Found an old tree stump I had to grind down that was 40 years older than I thought

I was working on a job in Salem last week and had to take out this big oak stump from a yard. Got curious after I hit some really tough roots and checked the growth rings, counted about 120 of them. Turns out that tree was planted around the same time my great grandparents were kids, which kind of blew my mind for a Tuesday. I felt a little bad about grinding it up after that, but the homeowner wanted it gone. Has anyone else ever checked the age of a stump and had it mess with your head a bit?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_king1mo agoMost Upvoted

Did you at least keep a slice of it to count more accurately later? Because sitting there going "wow, this thing sprouted during the Grant administration" while covered in wood chips is a REAL mood killer. I did the same thing with a maple once and felt like I'd just killed a small piece of living history just so someone could park a Prius closer to their front door.

mary_patel591mo ago

Saved a slice from my oak and hung it in the garage, @diana_king. Still stings to look at it lol.