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One of the trees down by the riverbank near my favorite fishing hole had big, heart-shaped leaves some 5-10" long. They grew in little clumps of three. Later in the summer, there would be long, cigar-shaped bean pods hanging from the tree, and all of us boys would go down there and climb up to pick them off. You slit them open, pull out the insect grubs that seemed to always be inside the pod, and threaded the grub on an Eagle Claw pattern, size 8 fish hook and uttering your own particular magical incantation before tossing it in the water. If your incantation was right, the grub turned into a bluegill. If you came up with a bare hook, other words were invoked.

Catalpa grows occasionally in TN and further north, but is really more common further south of us. The tree was formerly planted over a pretty wide area of the southern states because the wood is extremely rot-resistant. It was thought this would be a good source of railroad cross ties before creosote treating really got into common use. Catalpa makes poor ties, because the wood is relatively soft, weak, and not tough. The rails just wear huge grooves in the soft wood. It's a nice pale tan color, with a good looking annual ring pattern to the lumber. Some really nice outdoor furniture and fancy carvings that I've seen were catalpa. Trees will get 20-24" diameter. The national champion is in Illinois, 84" diameter, and 80' tall, so good sized boards can be found. A close comparison in woodworking qualities would be basswood. Catalpa will hold dimension well when properly dried, and is fairly easy to dry. Planing and sanding must be done carefully, to avoid fuzzing, and don't waste time trying to bend the wood.

Ant there's Those Days when I could easily wish to be under that tree down by the fishing hole, making magic chants again. But it's true, you can't go home again...somebody made a golf course there and cut our catalpa..The tree got the last laugh however. The groundskeeper still cusses at all the catalpa sprouts that keep poppin up on his greens...........

Bill Parrish