500 year old bur oak
In 1849, John Newton “Black John” Gatch, a former riverboat captain, purchased about 100 acres of farm land in southwest Ohio near what is today Milford, OH.
At present, the Gatch family still owns the farm house and some of the original farm land. According to the Gatch family history, one of the main reasons he picked this particular property was the presence of a large bur oak in front of the farm house (shown below). Over his lifetime, and that of his descendants, the tree was often at the center of family gatherings and special occasions, such as weddings. It stood for about 500 years and withstood all that nature threw at it until 1996 when it finally succumbed to high winds.
Not wanting to completely lose what was left, Lewis Gatch commissioned me to make a trestle table for the farm house from lumber sawed from the oak’s limbs. Since then I and my son Carey have made about two-dozen pieces for members of the family. Just a few are shown here.
The limbs yielded about 1,200 board feet of lumber. Since the trunk was hollow (and was partially filled with concrete), it yielded no lumber at all. The very large limbs of this tree produced boards with unusual and visually appealing figure. However, the combination of hardness and released tension from the lumber itself as the boards were cut made this wood very difficult to work. The table saw blade was pinched until it stopped, pieces warped and cupped after be cut to precise dimensions, and at times, along with oak dust, profanity filled the shop air.
John Newton Gatch and wife and daughter beneath the bur oak circa 1890.
One of the larger limbs of the fallen Gatch bur oak.
Tresle table in the dining room of the Gatch farm house.
One of four rocking horses made for the newest generation of Gatch's.
End tables with tile inlays. The tiles, made by Kathy Gatch, a potter, show the standing bur oak in front of the farm house.
An Arts and Crafts style book cabinet made by Carey Sherrill.
A table with a book matched top that displays the unusual figure found in the Gatch bur oak.
Coffee table with sunburst top that features the unusual grain of the Gatch bur oak.
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I found your website trying to figure out if there is a correct season to harvest timber but found this spectacular picture of the 500 year old oak. I live on a farm in north central kentucky in owen county that has an old oak that looks identical to this one that was on the farm when we bought it in 1967 and has just recently died. I have many great pictures of this oak in all seasons for the past 40 years. I want to make a tree house in it but the economy has slowed down my project. I am also fascinated that it could be this old. I figure maybe a couple of hundred but now realize it must be much older. I know that there was an old school house years ago underneath it and a hand dug cistern where a church once stood about 50 yards away, about 100 years ago. Any suggestions or ideas about this old relic greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the site
Rodney B York