Mark Twain Stump

Sequoias are a marvel of nature. They’re some of the largest living beings on the planet, towering above every other type of tree. (A giant sequoia nicknamed General Sherman holds the title of the largest tree in the world by volume). Because these trees take millennia to grow, and only do so in very specific climates, many were skeptical that they even existed. One specific tree was chosen to aid with that in 1891.

It was a 300-foot (91-meter) giant sequoia called Mark Twain, after the American author. The tree stood at the edge of the then-new Sequoia National Park. With a trunk that measured 16 feet (4.9 meters) in diameter, Mark Twain was one of the last remaining giants in the grove. While felling trees in this area was not allowed at this point, an exception was made for this tree for scientific reasons. Namely, many people did not believe that a tree that large could actually exist.

Lumbermen cut down the tree, a job that took nearly two weeks. They prepared sections from the thickest part of the tree to be shipped out. One segment ended up in New York’s American Museum of Natural History, and the other was sent to the Natural History Museum in London. Both pieces are still on display, dispelling all doubt of the existence of sequoias. However, these two cuts are not the only remnants of the tree, as the stump that was left behind remains in its original location.

Equipped with a little staircase, the stump is a popular photo spot, as it is the most accessible of all the stumps in the area, as well as the biggest.