Interesting Read on Trail Trees

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/trail-trees-living-native-american-legacy

[Kbeitz]

Wow... We might have one on our farm....

[Alcranb]

 

 

This is one of those trees you refer to.

[Den Socling]

That was interesting. Let's hope they are never cut.

[Magicman]

Here is a twisted Cherry tree.


 
I call it Poston's tree.   



 


 
I showed Jeff this old Sycamore a couple of weeks ago.  It is hanging onto the creek bank as best it can.    

[Ozarker]

Those trees are all over the Ozarks. There was a symposium on them a couple of years ago, in Izard County. Locally, they were also called "thong trees", in reference to the method used to tie them down.

Here are a couple. These trees, though not in alignment with one another, point toward an old encampment, some six miles distant. The trees shown here are two miles apart, and one is a quarter-mile north of the other. They mark separate trails, with other trees in alignment with each. I know where many other such trees are.




  

  


 

[RPowers]

I'll have to get some pictures of the ones on our property here in the Ozarks. We have several  of those in varying age scattered. I only have found one that I would consider as a possible "Indian Tree", the rest I see as being too young. I wonder if the settlers and farmers in this area continued the practice to mark certain things?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I call it Poston's tree.   

:D Don't ever cut it. It'll grow BIG and twisted STRONG one day.

[Ozarker]

I've wondered the same thing, RPowers, and maybe they did? But, if you ever get the chance to hear an explanation of how the trees grow, the grain structure, after being bent, avail yourself of the opportunity. The trees' size belies their age, and this has been verified through core samples. They tend to be much older than anyone would ever guess. And, you know how slowly even normal trees grow in the Ozarks.

[RPowers]

That is true, they do grow slowly on these rocks. I have seen some very stunted trees, especially white oak, that were much older than they looked. I'll have to get some pics with a measurement of each on I have here. I should map their orientations, maybe they'll lead me to something!

[Ocklawahaboy]

Now I've leaned something today.   Time for a beer and a nap.

[Ozarker]

If you find one, follow it, and you're likely to find others, unless that one points to a near-by spring. 

[Magicman]

 

 
This "little" ERC was over 75 years old.


 
Because it grew up there in the top of one of those columns. Windsor Ruins I happened to be at the right place at the right time when the ERC trees were removed.  This link also takes you to some of the Natchez Trace history.  Jeff drove part of it a couple of weeks ago.


 
This table was built from three of the column leaves.  They were gotten from the owner when the ruins were privately owned.