I have read many pages in the journal of Oliver Ames, North Easton shovelmaker, 1779-1863. He was always on the lookout for a good swamp oak out of which to make helves (shafts) for
the water-powered triphammers which pounded out his shovels.
He made it a point of recording when they were put in, and when they wore out. At one point, one of his son sends up a nice trunk of swamp oak that he came across in New Jersey.

Dwight