Family in 1892 posing with an old sequoia tree nicknamed "Mark Twain" - A team of two men spent 13 days sawing away at it in the Pacific Northwest - It once stood at 331 feet tall with a diameter of 52 feet - The tree was 1,341 years old

[u/FridayCicero702]

[u/lpcuut]

You can see part of the tree in the Museum of Natural History, NYC. The diameter is amazing.

[u/SatansLoLHelper → u/lpcuut]

https://www.nps.gov/places/000/big-stump.htm

Known as the Mark Twain Tree, this Giant Sequoia reached 16 feet (4.8 meters) in diameter. Even after the national park was established, travel to the sequoia groves was difficult, and many people simply didn't believe trees could grow so large. In 1891, the Army cut down this sequoia so it could be displayed to astonished crowds in New York and London.

[u/Doctor_M_Toboggan → u/SatansLoLHelper]

I was gonna say… there’s no way that’s 52 feet in diameter unless those people are like 2ft tall. And 16ft diameter would be a little over 50’ circumference, so that must be what they meant.

[u/Kopeikin22 → u/Doctor_M_Toboggan]

if the tree was 52ft the people would have to be more like 20ft

[u/WRFGC → u/Kopeikin22]

People were taller back then. That's why ceilings back then we're really high

[u/littlerelaxation → u/WRFGC]

I don't doubt that you are

[u/Constant_Emphasis_22 → u/littlerelaxation]

I’m high and it took me a couple reads to understand what you mean

[u/pickyourteethup → u/Constant_Emphasis_22]

Don't worry about it, sometimes the high takes the words and makes them lighter so they float through our thoughts and are harder to grasp. Like running away in a dream or trying to catch a falling leaf with big soft gloves on. The words are still there, they're just extra playful and flitting around like fairies of the mind. When you think about it, words can mean whatever they want and sometimes they do.

[u/druppolo → u/WRFGC]

It was the invention of the machinegun that made everyone shorter by killing all the tall ones that were sticking out from the trenches.

We are actually 1918 dwarves.

[u/GoBuffaloes → u/Kopeikin22]

Y’all never heard of Paul Bunyan?

[u/WorldlyContest4315 → u/Doctor_M_Toboggan]

It would mean they were like 20 feet tall

[u/broboy45 → u/SatansLoLHelper]

Cutting down an old giant like this makes me very sad, even if it was > 100 years ago. Humans are selfish. No surprise there, I guess.

[u/SatansLoLHelper → u/broboy45]

This would have been to combat the selfishness of humans. People simply did not believe such large trees existed.

They had similar trees down in South America, 5m would make 600 planks and good ship building material. They finally stopped it in the 1970's.

Fitzroya cupressoides is the largest tree species in South America, normally growing to 40–60 m, but occasionally more than 70 m, and up to 5 m in trunk diameter.

Much larger specimens existed before the species was heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries; Charles Darwin reported finding a specimen 12.6 m in diameter.

The difference between randomly finding 12.6m and the max being 5m, makes the head boggle.

[u/Bencetown → u/SatansLoLHelper]

That makes me think of the stories of giant seafood from when they hadn't all been fished to the point of only young ones existing. I forget what kind it was. Maybe lobster?

[u/Onironius → u/Bencetown]

Canadian Cod was once so abundant that folks would just lowered buckets over the side of their boat, and lift them back up filled with fish.

[u/thisoneiaskquestions → u/Onironius]

Now we do that with trash

[u/6_Cat_Night → u/Bencetown]

Tuna used to be HUGE.

[u/Aazjhee → u/Bencetown]

Carolina parakeets used to be like this. They could blacken the sky with the size of their flocks :(

[u/Mcnab-at-my-feet → u/Bencetown]

King crab.

[u/Longroadtonowhere_ → u/broboy45]

They knew it was special and wanted to share it with the world back when TV and easy travel didn’t exist.

Many people who saw it might have changed their minds about conservation and supported the protection of the forests we now enjoy today.

