At this time Tompkins County, as well as almost the 
whole of Western New York State, was covered with a dense 
growth of great forest trees, consisting of pines, oaks, 
hemlocks, hickories, maples, beeches, elms, basswood and 
many other species, both coniferous and deciduous. It is 
doubtful if anywhere in the United States was there a more 
varied and luxuriant growth of pines and hardwoods than 
originally grew in this section. In those early days it 
was the white pine (Pinus Strobus) that was considered 
most valuable, and even it, owing to the lack of markets 
and shipping facilities, was valuable to the settler only 
in proportion as it provided material for the building 
of the home. Its abundance, straightness, and the ease 
with which it could be worked up into timbers, boards, 
end shingles made it of prime importance to the settler 
even before the first sawmills were built. Not only 
was the pine of a fine quality, but the old oaks, so 
important for ship timbers, the hemlock, ash, hickory 
and maples - the so-called "first growth" = were of a 
quality far superior to any of the present day "second 
growth" timber. 
For a considerable period (1789-1822) the only 
markets for the forest products of the county were those 
in the local villages. The lack of markets naturally 
created a certain amount of wastefulness. 
