Tree stump removal in the 40's

[micky]

How did people remove tree stumps in the 1940's?

There were no stump grinders then, or were there?

[rbowman]

Dynamite. Prior to that black powder.

[Bill Gill]

Not in the 40s, but a hundred years ago they used dynamite. My grandparents had a farm up in central Missouri and when they cleared the bottom land they used a lot of dynamite. I still have a couple of the boxes it came in. They are nice solid wood boxes.

Bill

[Scott Lurndal]

My grandfather used blasting caps on his farm to remove stumps.

[Dean Hoffman]

I think my dad would drill holes in the stump. He'd pour used oil from tractors in to soak the stump. Some gasoline and a match on a quiet day would be next.

[micky]

Let me refine my question. To all of you.

This was our back yard where I lived my first 10 years. A neighbor from then I talked to recently said we used to have a lot of trees in the back yard, which was maybe 60' wide and 100' deep, and they were all cut down.

But there was only one tree stump there, at the side, the edge, half-way back. No tree stumps in the middle.

I'm sure they didn't use dynamite ;-) but would they have used blasting caps in a back yard with neighbors on both sides? Or set a fire? Or maybe he's just wrong about there being so many trees? If they left one stump, why should I think they removed all trace of the others?

So, how many trees were there originally?

[Cindy Hamilton]

42

[rbowman]

We had an elm stump and part of the procedure was drilling holes and pouring in saltpeter.

The problem was finally solved when the town decided to put in a sewer line. They removed the stump with a backhoe, but they also dug up the barberry hedge.

[Snag]

I see you have Life , the Universe and Everything sorted out ...

[Thomas]

I bought the towel.

[Snag]

Don't tell Zaphod , but I stole his . Poor choice , it hasn't been washed in several light-years . Threadbare too .

[micky]

A lot of work.

Clever.

[bruce bowser]

On the internet, a gardener advertizes that a tree-stump removal will cost $175 to $515 dollars.

[Clare Snyder]

Stump jacks were very common over 100 years ago for removing stumps. A big screw jack on a log tripod with a beam across the screw jack you attach a team ot horses to and have them walk around turning the screrw. Lots of other "jack" designs were used as well

[micky]

There was an Amish population in buggy distance from our home, and I can imagine my father hiring them to take out tree stumps. I have a picture of him in WWI standing by a horse. He was a dentist in the army and I don't know if he always had full-time horse or he could check one out for an afternoon. I don't why he would need one. It was the US but I dont' think there were many places to go.

I didn't drive in he house I started about and I only saw Amish when they delivered, I think it was, milk and eggs and cheese, but we got milk delivered by a non-Ameish dairy. my mother did have a car most days and she bought the other stuff at the store.