Think of it like the trolley problem. Kill a tree to help inspire wonder and respect or risk the entire forest?

……

Edit: The Army cut it down to put it in museums.

In 1891, the Army cut down this sequoia so it could be displayed to astonished crowds in New York and London.

https://www.nps.gov/places/000/big-stump.htm

[u/Snork_kitty → u/Longroadtonowhere_]

Seeing a big tree didn't stop the clearcutting of old growth forests. If you know where Oakland, CA is, there used to be a sequoia that was so large and tall at the top of the Oakland Hills that sailing vessels coming through the Golden Gate could navigate by it (this was before the GG bridge was built). It was cut down.

[u/Longroadtonowhere_ → u/Snork_kitty]

I’m from Washington and have seen photos of the big trees they cut down. Never seen any of those monsters in real life, have to assume they were all cut down or are in very inaccessible places.

Only ever seen huge trees in California, and I’ve always wondered why they managed to save theirs and not us.

[u/kewjohns → u/Longroadtonowhere_]

This particular kind of tree, the Giant Sequoia, only exists (naturally) in California in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. So Washington never had these trees if that makes you feel any better. The title is misleading, this picture is not from the PNW. The Coast Redwood can be found in only the southern tip of Oregon, they’re taller but much narrower than the Giant Sequoia.

Edit: the last part I wrote sounds confusing. I meant to say that the only sequoia that grows in the PNW is the coast redwood, and it’s only found on the California coast and the southern tip of Oregon.

[u/SippinSuds → u/Longroadtonowhere_]

I'm from Washington too and although I've never seen one that large, i have seen some giant 2nd growth (the original trees that were planted when the old growths were cut down) up in the Olympic National Forest near Brinnon. In fact I have some pictures of one that came down across a logging road after a wind storm that was easily 2x my height in diameter. My parents neighbor has about 400 acres and has a couple 40 acre parcels that have some giant trees as well. It's been in their family for 7 generations and the original settlers logged it and replanted. Most of it consists of 80 year old timber but those 2 sections are 160 years old. It's all Douglas fir.

[u/Jimbob994 → u/lpcuut]

Saw it, fantastic stuff.

[u/fromrussiawithlow → u/Jimbob994]

When you not a native, and spend some time to understand that "saw" = "see". I thought about a tool saw.))

[u/PM_ME_FUNFAX → u/fromrussiawithlow]

Considering we are talking about cutting trees down, I think that's a pretty easy mistake to make

[u/dhole69420 → u/PM_ME_FUNFAX]

I see what you mean.

Edit: duck you iphone13 piece of shit ruined the joke by correcting “saw” with “see”. How the fuck am I getting any upvotes on this garbage comment? Tuck my life.

[u/Sam-l-am → u/dhole69420]

I saw what you meant

[u/Sillyvanya → u/Sam-l-am]

But did you see what they sawed?

[u/qpv → u/Sillyvanya]

I see what they sawed by the sea.

[u/jumpinjimmie → u/qpv]

Alright, cut it out!

[u/TheDogsPaw → u/qpv]

Sally sold sea trees by the sea shore

[u/noiwontpickaname → u/qpv]

I'm teetering on the edge of laughter

[u/Bacondog22 → u/fromrussiawithlow]

“I see” said the blind man who picked up the hammer and saw

[u/lambsoflettuce → u/Bacondog22]

Dad?

[u/bloodyriz → u/Bacondog22]

"I see" said the blind man to his deaf wife, who turned to their mute son and said "Tell you father I can't hear a word he is saying".

[u/Hatedpriest → u/Bacondog22]

"I see," said the blind man, peeing into the wind. "It's all coming back to me now."

[u/podolot → u/fromrussiawithlow]

Thats a pun

[u/Jaggs0 → u/podolot]

what it didnt cut it for you?

[u/Worldly_Today_9875 → u/Jimbob994]

I wood like to see it.

[u/Key_Math8192 → u/lpcuut]

Or see live trees with similar diameters in and around the Olympic National Park in Washington State.

