As I pointed out, the southern sweet gum (red gum) is Liquidambar styraciflua, which is not a member of the poplar family. It grows to 100-150 feet and has been used for lumber.
Family Hamamelidaceae.

Locally sweet gum was popular for canoes; look at the other choices in the region- pine (not the good white of the north), poplar, and the heavier woods like oak and hardwoods- the latter good for cabinetry but harder to work as well as heavy). Linden is present on the east coast, but I don't think it would like the soils in the Tombigbee River area. Nowadays, however, the genus Plastica has taken over even here in the land of the birchbark canoe.

There are many poplars, genus Populus, Family Salicaceae. Poplar woods are mostly soft, formerly much used in North America in making boxes and toys.