Naval stores: A history of an early industry created from the South's forests

Abstract

Naval stores are a nearly forgotten legacy in the South, but throughout history nations have depended on them, sought them out, and fought wars over these coniferous products. These products—tar, pitch, turpentine, and rosin—long kept the wooden navies of the world afoat and found many other uses prior to petrochemical dominance. Even with the decline in sailing ships, there has been an international demand for these products. This is the story of a remarkable, but messy, industry that helped support much of the South’s economy for nearly 400 years.

Keywords

Longleaf pine, naval stores, turpentining, forest products, southern pines.

Citation

Barnett, James P. 2019. Naval stores: A history of an early industry created from the South's forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-240. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 45 p.