Franklin Township in Waverly in Ross County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The American Chestnut
Scioto Trail State Forest
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, May 28, 2024
1. The American Chestnut Marker
Panel 1
Inscription.
The American Chestnut. Scioto Trail State Forest.
Panel 1 The Mighty Giant . The American chestnut tree was once one of the most important trees in our eastern forest. The tree's native range extended from Georgia all the way to Maine and west to the Ohio River Valley. In the Appalachian Mountains, roughly one tree in four was an American chestnut. The American chestnut could grow very large and fast, allowing it to become the dominant tree in many areas. In mature stands, the tree could grow for 300 years or more, reach over 100 feet in height and more than 6 feet in diameter. These traits inspired the nickname "The Mighty Giant." American chestnut trees bloom in the early summer. Where the trees once grew thickly on Appalachian ridges, their creamy white flowers made the mountainsides appear snow covered. The native wildlife depended extensively on the nutritious nuts, especially deer, turkeys, squirrels and bears. , The "Cradle to Grave" Tree Chestnutting (gathering chestnuts) was both a social activity and provided income, particularly in rural communities. Railroad cars were loaded with nuts for shipment to the larger cities, where vendors could sell them freshly roasted. Farmers fattened their livestock on the nuts and used the nuts in traditional recipes, and even ground the nutmeat into flour. The tree was also an excellent source of lumber. It grew straight, often branch- free for the first 50 feet or more. It was straight-grained, easily split, rot resistant and lighter than oak. Chestnut was known as the "cradle to grave tree," as it was used for both cradles and caskets, as well as many other everyday items. The lumber was also used for split-rail fences, post-and-beam construction, railroad ties, shingles, panels, and telephone poles; some of which are still in use today.,
Panel 2 Chestnut Blight. , Chestnut Blight Strikes First identified in 1904 in New York's Bronx Zoological Park, the chestnut blight is caused by an Asiatic fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) and is almost always lethal to the American chestnut. Moving through the range of the chestnut at a rate of up to 30 miles a year, by the 1950s the chestnut blight had devastated over 200 million acres, killing an estimated 4 billion chestnut trees. The loss of the chestnut is often cited as the worst ecological disaster of the 20th Century in the U.S. In fact, because of the unintentional import of chestnut blight, the federal government created its first plant quarantine laws.
How The Blight Kills . Chestnut blight is characterized by blight fungus, which feeds on the cambium tissue under the bark of the tree. The fungus creates cankers that break through the bark, cutting off the flow of nutrients between the leaves and the roots, which kills the tree. Typical cankers on young, smooth-barked trees first appear orange in contrast to the normal green or grey bark. Thick bark on larger trees becomes cracked and flaking. Stump Sprouts The roots of the chestnut are usually not affected by fungus, the base of the tree or stump for many years. These sprouts can sometimes grow 30 feet or more before succumbing to the chestnut blight. Sometimes a fortunate sprout will avoid the blight and grow large enough to produce flowers and seed.,
Scioto Trail State Forest. The 9,390 acre forest was named after the Native American trail that ran from what is now Chillicothe to Portsmouth. During World War I, the area that is now Scioto Trail State Forest was used as an artillery range for 75 mm guns and six inch howitzers from Camp Sherman. During the 1930s the Civillian Conservation Corps built most of the roads, lakes and early recreational facilities. The 60 foot tall fire tower was built in 1925 and was the second of 39 fire towers built in Ohio. It was in operation until 1978.,
Panel 3 Restoring The Chestnut. Bringing Back The Chestnut In 1983 a dedicated group of scientists founded The American Chestnut Foundationฎ (TACF) with the mission of restoring the American chestnut to our eastern forests to benefit our environment, our wildlife, and our society. Centered at our research farms in Meadowview, VA, the goal of TACF's breeding program is to develop American chestnut trees that are resistant to the chestnut blight and able to create a self-sustaining population that can continue to evolve in a natural forest environment. Additionally, in order to breed trees that are regionally adapted to the wide climatic variations found throughout the vast range of the chestnut, TACF state chapters have established over 300 chestnut breeding orchards from Maine to Georgia, containing more than 120,000 chestnut trees. In 2009, TACF announced the first forest planting of our potentially blight-resistant chestnuts we call "Restoration Chestnut 1.0." Today, planting, testing and evaluating these remarkable seeds continues, while additional breeding and development is underway to produce even more advanced and blight-resistant chestnuts in the future. Much of this work, as well as the tending of breeding orchards is being done by some of the 6000 dedicated TACF members and volunteers in twenty states. These efforts are vital to the foundation's activities. Recent developments in the science of molecular genetics now offer the promise of accelerating our breeding process by allowing us to screen the genetic sequences of chestnuts, to see if they have the genetic composition desired by our scientists. Although it will likely be several decades before large quantities of American chestnuts once again populate our eastern forests, the future is beginning to look much brighter for "The Mighty Giant."
Panel 1 The Mighty Giant
The American chestnut tree was once one of the most important trees in our
eastern forest. The tree's native range extended from Georgia all the way to Maine
and west to the Ohio River Valley. In the Appalachian Mountains, roughly one tree
in four was an American chestnut. The American chestnut could grow very large
and fast, allowing it to become the dominant tree in many areas. In mature stands,
the tree could grow for 300 years or more, reach over 100 feet in height and more than 6 feet in
diameter. These traits inspired the nickname "The
Mighty Giant."
