"Tumult on the Mountain" written by Roy B. Clarkson is an excellent read if you'd like to understand what the eastern U.S. looked like back in the day. I read once in another book dating back the settlers, that a man could ride horseback from the Atlantic to the Mississsippi and not hit a tree limb.
There's some tree pictures from "Tumult on the Mountain" on this website:
http://www.patc.net/history/archive/virg_fst.html
Back on topic though:
Spotted Owl, Carolina Parakeet, Passenger Pigeon... taste like chicken.