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Jeff Meyer and his historic trees

Started by Tom, November 04, 2003, 04:33:36 PM

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Tom

Jeff is at it again.

Remember my stories about cutting the Spy Glass Oak and Ohio's champion cottonwood?  Well now Jeff Meyer, the owner of Historical tree nursery's, has gotten Robert E Lee's trees from Arlington Virginia.  One is an Oak (Red I think but I'm not familiar with it) and one is a cherry.  

Unfortunately someone got the best part of the trees before he could get up there with a trailer.  They must have stolen the trunks for fire wood because what he has left is trimmings from the ends of the logs and small pieces like branches and stuff.

He has a local race car driver who takes care of the farm/nursery now who is going to run a soon-to-be-purchased LT40 super and saw the historic trees.  

My job is to saw those that he gets now and teach Terry, the race car driver, how to saw.  Terry will probably be dropping in on the forum from time to time since it is such a good place for an education.

Much of this wood will still need to be trimmed on shop tools to get the most out of it.  It is really not sawmill wood but a sawmill is needed to get the parallel cuts.

On the everpresent cell phone......  big business I guess.  I don't have one.




Here is Robert E. Lee's oak and cherry.
Destined to be gun stocks, knife handles, Colt pistol handles (contract already signed) and pen and pencil sets.





Paul_H

I've got a question and a request for you Tom.
I was wondering the age of the trees and if there is any story you can relate, of the trees/Robert E Lee.Were any grafted by the nursery for seedling or heritage trees?

And I was wondering if you could take a few pics of the nursery when you go back there?

Thanks

Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Tom

Oh yes, I'll be glad to take pictures of the nursery and I'll try to find the story of the REL trees.  I'm sure the story will be on the certificate that will come with the product that they build.  I'll ask Jeff when I see him again. He stays pretty busy and seldom comes around.

I don't know of the age of the trees but it would have to be over a hundred and fifty at least, even if he planted them.  The pieces that I am sawing wouldn't be representative of the age since they appear to be limbs and tops.  I'll have to do some studying. ;D

This nursery does graft trees and perpetuate growth by planting original seed etc.  The latest example was the salvation of the DNA of Johnny Appleseed's last known living apple tree.  It was in its death throws when Jeff came on the seen and grafted it to other root stock.  I'd like to get the story of that one too. Terry was with him on the tour and the lady who owned the tree had cut small pieces of the dead wood and put it in plastic baggies and put it in the freezer.  She gave Terry a piece of it and he is certainly proud of it.

Check these out:
http://www.silentwitnesses.org/JeffMeyerBio.htm

http://www.historictrees.org/AboutUs/AboutJeff.asp

http://www.growinglifestyle.com/prod/0618068910.html

http://www.treestories.org/

These and other sites can be found in a Google search where you enter Historic Tree Jeff Myer.  You may find some of them interesting reading.  They talk of Eisenhower's trees and a tulip poplar given to David Letterman on his Late Show among other anecdotes.

Jeff

Historic trees provided gift certificates for some of Jeff's historic trees to the kids on our Forestry Field trip  for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree program that Ada and I worked on a couple years ago.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Corley5

Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Paul_H

Facinating subject!

I just showed Carla the thread and links.She has to go out in a few minutes for a meeting,but it really peaked her interest and was wondering out loud if there is a similar program in Canada.

I looked at  growinglifestyle.com and now have got a couple of ideas for her Christmas gift.

Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

music_boy

Since my interest is in Musical instruments, I became aware of one of the last Freedom Trees to be cut down. This tree was at St. Johns' College in Annapolis, Md. Bout an hour up the road from me. Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars got a line on this Yellow Poplar that had to be taken down, and arranged to get the wood. Turned this wood into a line of "Freedom Guitars". Pretty cool. Can't say what the Guitars sound like but I doubt those that by one really care. The oldest White Oak Tree in Md., at Wye Oak State Park, blew down ina tornado 2 years ago. Last I heard, they had the wood is a warehouse, under guard, trying to decide what to do with it. Might want to take a lesson from Bob Tayor. I think it is really neat to preserve and pass history down in any way possible. Guitar, and other things from the wood of a significant tree, or any thing else for that matter, is a great way to go.
Rick
Check out this site for the Freedom Tree \guitar story
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars%5Cmodels%5Climiteds%5Cliberty%5Cindex.html
It's not how much YOU love, it is how much you ARE loved that matters. (Wizard of OZ)

Bro. Noble

I have an idea that those Taylor guitars will sound pretty DanG good -------like the rest of his guitars.   They make some little guitars that sound like big ones and acoustic bass guitars that sound like uprights.  They know what they are doing.
milking and logging and sawing and milking

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