07/04/2026
Chris found this in our Front Tree Maple about 3 ~ 4 foot high in 2019. It took a little digging to get it out from the two merged trees on the side of the concrete Pad. The Maple is approximately 50 years old. Or at least its been there My whole Life.
There are so many Intresting Facts about this land. I'm trying to preserve the knowledge for My Grandkids ( 6th Generation ) if they are Interested.
Plus a lot of people over the years stop in to ask us Questions about this house & land.
Seeings How we believe that this was untouched land before we Great or Great Great Grandparents aquired the land even before Midland, existed. We are looking into exactly when Our Family settled here. I do know my lineage helped actually form Midland & was part of the officias setting up the area.
Initially this area settled in 1831 as a logging camp known as "The Forks". The area evolved over the decades, being established as the Village of Midland in 1858, officially incorporated as the Village of Midland City in 1869, and ultimately chartered as the City of Midland in 1887. We found records dating back that far for my Family Line, But its hard to find exact evidence before 1887.
Below is the Information We found out about the weird "rock", lol That turned out to be far more Interesting.
Finding this object nested inside a tree crotch provides a major clue that points to one of two fascinating explanations:
1. It is a "Yard Rock" or Token Swallowed by the TreeTrees frequently encompass external items over time through a growth process called compartmentalization.
Usally The Process is Decades ago, a previous landowner, a playing child, or a farmer likely picked up an unusual, deeply weathered flint nodule, agate, or fossilized bone segment from the ground and tucked it into the low fork of the young maple tree.
Seeings how we know the linage of this property and it was untouched we don't believe someone placed it there.
It's more likely as the maple expanded outwards, the wood slowly grew around and partially enveloped the stone, sealing it 3 feet up into the trunk until it was rediscovered.
We believe its more of a "Slime Flux" or Mineral Concretion Built by the Tree Alternatively, it could be an internal biochemical deposit created by the tree itself.
Tree crotches naturally accumulate pocketed rainwater, organic debris, and bacteria. When certain trees suffer internal wounds or experience bacterial infections like slime flux (wetwood), they "bleed" nutrient-dense sap.
As this alkaline, mineral-heavy fluid continuously seeps out into the stagnant water of the crotch and slowly evaporates over decades, it can precipitate out solid, highly irregular calcium carbonate (limestone) deposits that match the fluid, layered shapes seen on your object.
No Matter how it was formed, we get lots of cool rocks from here. 6 feet under us , as this land was an ancient sea bed. There is still an active underground stream. We pull up sea fossils & more. Great Sand Mounds & more. The well water here was the best Ive known. Unfortunately the well decayed the same year My Dad fell Ill. So he made the hard decision to tap into New City water coming past this land.
Unfortunately the city keeps creeping closer every few years.
We really hope the Grandkids get to enjoy at least a little Homestead Farm life before the City Swallows this land up.
Keep following us for More Interesting Facts & Finds & Ancient Knowledge handed down thru the Generations.
