About That U.S. Navy White Oak Forest in Indiana-- Part 2: Welcome to Constitution Grove

The USS Constitution , called "Old Ironsides" is a museum ship docked in Boston, but she has an active duty crew and commander.  She has even sailed under her own power as recently as twenty years ago.

So, one of the Navy's unusual jobs is there at a civilian forester maintained.  They call the group of trees Constitution Grove in Indiana.

From the USS Constitution Museum "The Wooden Walls" of USS Constitution.

The USS Constitution received, according to Secretary  of War Knox, "the best white oak."  However, with each restoration of the ship, white oak of the size needed became increasingly difficult to obtain.  Nearly two generations and three restorations ago, white oak trees at the Naval Facilities Engineering  Command in Crane, Indiana,  were designated for the USS Constitution.

At the time, as the 1973 work began on the ship, the U.S. Navy noted:  "Seasoned white oak, ... needed in the ... overhaul of ... Constitution, was difficult to ... procure."  Over 150 white oak trees spread over the  64,000 acre base were designated for the ship.

In April 2012,  70 of these trees were examined and 35 selected that will be used to replace  the 30-40-foot long rotted hull planks on the ship.

--Brock-Perry

John Dennis, Master Shipbuilder-- Part 5: HMS St. Lawrence Never Fired Guns in Battle

Another sources says that the ship-of-the-line HMS St. Lawrence was built either by John Dennis or William Bell.  I found several sources that didn't mention anything about John Dennis building the St. Lawrence.

**  The St. Lawrence had a hull built of oak.  Supposedly 5,750 trees were used in its construction.  Its masts and spars were made of pine and spruce trees.

**  The only time its guns were ever fired was in salute.  No American ship understandably would challenge her.

--Brock-Perry

Work Continues on Monument in the Quad Cities-- Part 1

From the September 29, 2017, Quad-Cities Times  "Work continues on War of 1812 monument" by Alma Gaul.

The work on the bas-relief bronze sculpture depicting the Battle of Campbell's Island, created by sculptor Albert Louis Vander Berghen is nearing completion.

Volunteers from the Moline Chapter Mary Little Deere Daughters of the American Revolution have been making headway on the monument, located on Campbell Island in the Mississippi River.  They have also gotten the State of Illinois to blacktop and stripe the parking lot.

The Davey Tree Service has removed a dead tree and there is a new sidewalk around it.

--Brock-Perry

Trees for the USS Constitution-- Part 2

Much work is involved with these white oak trees before they can be placed on the Constitution.  They must be harvested, milled, shaped and then transported to Boston.  The final step is installation.

In addition, there is only a limited time slot for harvesting the trees because the NSA Crane forest is home for the endangered Indiana bat.

The forest now has 150 GPS-located mature white oaks set aside for future use on the USS Constitution.

The white oak lumber will be used to replace deteriorated hull planking and support structures called knees.  White oak is the same king of wood used originally.

--Brock-Perry

Naval Support Activity Crane

The trees for the USS Constitution repairs were selected from the Naval Support Activity Crane, about 25 miles southwest of Bloomington, Indiana.

This is a huge base, with 64,000 acres, 109 miles of roadway, over 3,000 buildings spread over the 98 square miles.

It is manned by 5,000 Department of Defense civilian and contractor personnel and just 50 military.

--Brock-Perry

Trees for the USS Constitution-- Part 1

From the April 19, 2012 America's Navy  "Select NSA Crane Trees to help Repair 'Old Ironsides'"  by Bill  Counch.

Representatives of the Boston Navy Yard assessed specially designated trees at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane (Indiana) April 17 and 18 for preparations to restore the USS Constitution in drydock.  The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship.

Foreman Dwight DeMilt, ship restorer, and Robert Murphy, production manager, Naval History and Heritage Command, Boston detachment, hiked to see several dozen white oak trees located around the 63,000 acre base to determine suitable trees for the ship.

DeMilt was also involved in the Constitution's last drydocking 1991-1995.

The new drydocking is scheduled for 2014-2018, but much work remains to be done before then.

--Brock-Perry

Bits of War: Olympics Money-- USS Constitution Stamp-- Savannah and the War

Bits of News About the War.


1.  OLYMPICS MONEY--  It was estimated that the Canadian government spent $1.65 million on the War of 1812 commercials it ran during the Olympics.


2.  USS CONSTITUTION STAMP--  Some 25 million stamps of the famous ship went on sale last August.  People could get First-Day-of-Issue Stamp at the Charleston Navy Yard next to the "Old Ironsides."


3.  SAVANNAH AND THE WAR--  From the August 20, 2012, Savannah Morning News--  Hull Street is named for the captain of the USS Constitution.  The live oak that gave the ship its strength along the hull was cut and milled near St. Simons, Georgia.

In 1815, Savannah named through streets after U.S. Navy captains:  Hull, Perry, Mcdonough and two squares, Orleans and Chippewa, were named after key battles.

Now, You Know.  --Brock-Perry

Five Witnesses to a 200-Year-Old War Still Living

From the April 4, 2013, Welland (Can) Tribune by Allan Banner.

Cooks Mill.  And one is still in the middle of the battlefield near the intersection of Pearson and Lyons Creek roads.  This witness is a white oak.

The government wants plaques identifying each tree, its species and local history.

Another tree is in a nearby cemetery and the others on private property.

These trees were there when the Battle of Cook's Mill was fought in 1814.

Never Heard of This Battle.  --Brock- Perry