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1908 Cretaceous of Montana
The party consisted of Barnum Brown, Peter Kaisen, chief assistant, and C. H. Lambert, cook and teamster. They left Miles City June 8th, traveled northward on the Jordan stage road as far as Roberts ranch, then down the You All Creek to Little Dry and down this stream to the Big Dry. They located the first camp on the old Gruell place. Many fragments were found, but nothing worth collecting. An extensive pocket of fossils was found on the West side of the Big Dry above the mouth of Lone Tree Creek, and a camp was established at Mr. Twitchel's ranch on June 16th. In his pasture a well preserved Trachodon was found embedded in a sandstone concretion. It was worked on for nearly a week, no skull was found, so it was left after covering it in case it might be wanted in the future. On July 1st Brown relocated a specimen found and left in 1906. 8 miles below camp. This proved to be a mixed quarry, containing bones of several individuals. There were 3 Trachodon femora of different sizes and an Ornithomimus femur and other bone fragments. On the way back to camp found 4 weathered out caudal vertebrae in position, running into the side of a sandstone hill. Near the top of the basal sandstone division. This specimen was found on a short tributary 1 mile East of the Big Dry, about 30 miles South of the Missouri River. Preliminary work soon showed 15 vertebrae in place, with more showing in the bank, increasing in size. Camp was moved to this specimen and they began to work with plow, scraper and dynamite on July 6th. Most of the dirt covering the specimen was removed within a week. They were able to outline the complete vertebral column with pelvis, connected and lying on its right side. The ribs of the right side were in position, while those on the upper, left side were scattered, but all were recovered. The skull and jaws had drifted and lay embedded in a concretion near the pelvis. No limbs were found. As soon as the bulk of the dirt was removed, Kaisen worked in the quarry continuously, aided by the cook, Gus Johnson, who was followed by Charles Mason and Al Laddonett. The bones and work on these specimen, a Tyrannosaurus, was completed Sept. 11th when camp was moved to the Willis ranch.
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