The smell of the cedar when it cut is wonderful. That same smell serves to repel insects, and that's why cedar chests were often used to store clothes. Cedar wood was often used to frame closets, for the same reason.
The wood is decay-resistant and often used to make fence posts and pencils. The oil distilled from the wood is used in many toiletries.
Often the poor cedar tree looks distressed when compared to its more fecund neighbors, but it has an inner strength and beauty. It almost looks like a tree totally out of place when you find it in the woods.