American chestnut trees bloom in the early
summer. Where the trees once grew thickly on
Appalachian ridges, their creamy white flowers
made the mountainsides appear snow covered.
The native wildlife depended
extensively on the nutritious
nuts, especially deer,
turkeys, squirrels and
bears.
The "Cradle to Grave" Tree
Chestnutting (gathering chestnuts) was both a
social activity and provided income, particularly in
rural communities. Railroad cars were loaded with nuts
for shipment to the larger cities, where vendors could sell
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them
freshly roasted. Farmers fattened their livestock on the nuts and used
the nuts in traditional recipes, and even
ground the nutmeat into flour.
The tree was also an excellent source of
lumber. It grew straight, often branch-
free for the first 50 feet or more. It was
straight-grained, easily split, rot resistant
and lighter than oak. Chestnut was
known as the "cradle to grave tree," as
it was used for both cradles and caskets,
as well as many other everyday items.
The lumber was also used for split-rail
fences, post-and-beam
construction, railroad
ties, shingles,
panels, and
telephone poles;
some of which
are still in use
today.
Panel 2 Chestnut Blight
Chestnut Blight Strikes First identified in 1904 in New York's Bronx
Zoological Park, the chestnut blight is caused
by an Asiatic fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica)
and is almost always lethal to the American
chestnut. Moving through the range of the
chestnut at a rate of up to 30 miles a year, by
the 1950s the chestnut blight had devastated
over 200 million acres, killing an estimated 4
billion chestnut trees. The loss of the chestnut
is often cited as the
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, May 28, 2024
2. The American Chestnut Marker
Panel 2
worst ecological disaster
of the 20th Century in the U.S. In fact, because
of the unintentional import of chestnut blight,
the federal government created its first plant
quarantine laws.
How The Blight Kills
Chestnut blight is characterized by blight
fungus, which feeds on the cambium tissue
under the bark of the tree. The fungus
creates cankers that break through the
bark, cutting off the flow of nutrients
between the leaves and the roots, which
kills the tree. Typical cankers on young,
smooth-barked trees first appear orange in
contrast to the normal green or grey bark. Thick
bark on larger trees becomes cracked and flaking. Stump Sprouts The roots of the chestnut are usually not affected by fungus,
the base of the tree or stump for many years. These sprouts
can sometimes grow 30 feet or more before succumbing to
the chestnut blight. Sometimes a fortunate sprout will avoid
the blight and grow large enough to produce flowers and seed.
Scioto Trail State Forest
The 9,390 acre forest was named after the Native American trail that ran from what is now Chillicothe to
Portsmouth. During World War I, the area that is now Scioto
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, May 28, 2024
3. The American Chestnut Marker
Panel 3
Trail State Forest was used as an artillery
range for 75 mm guns and six inch howitzers from Camp Sherman. During the 1930s the Civillian
Conservation Corps built most of the roads, lakes and early recreational facilities. The 60 foot tall fire
tower was built in 1925 and was the second of 39 fire towers built in Ohio. It was in operation until 1978.
Panel 3 Restoring The Chestnut
Bringing Back The Chestnut In 1983 a dedicated group of scientists founded The
American Chestnut Foundationฎ (TACF) with the
mission of restoring the American chestnut to our
eastern forests to benefit our environment, our wildlife,
and our society.
Centered at our research farms in Meadowview, VA,
the goal of TACF's breeding program is to develop
American chestnut trees that are resistant to the
chestnut blight and able to create a self-sustaining
population that can continue to evolve in a natural
forest environment. Additionally, in order to breed
trees that are regionally adapted to the wide climatic
variations found throughout the vast range of the
chestnut, TACF state chapters have established over
300 chestnut breeding orchards from Maine
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, May 28, 2024
4. The American Chestnut Marker
to
Georgia, containing more than 120,000 chestnut trees.
In 2009, TACF announced the first forest planting
of our potentially blight-resistant chestnuts we call
"Restoration Chestnut 1.0." Today, planting, testing
and evaluating these remarkable seeds continues, while
additional breeding and development is underway
to produce even more advanced and blight-resistant
chestnuts in the future. Much of this work, as well
as the tending of breeding orchards is being done
by some of the 6000 dedicated TACF members and
volunteers in twenty states. These efforts are vital to
the foundation's activities.
Recent developments in the science of molecular
genetics now offer the promise of accelerating our
breeding process by allowing us to screen the genetic
sequences of chestnuts, to see if they have the genetic
composition desired by our scientists.
Although it will likely be several decades before large
quantities of American chestnuts once again populate
our eastern forests, the future is beginning to look
much brighter for "The Mighty Giant."
Location. 39° 12.979′ N, 82° 58.564′ W. Marker is in Waverly, Ohio, in Ross County. It is in Franklin Township. It is on Stoney Creek Road (State Road 372) near North Ridge Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 671 OH-372, Chillicothe OH 45601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Scioto Valley and in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2024, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 360 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 21, 2024, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
