Lost oldest thing on the farm

Jim in rush co

Well-known Member
Location
Rush Co. Indiana

Large white oak, the farm has been in family since 1837 and the tree was estimated by the State to be between 3 and 4 hundered years old. Had been hit by lighting a lot of time over the yrs. It was measured the last time in 2011 and at 4-1/2 feet above ground was 23 feet 5" in circumference. Standing picture was taken in 2000 when entered in the Indiana big tree contest. One third of it came down 4 yrs ago and the rest last week. Hard to see something go that was maybe twice as old as the farm.
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I love all trees, especially the big old ones that are landmarks on the property. It is like losing a friend and certainly a witness to history. First photo is a gem! I rue the day we lose one of the big ones on our farm. White oaks are extra special. Sorry you had to lose that one. Maybe the stump will yield a hen or chicken of the woods mushroom some day.
 
WOW -- I thought my 17Ft around-- cottonwood was big --- does anybody here know how to tell how tall a tree is by standing on the ground? Roy
 
Yep, a Biltmore stick will measure a tree's height. Use to use one to teach kids about forestry.
Richard in NW SC
 
When I see a tree like that I think if that tree could talk about all the people who have passed under it. I have some Norway pines that were left over from when this area was cut off in the 1800's that I cannot put my arms only about a third of away around them. I was always going to figure out the BF of lumber in them.
 
When I entered the tree I used stick, the State used a device to look thru. I don't know how it worked but they said I was about 18ft short. They go by circumference in inches, height in feet and 1/4th of crown spread in feet, then add together to give a score.
 
Wow that thing is massive. I have great respect for trees of that size that have survived so much to live that long. Always makes me sad to see a big old one that a farmer tips over and burns just so he doesn't have to go around it.
 
Hi, you can take a long 2?4 say 12ft or so, stand it up on end and measure length of shadow. Then measure the shadow of tree and transpose. Voila! Ed Will
 
At one time my exes grandparents had the largest white oak in the state. Not sure what happened but it was not the biggest last time I looked at the dnr list. I friend of mine has/had the largest burr oak in the state.
 
The first photo is something. There's a big oak in an old pasture corner that is a land mark tree. Its been hollow on one side for as long as I can remember. Its hard to believe it still stands. On the other side of this valley, up in a hollow in one of the ridges is another massive tree, not sure what it is, had a friend take a photo of me next to it. There's a few more around of that age, know where there are some oak and what was one of the largest black cherry I have ever seen. They are something to appreciate. I can remember some massive elm trees around here before the first round of dutch elm disease hit.
 
I've got another a little over 1/4 mile from this one that I need to measure, not like this one though. Now comes the work of cleaning up the mess as it is in the beans, I'll have to wait until after harvest. I'll see if the neighbor wants the wood as he has a outdoor furnace. I'll also see if there is any thing I can have sawed into lunber to make something out of to hold onto.
 
You wont regret finding some pieces to mill down into lumber, even if small, sure would be nice to have something to remember that tree by. The large oak I mentioned, it dropped some huge limbs some years back, I still have them, the wood in them has a nice grain, even if something small, I'll make something out of it. White oak sure makes nice lumber, and being oak, darned good firewood. Looks like you could block up some of it to run through a band saw mill, and I see theres some burl, the 2 large bumps on the trunk. I'll bet it has an interesting grain.
 
I was going to mention this also. Soil is a living breathing organism.
Dirt, however is inert, dead, but I understand how everyone says dirt.

Larry
 
Jim, when you saw up the tree in a couple months and get to sawing main trunk, you can count the tree rings and determine the trees exact age if the trunk is still solid. Could be some Indians roamed around that tree hunting wild game. Greenville Treaty line was signed 1795 which divided territory between Indians and pioneers and the tree is likely older than that. Your location would have been in Indian territory before 1795. That is quite a historic tree.
 
We have a lot of flint on the farm and I've often wandered if they sat under in chipping away. Our oldest item is a fossil from(416,000,000 yrs ago, picture included. The 2 story part of the old house is log,cut from place and there are openings in upstairs walls one log high at sholder height. Makes me wonder if maybe for protection. I wish I knew the age of the house. The fossil was found about 2-3 hundred yds. from the tree.
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Take part of it to a sawmill, cut it into a nice board, have someone (professional) make a plaque out of it and mount that picture to it, or a good copy of the picture. Hang it up and enjoy it.
 
Oh, man! That was a beauty! Sad to lose that old girl.

Hope you can do as some have mentioned... make something beautiful out of it. Put copies of the tree photos in an envelope, along with any written stories/history of the tree/farm/family... and attach the envelope to the back or bottom of the project.
 
My step dad was 81-82 when picture was taken, the one on the right. I have a family picture with him and his calf in front of the old house about 87 yrs ago. I'm giong to take some pictures of the old house now and will post them together. The old house is about to go the same route as the tree. Might be a few days though before I get pictures.
 
Hi, you can take a long 2?4 say 12ft or so, stand it up on end and measure length of shadow. Then measure the shadow of tree and transpose. Voila! Ed Will
 

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