10 x 42 trestle Table with a bench going to the Bedell Family. Table is constructed using no screws or nails. Table has been hand planed and contain a waterproof finish. Wood is Douglas Fir and came from the Muir & McDonald Tannery in Dallas, OR. The Dallas Tannery was the oldest operating business in Polk County and is the oldest of 5 tanneries in the United States using the slow vegetable tanning process for tooling strap and saddle leather. The began operation in 1863 and closed their doors for good in 2008. They were in business for 144 years. The presence of the Muir and McDonald Company in the community had been a factor in the tradition of the City of Dallas from its earliest days. The company and building was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places in November of 1980. Was featured on Modern Marvels: https://youtube/watch?v=LDvYq4jf3_g According to popular myth, many mice hid inside the scales of the Douglas Fir trees cones (see picture above), which was kind enough to offer sanctuary for them during forest fires. Each of the three sided bracts of the Douglas fir cone makes the tail and two tiny legs. Douglas fir trees are not a single species, as there are approximately 50 different species of Douglas firs that thrive throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In the past, Native people of North America used Douglas Firs both for nourishment and medicinal purposes. Dried inner bark was ground into a nutritious meal during times when there was a lack of food. On hot sunny days, when conditions were right, crystals of sugar formed at the tips of the needles and around the branches. This rare treat was eaten raw or collected for future use in sweeting food. The dried sap of the Douglas fir was used to cure cold symptoms and the sticky buds were chewed to relive mouth sores. Young Douglas fir needles are high in Vitamin C and they were used to treat scurvy. Lumps of hardened sap were chewed to keep boredom away and to whiten teeth. The bark was used to make canoes and the roots were corded to stitch canoes and baskets and was used to make fishing nets. The name Douglas fir comes from a Scottish botanist, David Douglas, who first introduced the tree into cultivation in 1826. Growth ring picture shows how much wood has changed with humans adding supplements to the trees. Notice how tight the growth rings are beforehand and how they are in todays trees.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 23:06:23 +0000
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