I was under the impression that the USS Constitution was made of southern live oak (and that the US Navy had tracts of it in the southern US). Turns out that i

I was under the impression that the USS Constitution was made of southern live oak (and that the US Navy had tracts of it in the southern US). Turns out that it’s true, the “frame” is made of southern live oak. I guess the rest of it is white oak. EDIT - there is also a strange story about the Naval Live Oaks site near Pensacola, Florida. It was established to provide live oak timber for the Navy but after WWII they finally decided they didn’t need it any more. They gave it to the state of Florida with the express limitation that it had to be managed as parkland and could only be used for public purposes. So… decades later the National Park Service is establishing the Gulf Islands National Seashore and wants the Naval Live Oaks land back. Florida says no. An “enterprising” US Attorney finds an old newspaper article about a circus that came to Pensacola in the summer time and the elephant died. Well, they needed a place to bury it and chose the Naval Live Oaks area. The feds sue Florida and claim that an elephant burial ground is not a public purpose. The judge agrees and the land ownership reverts back and becomes part of the national seashore. https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2020/12/29/gulf-islands-national-seashore-celebrating-50th-anniversary/4040896001/ https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2020/12/29/gulf-islands...