Wayne County, NC - Heritage Series

Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be 
reproduced without permission. 
Transcribed by Barbara Kawamoto.

                      The Important Long Leaf Pine

"Our Heritage"
By Claude Moore

   There are at least seven species of pines, which are native to North 
Carolina, but the most important historically is the long leaf pine 
(Pinus palustris).  The long leaf pine has a heart of saturated turpentine, 
which will not absorb much moisture, and for two hundred years this was the 
principal wood used in building houses, barns, churches and other buildings.

   The long leaf pine is found in an area stretching over the coastal plain 
from Virginia to Florida, and as far west in North Carolina as Wake and 
Scotland counties.  They grow to a height of a hundred feet, and in diameter 
up to four feet.  Today I saw several trees, which were boxed for turpentine
in 1890, they have survived the blazing and are still growing.  Long leaf 
pines seem to flourish better in sandy soil.  When the first European 
settlers came to eastern Carolina, there were heavy forests of this specie 
of pine, but there is a tendency for them to be replaced by the short leaf 
pines (Pinus taeda and Pinus echinata.)

   The long leaf pine has leaves in threes, 10-15 inches long.  In early 
times the needles were used in making mats and baskets.

   The heart of this tree was used for starting fires and for making light 
in the pioneer houses.  As a result it was called "light wood."  It may lie 
on the ground in the woods for years, but is very slow to decay.  Many 
people still use fat lightwood splinters for starting fires in wood burning 
stoves and fireplaces.  It has a pleasant aroma especially for those of us 
who are attuned to old customs of east Carolina.

   The long leaf pine was the principal source of naval stores (tar, resin 
and turpentine), and this was the chief source of cash for east Carolinians 
during the 18th and 19th centuries.  The demand for naval stores in 
shipbuilding declined after the development of petroleum products and the 
building of metal ships.  The tar was made in kilns by burning in a 
smothering process and was sold in homemade barrels.  The raw turpentine 
was gathered from the blazed cuts on the pines and placed in barrels.  Some 
of the turpentine was distilled and placed in earthen jugs or bottles to be 
sold as paint thinner and for medicine.  Spirits of turpentine was often 
administered at home in drops on doses of castor oil.

   Edenton, Beaufort, New Bern, Swansboro, Wilmington and Brunswick town 
were markets for naval stores, lumber, barrel staves and shingles.  These 
products were transported to market on rafts and flat boats and then to 
foreign markets by sailing ships.

   In eastern Carolina, there was open range for cattle of all kinds and 
farmers had to fence in their fields and home sites.  These fences were 
made of rails, split from the heart of the long leaf pine.  These rails 
lasted a long time, but had to be repaired as time passed.  Fire had to be 
kept away from rail fences.

   Early houses were either made of hewn logs or sawed timbers from the long
leaf pine.  These timbers did not require paint to preserve them.  Some 
furniture was locally made from pine timbers.

   North Carolinians are called "Tar Heels" because in early days many 
people went "barefooted" in summer and around tar kilns they would get tar 
on their heels, which was very difficult to remove.

   Long leaf pines made beautiful ornamental trees for groves in the country
and in towns.  Some of the finest in North Carolina are found in Southern 
Pines and Pinehurst.

   The North Carolina toast begins with...

   Here's to the land of the longleaf pine 
   The summerland where the sun doth shine
   Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great
   Here's to downhome, the Old North State....

==============================================================

USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free
information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial
entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material.
The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes 
other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file 
contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of 
this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb 
Archives to store the file permanently for free access.

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Barbara Kawamoto <bakawamoto.earthlink.net>

==============================================================