Whats up with American Elm disease? Grandpa stories exaggerated?

[Woody Stover]

Around here it is all true. There used to be lots of elm trees. Then in the 70s, and early 80s Dutch elm disease went trough and killed them all off. I have heard of the city streets lines with elms. ....
Flash forward to current time. I find dead elms in my wood lot now, although I think most of them are gone now. These must be the elm saplings or maybe elms from seed that survived the original dutch elm disease. I have cut some big ones in resent years. Every time I cut a big one and count rings they date back to the 70s. I took one dead one down last year that was 20" + diameter at the base!

I see an occasional American Elm here, but never a big one since I've closely observed the woods here over the last 15 yrs. or so. Slippery (Red) Elm is fairly common however.
But I still have images burned into my mind of the big American Elms that lined the city side streets of Milwaukee.
I remember my mom driving me from the outskirts of the city, into town to go to the doctor near 45th & Center, close to where my folks had lived when I was born. She took me to his office, after she got me out of school, and we walked in just as the receptionist was hearing on the radio that JFK had been shot. I also recall a couple times being given cortisone shots for poison ivy, and another time when that doctor made a house call when I was sick with mumps.
Anyway, I remember riding in to the doctor's, in the old white 1958 Brookwood station wagon. What a magnificent chunk of American Iron that chrome-laden behemoth was! 😲 Driving down those Elm-lined streets was like being in a long tunnel in the shape of a gothic arched window, delineated by the upswept branches of the vase-shaped Elms. It was strikingly beautiful. Then I would bend forward in the car seat (which was easy then, since that was before seatbelts) and look straight up as the canopy passed overhead. It really was magical.

IIt's a beautiful wood. I once laid down some elm flooring finished it with tung oil. Beautiful rose colors and hard.

User @nrford, the mill guy, trimmed his house in Red Elm. I wish he'd post pics; It is gorgeous wood! 😲

 

[blades]

yep back in the day docs made house calls for infectious bugs, mumps, chicken pox, measels, quarantine sign posed on front door. now you have to go the clinic and sit around for awhile sharing bugs with everyone else there ( real smart ?). Being around the Milwaukee metro most of my life ( there were a few short spans in other locations ) I remember the Elm lined streets and all the hoopla with the dutch elm problem , restrictions on moving wood ect. With Ash same old same old, Dang bugs have wings wind carries them far and wide. Oak wilt, fungus, wind carries the spores. During the 50's rides were 49 ford( manual tranny) , 51 hudson( manual tranny), then a 54 ford, 56 ford crown vic( had power steering) all 2nd hand. I know the Crown Vic had an auto tranny don't remember the 54 tranny. there was a chevy for a very short time in that mix.

 

[bigealta]

I planted a "Princeton" elm in front of my house as a street tree about 10 years ago. Growing great here. Also got 1 for my neighbor at the same time, theirs is growing even better!
The princeton elms were cloned from 1 of the last standing elms in the Princeton, NJ area. (A graveyard tree i believe it was).

 

[RustyGunz60]

I know of a beautiful, large, American Elm on the site of an old homestead, in the middle of the NJ Pine Barrens where I live. It survives because it is growing outside its native habitat and less likely to be infected with the fungus. Back when northeastern cities planted rows of them on every street, they were basically setting up rows of dominoes, waiting to be knocked over by disease or insect pests. The same risks occur in agriculture, hence the necessary reliance on chemical defenses. My garden is organic, but I can do so more easily with such a small patch, and with a variety of plants. Large monocultures are often necessary, but are much more risky.

 

[Woody Stover]

During the 50's rides were 49 ford( manual tranny) , 51 hudson( manual tranny), then a 54 ford, 56 ford crown vic( had power steering) all 2nd hand. I know the Crown Vic had an auto tranny don't remember the 54 tranny. there was a chevy for a very short time in that mix.

I have a pic of my mom and I in a Hudson Jet. From what I see, they were made in '53 and '54.
We were about reverse of you as far as Chevy and Ford; The '58 Chevy Brookwood, a '59 Chevy wagon, one Ford wagon in there, '66, a '71 Nova, '73 Impala..a '64 VW too. 😏

 

[Tylervt]

Anyway, I remember riding in to the doctor's, in the old white 1958 Brookwood station wagon. What a magnificent chunk of American Iron that chrome-laden behemoth was! 😲 Driving down those Elm-lined streets was like being in a long tunnel in the shape of a gothic arched window, delineated by the upswept branches of the vase-shaped Elms. It was strikingly beautiful. Then I would bend forward in the car seat (which was easy then, since that was before seatbelts) and look straight up as the canopy passed overhead. It really was magical.




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I remember my mom always referring to these cars as a"Beach Wagon"

 

[Woody Stover]

I remember my mom always referring to these cars as a"Beach Wagon"

I've heard an expression for a big car... "land yacht." 😏
But yeah, a family-outing vehicle. My dad made a top carrier outta plywood, and we went out to the Grand Canyon with a 9x12 umbrella tent and all the other supplies in there. It was tight in the tent..just enough room on the floor for six sleeping bags. 😆

 

[blades]

that brought back some memories - Land Yacht- Buick Electra 225's. Family outings, camping, Buick versions of the Olds Vista cruiser and pop up camper. Went to the World's Fair in Canada early 60's. Hunting trips to Wyoming and couple other states out that way, Flat bed Dodge with a large pile of hay bales in back, Deer and Moose. Re-arange bales to form a cabin. Various local ranchers- good times, good friends. That's all gone now with the advent of the outfitters leasing everything under the sun.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

My aunt has a huge American Elm outside her house in the UP of Michigan. The Michigan DNR collected seeds from it because it is apparently very resistant to the Dutch Elm disease. It is still going strong.

I just cut and split some American Elm this last spring.

I'd love some seeds if you can get them!