The mighty Oak has a rich history. The ancient druids used it as a
symbol of strength. Some cultures of the middle ages used polished pieces of oak
as pendants and charms to ward off evil. Many seafaring societies used the
strong wood to build sturdy fleets of ships. American Oak trees, especially the
red oak, were introduced to Europe in the early 1700's and quickly became
preferred over the native oak species for furniture.
Many varieties of oak have a hard, coarse-grained wood that check and split
with a vengeance during seasoning. Because of this, they have been common
firewood, evoking a sense of the past, even in today's modern gas fireboxes.
Pin Oak
There are two lines of thought about where the Pin Oak got its name. One camp
prefers the idea that the slender twigs of the tree look like pins. The other
camp believes these tough twigs were once used to fasten, or "pin"
barn timbers, and that resulted in the name. The editor of this web page has
such an old barn and can attest that the pins are, indeed oak.
The pin oak grows in poorly drained ground and swamps it may share with other
wetland-loving trees such as elm, ash, maple, etc. The small acorns are an
important food of wood ducks and other wildlife.
The pin oak is of little importance to the lumber industry because in drying
it tends to warp and split. It is, however, one of the most desirable oaks for
ornamental planting, as it is one of the fastest growing oaks.
The bark is dark gray in color and runs from smooth to fissured, with broad,
scaly ridges.
Silver (Shingle) Oak 
This small oak reportedly got its name because early settlers in the Ohio
Valley used it for making split shingles for cabins.
It is distributed quite widely through the Ohio Valley, northward to Michigan
and Wisconsin and westward to Iowa.
The relatively thin bark is divided by shallow fissures into broad ridges
ranging from gray to dark brown.
This is another tree with hard, coarse-grained wood that checks badly during
seasoning, hence with limited uses, and is a common firewood.
Red Oak
The leaves of this magnificent tree are dark green, becoming reds mixed with
yellow and orange in the fall, although not as rich a color as other oaks,
quickly becoming a dull brown. A commonly found oak tree, its acorns are larger
than those of the other oaks and take a full two years to mature.
The wood of the red oak group has similar properties to that of white oaks
but is more porous (and less resistant to decay). It is used for general
construction, and railroad ties, and of course, firewood. It is coarse textured,
with a straight and open grain.
The bark is highly furrowed, almost reptilian, with large scales near the
base, becoming smooth and light grey about half way up the tree with broad gray
ridges. The wood is relatively dark with a light brown to pale red heart.
