# Largest White Pine Ever Cut in Wisconsin?



## max2cam

I found this little article while reading an 1875 issue of the Ashland (Wis.) Press. At that time they claimed it was the LARGEST pine tree ever cut in the "northwestern pineries," meaning the Great Lake states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.

Here is the complete article:

"Mr. H. McKusick says that Abe Johnson, on the Totogatic, has cut a pine tree out of which he obtained four 18-foot logs, the smallest one of the four measure 40 inches at the top end. The four logs scaled 7,300 feet, and it is supposed to be the largest tree ever cut in the norhtwestern pineries." -- From the Stillwater Lumberman

Has this record size tree ever been exceeded in the Great Lakes states? 

Other sources say that the biggest pine in the St. Croix basin grew on upper Totogatic River in NW Wisconsin. At the Stillwater boom "togatigs" was lumberjack lingo for HUGE logs that demanded higher than average prices, which Totogatic River pine often got. But the tree above must have TOWERED above even the best pine and far older in age. County forester says today that area is mostly hardwoods and the conditions that grew such a pine stand up there must have been exceptional and rare. 

Any other historic accounts of very large white pine (and red) in the region?


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## ray benson

http://books.google.com/books?id=nQ...q=wisconsin white pine largest scaled&f=false


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## ray benson

http://www.nativetreesociety.org/bigtree/great_eastern_trees.htm

Wisconsin 
GREAT TREES OF THE PAST
MacArthur Pine. Eastern white pine. National champion, 1948-1971. Named by a Milwaukee newspaper in 1945 in honor of General Douglas MacArthur. CBH 17’ 8”, ht. 148’. Weight 27 tons. 35 feet of trunk hollow. Nicolet National Forest, near Newald. 40 feet of top blown out in 1977. Struck by lightning in 1986. Felled by a suspicious fire on 6/23/2001.
ref.: The Capital, newspaper, Annapolis, Md. 7/12/2001.
ref.: Randall, Charles Edgar and Henry Clepper 1976. Famous and Historic Trees. The American Forestry Association, p. 22.

Eastern white pine. A white pine felled near the Flambeau River, in northwest Wisconsin yielded 14 logs that scaled 22,620 board feet.
ref.: Stevens Point Journal, 2/26/1898. (courtesy of Paul Jost, 2/16/2004).

Eastern white pine. A white pine near the Plover River, in the Hatley area of Marathon County, was reported to have a circumference of 19’ 6”, and a height of nearly 200 feet.
ref.: S. A. Sherman, pioneer lumberman, 1884. (courtesy of Paul Yost, 2/16/2004)

Eastern white pine. A white pine to be cut on the land of Mr. Wadleigh, near Hatley, Marathon County, was said to be the largest in Wisconsin. It was 27 feet in circumference.
ref.: Stevens Point Journal, 12/1/1883. (courtesy of Paul Yost, 2/16/2004)


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## John Paul Sanborn

> MacArthur. CBH 17’ 8”, ht. 148’.



DBH= 5.65 ft 



> circumference of 19’ 6”, and a height of nearly 200 feet.



DBH= 6.21 ft



> It was 27 feet in circumference.



DBH = 8.59 ft


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## spudzone

Impressive indeed! Those would make our northern Wi whoppers look pretty small. I continue to wonder just how big the pines were that left the scattered charred "skeleton" stumps we still see today.
Chris


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## 056 kid

I have been around some 4'+ stuff in Natural bridge VA.

Soo much fun to cut!


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## johninky

There is an impressive white pine in the Pioneer Cemetery in Warren, Ohio. Largest one I have ever seen.


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## Paul J.

*Biggest white pines - modern trees*

There are still a few big white pines in Wisconsin and elsewhere. 

The tallest that I have seen in Wisconsin is a 13.5' girth 165' tall tree on private Indian Reservation land in Menominee County. Others nearby were up to 167'. A white pine tree snag of 18-19' girth was nearby. (My access permit had a time limit and no longer is valid. Trespassing in the reservation comes with a mandatory $750 fine with no lenience for any non-Indians hiking anywhere in the reservation forests without permission.)

The tallest in statutory Wisconsin is a 150' tall tree next to a 147' tall tree on the western extents of the Cathedral Pines Grove in the Nicolet National Forest, but not visible from the hiking trails within the grove. They are around 10-11' girth.

The tallest that I have seen in the U.S. is a 188' tall pine on the Boogerman Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. It was 207' tall a few years earlier before a hurricane topped it. Other pines over 180' tall exist in the virgin grove at Cook Forest State Park in northwestern Pennsylvania. Trees over 160' tall are visible at Mohawk Trail State Park in Massachusetts. Trees around 150' tall are in the old grove at Harwick Pines State Park in lower Michigan. 

Trees up to 150' tall also exist in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan. There are several around 12' girth and around 145' tall along the Little Carp River valley off-trail, along with the two 18-19' girth snags of two former national champion white pine trees. A topped, large girth pine is on the Lily Pond trail within view of the cabin. Other very large pines 13-15' girth, but very short exist along the Big Carp River valley where the marsh meets the woods along and near the cross country ski trails. A few large diameter pines also in remote similar locations near Trail Creek.

There is also one highly visible tree about 147' tall and about 12' girth along the Presque Isle River east bank southwest of the ranger station and visible to the north of the northernmost boardwalk overlook along the river. It grows at river level along a steep cut bank with a trail along the top that allows you to look at the midpoint of the tree at eye level from the ground where it still has a respectable girth! 

I've been through most of the white pines on Wisconsin's big tree list and most either no longer exist, had poor location descriptions that may have hindered their remeasurement, or were obviously mismeasured.


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