Black cherry was the first thing that popped into my mind but I have only seen 2 in this part of the world that were over 12” DBH. That is what made me double-take.
I have worked in equatorial Missouri and I can see where your guesses of persimmon and blackjack oak are coming from. It does make me quite happy that neither of you are even remotely correct but then again, this species doesn’t grow that far south so it’s hardly fair.
Yellow birch is the correct answer. An old, angry and slow growing yellow birch at that. Of all the species growing around here yellow birch has the most polymorphic bark and will occasionally give weird examples like this one.
Clark