[Thunder Chicken]

Yes if the frost line is 36" go to 42" and pour the footing, then use a simpson strong tie set into the footing to accept the 4x4 or whatever you will use.

The wooden pillar can't be buried. He needs to pour the footing with some vertical rebar embedded in it, put a sonotube on the footing around the rebar that clears the surface by several inches, and fill that with concrete. Then he can embed a strong tie at the top of the filled sonotube to connect to the wooden pier.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

This is what your footing and pier should look like:

http://greatrailing.com/blog/a-footing-destined-to-fail/

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Who said anything about a buried pillar, and what exactly is the vertical rebar adding to this footing????

Yes if the frost line is 36" go to 42" and pour the footing, then use a simpson strong tie set into the footing to accept the 4x4 or whatever you will use.

Just clarifying the description for the OP so he doesn't use a buried post footing, which would be a bad idea for the OP but is done in some areas for decks. The footing is technically the bearing area at the bottom of the hole. The pier rests on top of the footing. Embedded rebar ties the two together.

This is a buried post footing, OP should absolutely not do this as the post will rot, whether it is pressure treated or not.

The OP needs to have a concrete pier on top of the footing that clears the free surface, then a wooden post can be attached with a strong tie.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Your over thinking this, dig a 42" deep hole and fill it with concrete to the top with a simpson tie embedded at the top, done and done.

Yes, agreed. I wasn't attacking what you suggested, just clarifying so the OP doesn't do a buried post.