[u/70ms → u/Key_Math8192]

Or California. General Sherman) is still the world's largest living tree, and he's surrounded by other giants.

That said, I had a friend who lived in Nielton, WA and we spent 3 days camping out on old logging trails. As much as I love our redwood forests in CA, I'm convinced that the Olympic Peninsula is the most beautiful terrain the U.S. has to offer!

[u/lesChaps → u/70ms]

I'm convinced that the Olympic Peninsula is the most beautiful terrain the U.S. has to offer!

Living on the peninsula, I have to agree ...

[u/Jewbacca522 → u/lesChaps]

Yep, gotta love that rain shadow.

Moved from Florida to the Oly Pen almost 10 years ago. Pretty much living right next to a rain forest with little traffic and old logging roads that even 2WD family cars can travel for the most part. Can’t beat it.

[u/More_Information_943 → u/70ms]

The Tongass in Alaska I've seen burls on cedars bigger than a bed of a truck up there, there places in that forest that will never see human feet ever

[u/SatoshiBlockamoto → u/70ms]

Olympic Peninsula is the most beautiful terrain the U.S. has to offer!

Clearly you've never experienced the majesty of central Illinois.

[u/ImpressivePainting64 → u/70ms]

I’m mean it’s the United States rainforest. It’s a very magical place

[u/Nerdy_boner → u/Key_Math8192]

I went to Olympic a few years ago, hiking and it blew my mind. Even trees that are much smaller diameter than this are so much freaking bigger than anything you typically see walking around most forests. You don’t need to see the biggest specimen on record to have your mind blown. I wandered around a hike with my mind blown at each every tree and I felt like a dinosaur much just amble through the forest. Unlike any other forest I’ve been in. The Olympic peninsula is an underrated gem.

[u/couldusesomecowbell → u/Nerdy_boner]

The trees of the PNW are almost incomprehensibly large. My two-story house in Seattle metro area is flanked by giant Douglas Firs. When we shared photos of our home with friends in Korea, they actually thought they were looking at miniature house!

[u/JessoRx → u/Key_Math8192]

Have to go to humboldt, ca to see trees like these.

[u/DigNitty → u/JessoRx]

California, come see the tallest and oldest trees

(Not the same trees)

[u/JessoRx → u/DigNitty]

Tallest, oldest, and most massive. 3 different.(coastal redwood, bristlecone pine, giant sequoia. )

[u/TraceSpazer → u/JessoRx]

Seen the other two but those bristlecones still need a visit.

Old growth forest just feels different.

Walking among ancients.

[u/Additional_Rough_588 → u/TraceSpazer]

the ancient bristlecone pine forest is pretty dope. plus you can just keep going up the road and bag an easy 14er with white mountain peak.

[u/Would_daver → u/Additional_Rough_588]

"Easy fourteener" this guy mountaineers

[u/Additional_Rough_588 → u/Would_daver]

as far as 14ers go - it's actually very easy. it's only about 15 miles round trip with only about 3500 feet elevation gain. clear, wide, and well definied trail because researchers can actually drive all the way up to the top. the hardest part about it is getting there the day before and trying to sleep at nearly 11,000 feet.

[u/galspanic → u/Key_Math8192]

I grew up in Colorado thinking we had the most amazing mountains in the US. We had more of them and had more 14ers than anywhere else. And then I drove through the North Cascades and around Olympic NP... yeah, Colorado is cool and all but they're nothing compared to Washington State. Also, Ranier is taller than anything in Colorado.

[u/whats_your_top_crisp → u/lpcuut]

Is it the same tree that is in the natural history museum in London? That piece is amazing. I always have a proper good look at it when I visit.

[u/OkCutIt → u/whats_your_top_crisp]

Yep, different pieces of this same tree.

[u/Straycat19 → u/lpcuut]

you could probably go look at it today growing if…..

[u/Kooky-Way → u/Straycat19]

They did create a protected national park nearby the year before this one was felled. In 1891 it wasn't widely believed that trees could get so large and this tree went on tour to New York and London.

