The Douglas MacArthur Pine, held
the title of the Nation's Largest White Pine for over 20 years. It stood 148-feet tall and boasted a diameter
of 5'7" at the base. In 1977 it was struck by lightning, but continued to stand. The storm, however, took the top
40 feet of the tree and stripped it of its "Largest White Pine" title. Then in June of 2001, a suspicious
fire toppled this once-mighty giant.
The
Board of Commissioners of Public Lands chose me to build a conference table from remains of this once-historic tree.
The conference table measured over 8 1/2 -feet long and 42-inches wide, and could comfortably fit 8 people. The table
was so large, it had to be delivered in pieces, lifted through a trap door, and assembled in the second-story conference
room . It was an honor of a lifetime to work with such an important piece of history.
For my efforts, I was presented with a slice, or "cookie," of the MacArthur Pine.
I also was able to keep some of the wood left over from the cutting of the tree, which is currently drying in my shop.
The pieces I plan to create using this historic wood are sure to become family heirlooms.
