Wood ID help please

[MidwestMan]

Need help identifying this wood. I'm near Chicago, and my friend had a tree sliced up into 1 to 3 foot sections that fell on his property. He called me late one day and offered all I wanted from it. So, I took 3 sections.

I didn't think at the time, to grab a leaf sample, so I don't have that. When I was there, I was convinced it was a walnut tree, because of the dark heartwood and very light sapwood.

But I must be wrong, because the heartwood is much lighter now and I don't know why.

1 of the 3 pieces that I have, was a big diameter trunk (17" diameter). The bark on it is very thick, around 1.25" thick. I sliced the big log into 3 sections (lengthwise). The photos below, show it all. The wood has no noticeable smell (to me). The end grain is non descriptive. Not very pourous.

I sprayed water on the 2nd cross section photo. At the end I made a little bowl from this wood. (wet bowl)

Although the end grain is painted, I just wanted to show the log.
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[Arlin Eastman]

The inside looks like Elm to me but I do not remember what the bark looks like.  I have enough of it on the property but ??????

[MidwestMan]

Hi Arlin, the bark is real thick, as the photos show. strange thin strips of dark material on the bark made removing the bark very easy. By the way Arlin, good article in Woodsmith.

[MichaelMouse]

Hi Arlin,  the bark is real thick, as the photos show. strange thin strips of dark material on the bark made removing the bark very easy. By the way Arlin, good article in Woodsmith.

Looks a lot like the willow I've turned, but you didn't curse the fuzzy grain, so maybe that's not it.  I turned a bunch bark on, with that thick bark, and they sold themselves.  

So my guess is willow/cottonwood family.

[MidwestMan]

I've turned Willow before, and it did remind me of it, but the nice light brownish Heartwood doesn't seem like the Willow I knew. I turned the bowl semiwet. It didn't spit water even though it was only a month after felling.

[MidwestMan]

And the fuzzies was only a little.

[Gary G™]

Cottonwood is my first best guess

[Timberwolf]

Cottonwood is my first best guess

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Same here Gary....The bark is key here...and it sure looks like cottonwood to me...If it is, the bark is worth more than the wood...Lots of it sold on Ebay for big money..Carvers love it.

[MidwestMan]

Thanks Gary, I think you're onto something. Photos that I've seen online look like it.

[MidwestMan]

Wow.... I've been tossing the bark into the garbage.