This seems to have been part of a coordinated effort for public education and promotion of the national parks system. The protected parkland contains living specimens estimated to be even older than this tree.

[u/ZeroZeta_]

The diameter was 52 feet? How tall are these people?

[u/silveroranges → u/ZeroZeta_]

Maybe they meant circumference?

edit; if that guy on the bottom is about 6ft, then the tree diameter is roughly 16-18ft, which works out to 50-56ft circumference.

[u/steely-gar → u/silveroranges]

I was told there would be NO math.

[u/weekendrant → u/steely-gar]

If you prefer the American units, it's 8 bald eagles sitting in a circle, touching the tips of their wings.

[u/Tengu2069 → u/weekendrant]

sniff sniff is that freedom I smell?

[u/BlessTheKneesPart2 → u/Tengu2069]

Red Tail Hawk Bald Eagle Screeches in the distance

[u/Ink7o7 → u/weekendrant]

But how many football fields

[u/Rivendel93 → u/Ink7o7]

At least 2.

[u/Alifad → u/Rivendel93]

This is REDDIT! I demand a banana for scale.

[u/Rivendel93 → u/Alifad]

Bananas out for Sequoia.

[u/DigNitty → u/weekendrant]

We don’t call it diameter we call it girth!

[u/357noLove → u/DigNitty]

I'll show you girth, the tree got nothing on me!

[u/CosmoSplash → u/silveroranges]

With a circumference of 52 feet it would take only 102 laps around to run 1 mile

[u/NotUnstoned → u/CosmoSplash]

Good bot

[u/No_Month_9746 → u/ZeroZeta_]

The men are about 17 feet tall

[u/BFP101214 → u/ZeroZeta_]

I think circumference haha

52/2=26. 26/3.14=8.28. Looks like the dude comes to about three quarters or so to the center, so 6ish feet sounds reasonable haha

[u/ShutterBun → u/ZeroZeta_]

This photo is NOT the Mark Twain tree.

This is the Mark Twain tree

[u/garlicbanana → u/ShutterBun]

Cool. Wiki still says 52 ft diameter which is clearly incorrect. Three guys standing atop each other doesn't add up to 50 ft lol.

[u/Background-Pea6650 → u/ZeroZeta_]

Wondering the same thing.. someone's math is skewed..

[u/CaffeineAndGrain → u/ZeroZeta_]

Circumference, maybe?

[u/cruss0129 → u/ZeroZeta_]

not only that, What kind of chode of a tree is only 6 times taller than it is wide?

[u/[deleted] → u/cruss0129]

Baobab

[u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear]

For any non-Americans (and honestly, Americans too) out there, I would 100% recommend visiting any of the national parks with sequoia trees if you’re ever in California on holiday. They really are breathtaking. There’s no way to really comprehend their size until you see them in person. It’s like the Grand Canyon. You’re just in awe and at a loss for words.

[u/bubbs72 → u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear]

Was there this summer, loved it!!! I felt so small in their midst. I just wish you could touch them and see a fast movie of their life. :)

[u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear → u/bubbs72]

Really hard to comprehend that time scale. But when you see their size, it makes sense. Can’t imagine trees getting that big in fewer than 1,000 years.

[u/GuiltyGecko → u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear]

Putting the Sequoia in terms of the Grand Canyon really puts it into perspective for me. When I first saw the Grand Canyon, all I could think was "There's no photo that can truly capture the sheer scale of this place." As someone who has never seen a Sequoia tree, I imagine it must be a similar experience.

[u/iamblankenstein → u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear]

i live in CA and have visited a number of times and it never gets old. it's sad that so many were cut down.

[u/classic66mustang → u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear]

Avenue of the giants is the most amazing road you will ever drive. Every turn has the biggest tree you have ever seen in your life followed by a turn with yet a bigger tree.

[u/JDioon]

Allegedly, they made giant tables out of this for bad guys to sit around and be all bad and stuff

[u/Meatyglobs → u/JDioon]

And they twirled their mustaches and said things like, “meeah…”

[u/Rain_Fall95 → u/Meatyglobs]

"My sinister plot has finally come to fruition! Now, what to do about that meddling detective...."

