 Within 40 years the nearly four-billion-strong American chestnut population in North America was devastated.—only a few clumps of trees remained in Michigan, Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest.Because of the disease, American chestnut wood almost disappeared from the market for decades, although it can still be obtained as reclaimed lumber.It is estimated that in some places, such as the Appalachian Mountains, one in every four hardwoods was an American chestnut.