Valley Of The Giants
Despite all the logging and development in this valley over the last few hundred years, some giant trees have survived. These modern giants give only a hint of the giants of the past.
A Giant's Tale
A giant tree grew near this spot over 100 years ago. Letters from Fred Maddock and Harry Root tell of a black walnut (Juglans nigra) that was thought to be the biggest tree in Ohio. Sumner B. Day was hired by an English firm to cut and saw the tree. He had to order a special saw blade for his saw mill to handle the felled log. Once the bark and sapwood were removed, the log measured over 40 feet long and six feet in diameter. It was floated down the river to Lorain where it was shipped by train to the east coast.
Cottonwood Trail
Just down this side trail is one of today's giants. Take this short hike and marvel at its size. Then dare to imagine the giants of the past.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Natural Resources.
Location. 41° 26.502′ N, 82° 6.265′ W. Marker is in Lorain, Ohio, in Lorain County. It can
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland, on the Lake Erie Shore, and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Black River Bridgeway Trail (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Burrell Homestead (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lorain County Community College (approx. 2½ miles away); Timeline of Dr. Norton S. Townshend (approx. 3.6 miles away); Norton S. Townshend, M.D. (approx. 3.6 miles away); Jay Terrell and his "Terrible Fish" (approx. 3.8 miles away); In memory of the Brookside Graduates Who Gave All in the Vietnam War (approx. 3.8 miles away); Shipbuilding (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lorain.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 882 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