[u/CommercialAddress168 → u/JDioon]

Thank you for making me catch a little smile and chuckle. This picture saddens me every time I see it because I think of this and all the other amazing trees we lost during this time.

[u/Hopie73 → u/CommercialAddress168]

Me too, breaks my heart seeing this magnificent tree laying dead. Over 1,000 years old, gone.

[u/sdaidiwts → u/Hopie73]

Don't worry, we are still chopping down really old trees for toilet paper.

[u/rethinkingat59 → u/sdaidiwts]

Most toilet paper aren’t old trees.

Southern yellow pine makes most of our toilet paper in the us. It goes to pulpwood as you thin to optimize pine lumber forests in about 15 years. A bit of 50-100 year old thinned Douglas fir is often added to the pulp mix for higher quality paper. These are crop forests, little different than corn.

[u/laexpat → u/rethinkingat59]

Was looking for this. Now I can resume wiping.

[u/call_me_jelli → u/laexpat]

Something something bidet.

[u/JohnLocksTheKey → u/sdaidiwts]

Oh thank goodness!

[u/ask_johnny_mac → u/sdaidiwts]

Nonsense. The vast majority of lumber and paper is sourced from tree plantations today.

[u/dgrant92 → u/CommercialAddress168]

Its like there's this "All The Pretty Things Must Die Club"

[u/Old_Laugh_2386 → u/CommercialAddress168]

Yes. Yes, me too. I hate seeing this tremendous trees cut down. Just sad.

[u/[deleted] → u/JDioon]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/SaltyMudpuppy → u/[deleted]]

Maybe, but that's not who you responded to. Broken bot.

[u/SpambotSwatter → u/SaltyMudpuppy]

True, I haven't had a click farmer in my queue for a while I need to update the phrasing when it hijacks the parent

[u/ilovekerma → u/JDioon]

If that tree is 52' in diameter, that guy is 10' tall.

[u/NavierStoked981 → u/ilovekerma]

It’s gotta be a mistake and they meant circumference. Diameter of about 3 guys tall is ~18 ft times 3 is 54 ft

[u/CreditOk6077]

I don't think you know what diameter means...

[u/trudel69 → u/[deleted]]

Fifdiatwo feet of circumeterference

[u/supernovababoon → u/CreditOk6077]

Do you even circumference bro?

[u/ukdarla → u/CreditOk6077]

I thought this, and then thought that maybe they meant circumference, but can’t edit it as it’s a title?

[u/5ozbird1lbcoconut → u/CreditOk6077]

You keep using this word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.

[u/AskJeeves84]

Shameful the tree didn’t make it to 1342 years, and beyond.

[u/LuvliLeah13 → u/AskJeeves84]

I know. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

[u/i_suck_at_squad → u/LuvliLeah13]

Just because some one will pay you doesn’t mean you should…

[u/[deleted] → u/i_suck_at_squad]

Well, hold on now...

[u/rraskapit- → u/[deleted]]

Now I'm not gay but 5 dollars is 5 dollars

[u/Random_Weird_gal → u/rraskapit-]

I'm gay and free is fine too

[u/Mettsico → u/LuvliLeah13]

Exactly. These guys are assholes, and this is coming from a woodworker.

[u/DenkJu → u/AskJeeves84]

It always makes me sad to see something like this. This tree stood for 1341 years. It has seen cultures rise and collapse. Probably survived dozens of natural disasters and thousands of storms. Humans killed it in a few days just for its wood.

[u/peregrinkm → u/AskJeeves84]

Yeah, why do humans have this obsession with destroying everything that’s naturally great?

[u/Youngadvisor12 → u/peregrinkm]

Because resources

This was the late 1800s very different mindset, industrialization was just starting.

[u/Strafe25 → u/Youngadvisor12]

I think I’ve been to the massive stump of this particular tree in Big Trees. From what I was told by a park ranger/volunteer a lot of these super giant trees weren’t much use as lumber as they were so tall/heavy that when they fell a lot them essentially “shattered” into a bunch of smaller chunks that weren’t all that useful.

