4 Billion To None - The Sad Story of The American Chestnut & A Happy Ending - Orig. Georgia Traveler

An American icon went from 4 billion to none. But, there is a happy ending to the sad story of the American chestnut. In 1900, about 4 billion American chestnut trees grew from Maine to Florida. 1 out of 4 trees were chestnut trees and they were huge. Trunks could be 10 feet or more in diameter. The country was built on it and we used it for houses, furniture and food. Then the Chestnut Blight hit and they were all gone … wiped out. It only took about 40 years to kill all the chestnut trees. By 1980 there just weren’t any left. The official term is “functionally extinct” which means there may be a tiny few surviving. That brings us around to the hero of this story.
Tucked away in Trempealeau, Wisconsin is the Lunde Grove. Einar Lunde had a grove of 100-year-old American chestnut trees without the blight. It was like a miracle. The story goes that the trees were planted by a Civil War soldier who came home with a pocketful of chestnuts. Einar’s farm was about 500 miles far away from the rest of the trees in the east so the blight didn’t reach them. When he bought the farm in 1952, he discovered the neatly-planted trees. Mr. Lunde told me that he was a farmer and not really interested in the chestnuts … but he nurtured and care for them for over 30 years. His trees became one of the main sources of American chestnut seeds.
THE REST OF THE STORY
There has been a determined effort to bring the American Chestnut back from extinction. In 1955 researchers from the US Department of Agriculture bought seeds from Einar Lunde. They were planted at Longenecker Horticultural Gardens and have grown and thrived. Sadly, Einar Lunde died a few months after we shot our story. His family gathered and sold chestnuts until 2009 when their trees were infected by the blight.
Since 1983 The American Chestnut Foundation has been working to restore the American chestnut to forests in the eastern USA. Through a combination of scientific research, traditional breeding and biotechnology they are creating hybrid trees that combine the blight resistant Chinese chestnut with the American chestnut. It won’t happen overnight, but one day we will see forests of American chestnut trees again. This story aired on WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News in 1979.
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Long before CNN and Fox News the Traveler series with Andy Johnston was an Emmy award winning program that showcased amazing people, unusual things, local legends, food finds, outdoor activities, folk art, and family fun. In 2022 the Walter J. Brown Media Archives at the University of Georgia founded The Original Georgia Traveler -- Andy Johnston Collection to preserve and maintain the stories.
The Traveler Series celebrates life and living in America in the 1970s. Nostalgia, small towns, traditional life and the good old days. The stories give us ways to compare then and now. Folklore, music, handcrafts, vanishing America and unusual people. Funny stories, personal stories and amazing people are in this collection.
This story is presented for educational and preservation purposes and is covered under Fair Use. At the time it was broadcast the television station had a blanket music license with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. The station maintains that license today. All music used is covered under that agreement.
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[@georgiatraveler]

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[@olskool3967]

i am in the lowcountry of SC, when i was a kid in the 60s my aunt had one in her back yard,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@georgiatraveler]

When I was a kid in north Georgia they were all gone.

[@Oliver66FarmBoy]

I’ve got one in my back yard I believe. Old lady I bought the farm from swears it’s an American chestnut. I’ve always been gonna get ahold of the American chestnut association and see if there was a way to confirm its not just an Asian chestnut. Been trying to get some seeds started but haven’t had any luck as of yet.

[@georgiatraveler]

You should check it out. The American Chestnut Foundation has a great site.