Sinker Cypress – The Gentle Giants of the South Part Two

After the Civil War and during reconstruction, things were chaotic in the south.  There was an abundance of cheap land, much of which was bought up by northern lumber and timber interest who needed a new source. The easiest way to access the longleaf pines near rivers was to cut through the bald cypress and create a road that led to them. Loggers then went to great lengths to girdle the trees in hopes of decreasing their weight in preparation to float them down river to sawmills. They would also use man-made auger holes to place a pole between one tree which had been girdled and one which had not to float them down the river. Sometimes this technique would work. However, when this strategy failed, trees would sink to the bottom and be lost.  These are the trees we recover and transform into our beautiful antique heart pine and heart cypress wood flooring, paneling and ceilings.

As you can see, there is much, much more to sinker cypress than meets the eye.  Enjoy part two of Sinker Cypress – The Gentle Giants of the South: