American chestnut Puns

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I'm under the impression that chestnuts weren't just a snack, but a staple for part of the year. When the chestnut trees died, did people starve? How integral were these trees in the economy/diet? Was it a big deal when they vanished?

Is planting an American Chestnut in the US a futile endeavor, even if it’s outside of its native range?

I'm looking to get myself some American Chestnut saplings. I've been growing trees by pot for both transplant and bonsai with increasing success over the last 15 or so years.

I've successfully grown (with various amounts of attempts) Buckeyes, Beech, Sequoia, Oak, Wisteria (I know not a tree), Baobob, Joshua, etc. Exotic/rare trees interest me a lot.

I'd love to buy a few established American Chestnut saplings for Bonsai and planting in my yard. Has anyone done either of these and have any advice or insight?

How serious of a concern is the blight, in particular for the yard trees?

I live in central Ohio FYI.

I found a chestnut tree big enough to have chestnuts about 25 years ago in an east Memphis neighborhood. Since then I have found 6 more, most in the older parts of town and some of them are quite large. The first one I found had obviously died and grew back from the stump once or twice or 15 times. I harvested some nuts from the sidewalk and street and eventually gave some to my uncle who planted them at his place about an hour south of Memphis, he now has a tree that bears nuts of its own. I've been in the woods a lot in west Tennessee, a bit the Ozarks and a little in the Smokies and never seen a chestnut, only in the city. I'm now in the process of growing some from seed out at my farm. Have any of you had similar observations of chestnut trees?

I'm under the impression that chestnuts weren't just a snack, but a staple for part of the year. When the chestnut trees died, did people starve? How integral were these trees in the economy/diet? Was it a big deal when they vanished?