Cypress gold

[bay pirate]

I just wanted to share this with all since we we all have a curiosity and need to uncover history.

I have been running this river my entire life and there is a historic home on a wide part of the river. On a point adjacent to the property, there is a rope swing where, in the summer, people gather to swim and have fun. I found these boards lying have buried in the mud and realized that they were left over tailings from some some sort of a mill. Me being an a étude builder of furniture from reclaimed wood and old boat parts, I grabbed them

Then I found this












After a little research, turns out there wasn't a mill per say but these are what was left over when the builders of the home cleared the property and milled the wood to build the home. The wood is cypress and the home is bellingrath gardens. The whole log pictured is 36' long and 38" at the base and 29" at the other end. The home began construction in 1902 or so and was completed around 1915 putting theses boards and logs in the water for over 100 years. I tried counting the rings on the log but gave up at 300 as I was less than have way. I'm guessing that cypress was about 6 to 700 years old when felled by an ax. I'm taking it to a mill to get it board cut and kiln dried. It's estimated to have aboard 1500 board feet in it and worth about 10k retail. Not bad

 

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[mobile miner]

Hey Kenny

That is a great find. Will make some great looking furniture.

 

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[bay pirate]

Old cypress logging footage from Louisiana back in the 20's.


That is a crazy video. Wonder what OSHA would say? Thanks for posting the link!

 

[River Rat]

Beautiful furniture! Cypress is a beautiful wood. At the turn of the century, all virgin cypress was milled. If the tree had some type of deformity it was not cut. I know of 3 that are still standing & very much alive today. One is on my property, one down the road (in a state park), that is landmarked, & the 3rd is along the highway around Lake Maurepas. I had a dear friend who made his living diving for this "Cajun Gold". He was killed in a motorcycle accident in '09. Here's a little synopsis from a printed article about him.

He has been searching for sinker cypress logs in the bayous and swamps along the Tickfaw River for the past 16 years.

Beginning at the turn of the century, lumber companies went into the swamps and began clear cutting virgin cypress. These trees were truly enormous. Many had a circumference of 20 feet or more. After being cut, the logs were floated through the bayous and swamps to the sawmills scattered throughout southern Louisiana. During this voyage, some trees were lost and sank to the bottom only to be covered by layer upon layer of mud. These buried relics are what we call today sinker cypress.

“Sinker cypresses are the hidden jewels that lies in the crown of Louisiana. There is so much treasure lying in this water you can’t see in, you just never know what you are going to find,” explains Charlie.

“In the old days they searched the swamps with bateaus (small flat bottom boats) and poles and found the logs. Now a days if you want to find them you have to dive for them. There are so few left that each one has become worth a kings ransom. When you have found one, you have literally found Cajun gold,” explains Charlie.

Mud Diving as the locals call it, is not for everyone. “I usually dive to depths of thirty feet or more, and because of the poor visibility, gauges are worthless here. Yes, I have run out of air at forty feet and yes, I dive with alligators and poisonous snakes. However, understand these things don’t scare me. What does scare me is the mud monster. The mud monster is a state of mind. It is raw fear. It’s the thought that you may never surface again and they won’t ever find your body,” explains Charlie.

“For every log I recover, there is a mud monster I have fought. However, when, I am sawing the log on my mill, as I make every cut, I forget about the mud monster a little more each time. Sinker Cypress has a soul that is exposed with each pass of the mill. I just can’t wait to sweep the saw dust away to see what lies beneath,” adds Charlie.

“Most people think I crossed the gulf and mud dive for sinker cypress because I am crazy, but the real reason is I have spent my whole life on the water. Water covers three/fourths of the earth, and it covers fifty percent of Louisiana. For me it’s a place that brings me peace of mind, not insanity,” says Charlie
Charlie refuses to give direct answers for what he is in search of next. “Everyone wants to know what I am going to do to top my last feat. The truth is, I don’t know. I have been searching for the Cajun gold for several years, but now I am beginning to think that there might be some of Lafitte’s real gold laying around.

 

[Keith Lenahan]

Cypress is one of my favorite woods to build with. It has some wonderful colors in it. I did a paneled library with shelves and cabinets out of it once. Turned out beautiful, congrats on your find, you make nice looking stuff.

 

[worldtalker]

Wooden Gold,ain't that a fright!! Cool wood working. God Bless Chris

 

[Deckguy]

being a carpenter myself, I can really appreciate what you are doing with that old Cypress. can't wait to see how it turns out!! good job

 

[bay pirate]

RR, Sounds like Charley was a mans man. Here's to mud monsters. May they always be overcome, yet welcome so we can stay sharp