the large oak in Granby but for some reason I thought it was a swamp white oak tree?
Saw this at a nature conservancy....highlights some of the history these old trees lived through. 153 year old oak when harvested in 1990....started growing in 1837 when MI became a state.
Eric Wanderweg Thank you and darn you for bringing back this thread! It has poked into my curiosities and fascinations. I keep finding myself running down internet rabbit holes....researching the forests of Michigan, old trees, big trees, tree contests, old growth forests, successional forests, old homesteads, homestead trees, sequoia trees in MI (yes, there are some transplants), etc. It has been a giant time suck, but I can't help it!