The taking down of these mega trees seemed to actually have been more of a “can we?” than a desperate need for lumber. It was also a lot more difficult to fell them. Sounds like these it/they weren’t really worth felling from a time/resources/economic standpoint.

[u/KorewaRise → u/Strafe25]

did some googling, at first it was to really clear space and than they realized they could make mad profits by selling them to museums, world fairs and rich folk. from 1800-1900 70% of all north Americas giant trees and old growth forest were cut, today only about 10% of old growth and giants remain

https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/they-were-giants-america-s-lost-forests

[u/furious_sauce]

I'm vigilante planting giant sequoia seedlings around western WA as we speak

[u/monitorsareprison → u/furious_sauce]

ive been wanting to plant a tree seed that will eventually grow very high. but not sure what tree seed would be best to plant.

i wanna plant one in my local forest. think it would be cool to watch it grow and see it in 50 years knowing i planted it would be epic. dunno why lol.

UK climate.

hit me with suggestions!

[u/InevitableRhubarb232 → u/monitorsareprison]

Plant something local that is already in the forest. Don’t bring in something non native

[u/CloudWorld → u/monitorsareprison]

Oak.

[u/peu-peu → u/furious_sauce]

You're planting Giant Sequoia that far out of its narrow range, the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California? Could you be planting something more appropriate, like redwood or maybe trees native to your area?

Edit: I don't want to forget to say, I support your guerilla actions! It seems there are examples of successfully introduced Giant Sequoias in WA.

[u/booty_fewbacca → u/peu-peu]

You're planting Giant Sequoia that far out of its narrow range, the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California?

At this time of year? At this part of the day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?

[u/obsidianzebra → u/booty_fewbacca]

r/unexpectedsteamedhams

[u/zakiechan2 → u/peu-peu]

They grow perfect up here in western Wa. They are everywhere and awesome to see. There is one in Tacoma that is literally smashed between the road and sidewalk that is 100 ft tall at least on a random street downtown 🤣 Very popular to grow here

[u/furious_sauce → u/peu-peu]

Could I be planting something more appropriate? Probably, but this is a thing that makes me happy. Yes, there are already Sequoias here, many of them already large and thriving.

It makes me happy to think that in a century these little guys will be giants

[u/Pixielo → u/peu-peu]

Climate change will give them the optimal growth range within a few decades, have no fear.

[u/furious_sauce → u/Pixielo]

TBH that was part of my rationale; what if CA becomes hostile range for Sequoias? Well I'mma sprinkle a bunch of these around here now so that maybe in a hundred years they'll have their own California climate here.

Also they're a hedge on climate change in a different way: they're more drought-tolerant than, say, other large species in Western WA like the Red Cedar and Douglas Fir.

[u/OpossumOnomatopoeia → u/furious_sauce]

No need, they were planted like crazy in the 1900s. You can see them all over Seattle.

[u/arcticlynx_ak → u/OpossumOnomatopoeia]

Plant more anyways.

[u/D4nM4rL4r → u/furious_sauce]

In the early 80s on a family trip, brought back 25 Redwood saplings to GA. Only 1 survived and is planted in the front yard. Only about 30ish feet tall some 40 years later. Now I'm sad thinking that after I sell the house, eventually someone will cut it down cuz they don't like it or something.

[u/czechman45]

🎵How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, you can measure it! 🎵

[u/EboniSimmer → u/czechman45]

Now off to Disney+ to watch Pocahontas 😂

[u/Carpaltunnelsnake → u/EboniSimmer]

Can you chop down all of the colors of the wiiiiiiiiind?

[u/tratemusic → u/czechman45]

Have you EVER HEARD THE WOLF CRY TO THE BLUUUUUE COOOORN MOOOOOOON

[u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

Context:

2023: A really evil/stupid thing to do.

1892: A totally normal thing to do…they literally thought natural resources were infinite.

