This morning, Monk Creek Wood Works in Iowa received and offloaded the country’s largest collection of Cedar of Lebanon logs. There is a sacred and patriotic history associated with these trees. They came from the birthplace of America. They were planted before the Civil War by freedom-loving, Bible-reading Quakers who lived about 20 miles from the Liberty Bell. Over the course of nearly two centuries, hundreds of marriages were performed under its branches in one of America’s most beautiful forests. The life of this Cedar of Lebanon connects to the birth of our country and to our love of all things that are from the Bible. We are happy that the tree is now in a place where every log, every limb and every piece of saw dust will be valued and cherished.

In terms of sawmills, Monk Creek Wood Works is one of the best in the country. The Phoenician Ship Museum is nearby. The workers at the mill are ready to assist us with the reconstruction of the ship deck. Hundreds of Americans will want to come just to see the special qualities of the cedar. As part of the world’s oldest ship replica that crossed the Atlantic, we have a number of ideas on how to promote the Cedar of Lebanon.

We have big plans for the summer of 2023. We invite you and your family to Montrose, Iowa where you will be able to see what we are doing with the restoration of the world’s oldest ship replica that connects people from the Old to the New Worlds.