White Pine

White Pine.

The pre-settlement of New England by Europeans began with the cod fishery in the late 16th century. Boats from Bristol, Portugal and the the Basque region of Spain came ashore to get water, ice or ship's timbers. Their increasing visits to the coast were driven by those natural resources and so it would be for the settlers that followed them.

The forest in these parts was awe inspiring, though not entirely pristine. The local Abenaki and other tribes had managed the forest for centuries using fire and stone tomahawks to create a mixed landscape with some temporary clearings. Even so to the settlers eyes this was a primeval environment.

The most awesome tree was the white pine which grew straight and tall to rival the redwoods of the Pacific coast. None of those old pines survive today, but even the youngsters that have replaced them are spectacular. Where did all the old trees go?

Those early fishermen soon spotted that white pines were ideal for making masts and spars for ships but they could find an ample supply on islands off the coast. By the 18th century Maine was part of a British colony and the British navy was growing fast as the Empire grew and hostility from competitors increased. A local ship building industry was also flourishing in towns like Bath in Maine and so the demand for ship's spars was increasing. At the same time, woodland was being cleared for settlement and so ship builders had to search further and further inland to get enough white pines. The British enforced a new law that forbade the felling of white pines except for their own use. Suitable trees were to be blazed with three axe marks in the shape of a broad arrow-head, which is still in use as an official government mark in Britain today.

Forest stream, New Hampshire.

A local worthy in Portland (Maine) was given the lucrative job of commissioning spars for the Navy and so roughly prepared masts would arrive at the dockyard to be transported to England in specially designed mast-ships. When they ran out of suitable trees in New England, the business moved to the forests of Minnesota and Wisconsin, but by then America was no longer a colony of the British. Soon steam ships replaced sail-boats and the demand for masts declined.

The story does not end there. Back in  England I read that the dressed white pine trunks were deposited in "mast ponds". I had never heard of this so I had a look on the Internet to try and locate one: I found several.

Mast ponds were created to store the masts and stop them from warping as they dried out. The sea water slowly desiccated and toughened the green the timber, drawing out the sap. The most famous location cab still be seen in the Old Naval Yard at Portsmouth in Hampshire where you can also visit Nelson's flagship the "Victory". Other mast ponds were at Woolwich and Chatham on the Thames.

Forested mountain scene, New Hampshire.

The white pine played a major role in the early economy of New England that largely goes unrecognised today. Perhaps some of the largest specimens in the White Mountains and Acadia will eventually reach the massive size of their ancestors but it will be long after my time, and yours.