[u/Odd_Entertainment629 → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

technically trees are, it gon be a whiiiile before we get a tree like that one back, tho 🥲7

[u/pigsgetfathogsdie → u/Odd_Entertainment629]

Totally agree…these big trees are sacred…but, this is a 2023 perspective.

Back in 1892…they took everything possible from nature…for survival…and assumed it was an infinite supply.

[u/VladimolfPoetler → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

Makes you think how we will be looked back on, in about 130ish years.....

[u/pigsgetfathogsdie → u/VladimolfPoetler]

Prolly gonna look at us like environmental killers.

[u/Youngadvisor12 → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

I think you folks underestimate the effects of bad education, as well as how theres less than 2 dozen first world countries compared to hundreds of third world countries. Those factors play a huge role on how the world will look like 130 years from now, if it continues on this course…

[u/Better-Director-5383 → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

I was gon a say these guys cut down a tree and look how we're treating them meanwhile were in the middle of a mass extinction event caused in large part by our actions since this picture.

In other words, not fondly.

[u/Odd_Entertainment629 → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

granted I'm not an expert on trees and the cutting thereof, but isn't it just so much more work to cut a massive tree like this?

[u/IBM_0009 → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

I definitely don’t think people back then assumed things in nature were in infinite supply. Actually, I’d argue they were so aware of it that it probably lead humans to start farming and domesticating animals.

[u/Dragoness42 → u/IBM_0009]

It's one thing to know resources aren't infinite, and quite another thing to get people to act like it and actually value a tree like this alive. So many people in those days saw everything big and powerful in nature as a challenge to be conquered.

[u/DTabris → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

Maybe in 1792 people in the west thought nature was infinite (but even then not so much).

By 1892 people knew about extinction and environmental burnout. Travelogues, scientific voyage lit, and forestry/whaling documents from the time all mention the increasing scarcity of resources. Usually it was the whalers and lumberjacks who pushed for some governmental regulations, at that time

Edit: corrected typo, whales to whalers

[u/BiggusDickus- → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

They understood that natural resources were finite. They just didn’t care.

It’s not like we aren’t still doing the same thing today.

[u/Witty-Vixen → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

Whether they believe was or wasn’t, they still knew back then that trees don’t grow that fast and that such a tree had to be very old.

[u/[deleted] → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

Lets just say that a thousand years old tree is HARD to replace, now and a century ago.

[u/Curious_Attempt4080 → u/pigsgetfathogsdie]

I think the point isn’t that these were evil individuals sitting around cackling at their misdeeds—they weren’t—but rather that this demonstrates why these ancient, giant sequoias need to be protected by law.

[u/Electrical_Tip352]

This is the area I’m from. You can still see all the scars left from clear cutting before environmental laws about were passed up there. They do selection cutting now so not as big of an impact but they just went at it for a long time before they couldn’t. There are also company logging towns. One is called Scotia and I used to live there. So weird.

[u/Unyxxxis → u/Electrical_Tip352]

I often go hiking around here on the private timber lands. Its a shame to be walking through, say, an old logging area with only 50 y/o spruce trees only to realize that beneath all those trees are massive redwood stumps cut a hundred years ago and completely covered over...

[u/liquidio]

So they spent 13 days cutting it down.

Then they came back on day 14 and had to start cutting it into sections…

[u/CaptainBayouBilly]

Some humans have a strange obsession with finding the oldest, the biggest, the fastest, the most of whatever category it is and making a name by killing it.

[u/MisterOphiuchus]

Bro how fucking cool would it be to just carve out the middle and make it into a house, not like planks or anything, just a hollow tree.

[u/Coyoteatemybowtie → u/MisterOphiuchus]

You can see some of those on display in the redwoods, nothing this massive but same concept

[u/MrSKiG88UK]

I’m not a hippie but that tree had more right to be there than most people

[u/BillyBobRio]

Sequoia trees are found in California not the Pacific Northwest. They tried for years to harvest them but when the trees dropped, they shattered. There is an area in Sequoia National Park called big stump where you can see many huge stumps leftover from the logging efforts.

