My family has this legend that an ancestor cut down the tree used for the USS Constitutions’ mast. (Thomas Cooper was a lumberjack in Maine). I’m a little skeptical, because I can see how this story started as, “he was AT the same logging camp as the tree was cut down,” to “he actually cut down the tree.” I’ve done some checking and I found that “Thomas Cooper and a man named Gray” cut the tree, according to the USS Constitution museum website. This follows the legend to the letter, but I'd still like something more concrete for the family. Especially my grandma, who did all the ancestry.com work. Thanks! Edit: Grandma says names are Sgt Jessie (Thomas) Cooper and Samuel Grey.