Erasing 200 years of history

[OldCarGuy]

An old American Elm tree has graced my front yard since I purchased my house. In the 1950's our area has lost most of the great Elms do to Dutch Elm Disease. Making my tree a rarity. Who knows why my tree was spared? It was well over 100 feet tall with a girth of 14' and a crown nearly as wide. Indicating that it may be over 200 years old. As far back as twenty years ago four tree experts indicated it was dying and need to be taken down before it crashed into my home. Contrary to their advice I have spent two decades trying to preserve the old tree. Sadly I lost the battle to the inevitable. And with the help of two friends, a borrowed 75'reach bucket truck and chipper. This past weekend we chopped this once majestic tree down. What took a weekend will take centuries to grow back. Needless to say I am heart broken...

Make a ton of tooth picks

Notch and back cut

The chipper will shred up 12" diameter

I cut a 24" length off the 24" diameter limb for an anvil stand, Has to weight nearly 300 pounds.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I hate loosing trees...

 

[f350ca]

I still have one lone elm left in front of the shop. Not as big as yours but a substantial tree.

Greg

 

[RJSakowski]

We lost almost all of our elms. The young trees can resist the disease but when they get to be about 10 inches in diameter, they die. Your tree probably survived as long as it did because it was isolated.

 

[Dhal22]

Old growth clearly visible in every photo. Beautiful tree.

 

[twhite]

Count the rings!


Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[woodchucker]

An old American Elm tree has graced my front yard since I purchased my house. In the 1950's our area has lost most of the great Elms do to Dutch Elm Disease. Making my tree a rarity. Who knows why my tree was spared? It was well over 100 feet tall with a girth of 14' and a crown nearly as wide. Indicating that it may be over 200 years old. As far back as twenty years ago four tree experts indicated it was dying and need to be taken down before it crashed into my home. Contrary to their advice I have spent two decades trying to preserve the old tree. Sadly I lost the battle to the inevitable. And with the help of two friends, a borrowed 75'reach bucket truck and chipper. This past weekend we chopped this once majestic tree down. What took a weekend will take centuries to grow back. Needless to say I am heart broken...

Make a ton of tooth picks

Notch and back cut

The chipper will shred up 12" diameter

I cut a 24" length off the 24" diameter limb for an anvil stand, Has to weight nearly 300 pounds.

sorry to read that.
I am also sorry that you chipped it up. Maybe you saved some lengths so a sawyer can cut it up and make some nice elm boards for a future project? Elm is a great wood (although I never worked it) for building furniture. And you would have that wood to admire even though you took it down. It can be stacked and stickered, or kiln dried and ready in some time.

 

[Eddyde]

Sad to lose a large tree as they are practically impossible to replace in our lifetimes.
We lost a massive Elm about 10 years ago, still have one and thankfully it appears healthy.

 

[Just for fun]

Bummer, I'm sorry you had to take that beautiful tree down.

 

[Nutfarmer]

Sorry about your tree. They are what makes a home more livable. Glad you were able to remove it yourself. We lost seven white oaks. three trees were over two hundred and fifty years old. One was over six feet in diameter. Al were victims of California losing control of Oroville dam and dumping water when the trees were leafed out. The trees sitting in water rotted the roots. They survived all these year only to be killed by incompetence.