[u/3mmyjo → u/BillyBobRio]

Specifically you can see the stump of this tree in kings canyon national Park which is why I was so confused when it said Pacific Northwest. This tree went on to be used to show the natural wonder of California. They took the bark of it if I remember correctly to New York and then to England and it was part of the reason that sequoias became protected. So like it sucked that this tree was cut down but then it went on to save the rest of this aquarius so it's bittersweet.

[u/Horror-Childhood6121 → u/3mmyjo]

There are coast redwoods and then there are giant sequoias. They grow in very different climates

[u/Pixielo → u/BillyBobRio]

Funny, because you can see them all over Seattle.

[u/[deleted] → u/Pixielo]

A relative of mine has one growing in her back yard.

[u/TheFluffyDovah]

And they cut this magnificent tree because? What did they use wood for?

[u/TheGentleman717 → u/TheFluffyDovah]

Toothpicks and matchsticks. The wood is terrible to be used for anything.

These giant trees are protected now. I believe the exact location of the tallest tree in the world is kept secret from the general public

[u/Necessary_Essay2661 → u/TheGentleman717]

Hyperion in the california redwood forest, it's true its exact location is secret, but i'm sure other redwoods are close or at least comparable in height, could probably only really tell if you were above the redwoods on a helicopter or something

[u/wrldruler21 → u/Necessary_Essay2661]

It was only discovered in 2006. Probably because the trees nearby were of similar giant height and it took some science to calculate the precise height.

[u/markevens → u/Necessary_Essay2661]

Last I heard, Hyperion lost a snag and is no longer the tallest.

The new tallest tree is known but is not being released.

Also, Hyperion's location has been leaked and is getting a lot of foot traffic now.

All the traffic brought trash and shit and is fucking up the tree, so being within a mile of it will get you a hefty fine and possibly jail time.

[u/Necessary_Essay2661 → u/markevens]

Damn i didn't know that. I've never been to the redwoods but i feel like if you've seen a tree that's 360 feet high, not a lot more is gained from seeing a tree thats 380 feet high, they're all impressive as fuck

[u/markevens → u/Necessary_Essay2661]

Moreover, a single tree is nothing compared to a grove, and Hyperion stands alone.

[u/dohtella → u/TheGentleman717]

Kept secret? All you have to do is look out and the tallest tree is the tallest tree. You can’t keep that a secret.

/s

[u/RoonSwanson86 → u/dohtella]

I just looked out my window and the tallest tree in the world is about 50 ft tall. I will not accept any other answer

[u/Frozenwood1776 → u/TheFluffyDovah]

Believe it or not, just one bowling pin was made out of that tree. Source? Simpsons.

[u/eskimosound → u/TheFluffyDovah]

Matchsticks

[u/zedbeforebed → u/TheFluffyDovah]

a single bowling pin

[u/Azzkrackin → u/TheFluffyDovah]

Firewood

[u/Rose8918 → u/Azzkrackin]

Redwood and sequoia is terrible at burning. If anything they used it for construction materials.

[u/devilgoof]

This is sad to me. The tree probably had a lot more time left.

[u/OmegaWhite024 → u/devilgoof]

And a family.

[u/TrumpCheats]

1,300 years taken away in 13 days. People view the 13 days work as something in which to feel pride over rather than shame.

[u/RugdRbrBabyBgyBmper]

This is some sorry ass shit.

[u/PowerWagon106]

Sorry, Central CA is not the PNW. Cool tree though...

[u/AstroEngineer314]

Pretty tragic actually

[u/manupower]

What a prick

[u/mike_corp]

We ruin everything.

[u/bigburgerboy92]

Would’ve been a lot cooler if they left it alone, but here we are, humans being dumb again for pointless reasons other than “if we can, we do.”

[u/digzilla]

Circumfrence of 51 feet. 16 foot diameter.

[u/ObnoxiousCrow]

They probably made about tree-fifty from it

[u/Banfing]

Fuckers