Pitch pine trees have a well-earned place in American history as a useful building material, thanks to the wood's high pitch content, which makes it resistant to decay. It has been one of the main choices for use in constructing radio towers and has found its way into the building of ships and railroad ties, as well as the making of tar and turpentine. The tree also has storied medicinal uses—the Iroquois tribes of the Northeast used it for its various healing purposes, including making poultices for wounds, burns, and joint pain. Given that it is a fairly soft wood (yet mostly waterproof), it was also used for carvings and canoe making by various Native American tribes.