Native Americans and early settlers alike found a great many uses for the spruce. The roots of young trees were used as cords, often lacing together canoes. Early chewing gum was made from spruce resin, and non-alcoholic spruce beer was flavored with budding leaves. Medicines were made from spruce bark and resins, and today, as in the past, the sounding boards of many a cherished piano or violin have been fashioned from spruce. In war as well as peace, spruce has served America well, with its strong, light wood being used in World War II airplanes. The creamy variety is lightweight and pliable, making it suitable for crates, construction lumber and millwork. Sitka spruce wood: The bear claw patterned lumber glues and finishes nicely. These spruces are used for crates, boxes, millwork, masts for boats, spars in aircraft, wind turbine blades, musical instruments and sound equipment. Black spruce wood: The creamy spruce is slightly resistant to decay and is lightweight. It’s typically inexpensive and used for millwork, paper pulp, construction lumber and crates. Red spruce wood: Locally-sourced red spruce is affordable and is used for Christmas trees, musical instruments, construction lumber, crates and making round timber. Spruce trees first started growing in this area around the year 1911. Full grown spruce trees can reach heights of ninety to 135 feet tall with widths of twenty to thirty feet. What makes spruces unique is that each needle grows out of the branch from a strong, woody peg.