1906
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The Warren Collection, including the famous Warren Mastodon skeleton, added about 400
specimens to the collection. This was a gift from J. Pierpont Morgan. A mastodon and a tortoise, both
from Kansas was purchased from C. H. Sternberg. A rhinoceros and crocodilian skeleton from the Big
Badlands of SD were purchased from H. F. Wells. Specimens of Devonian fish were purchased from
Dr. W. Kepler. The Expedition of 1906 to the Wyoming Eocene, by Walter Granger. Mr. Granger was
in charge of the party. Mr. Paul C. Miller of the museum was his assistant and George Olsen of Laramie,
WY was Cook and teamster . Mr. Granger and Miller arrived in Fort Bridger on June 9th. They were met by
Mr. Olsen, who had gotten the outfit ready and done some collecting on Little Dry Creek. One June 19th
the outfit left the Taylor ranch for Bear River. The first working camp was established on Stowe Creek,
between Knight station on the U.P.R.R. and Bear River, some 10 or 11 miles SE of Evanston. After a
weeks work at the camp the party returned to the Bridger Basin and stopped 2 days at Mountain View.
From June 25th to July 5th a camp was maintained on Cottonwood Creek about 3 miles below Henry's
Fork stage road. This was followed by 6 days at Butcher's Knife Spring and 5 days at Antelope Spring
(between Butcher Knife and Meadow Spring)..From July 17th to 21st work was carried out in the vicinity of
Granger from a camp on the edge of town and on July 22nd the Bridger Basin was left for good. Following
the railroad the party proceeded eastward and entered Washakie Co. by way of Bitter Creek on July 27th.
Working camps were made at the old Kinney ranch, Shell Creek (10 miles below Kinney ranch), Le
Clede Springs, Overland Trail, 5 miles E of Le Clede station where the trail goes through the Lower
Brown sandstone, and lastly along the same Trail about a mile W of Tadpole Station. On Oct. 8th camp
was broken up for the season. Mr. Olsen returned to the museum with the rest of the party. Expedition
of 1906 to the Montana Laramie, by Barnum Brown. The party with Barnum Brown in charge, Peter
Kaisen assistant and Edward Triel teamster continued exploration in the Hell Creek region. Leaving
Miles City on June 12th followed the stage road and after 6 days of travel established camp near Oscar
Hunter's ranch on Crooked Creek, close to the Claosaurus skeleton purchase from the Sensiba
brothers. The specimen includes the vertebral column complete except for the tip of the tail, with ribs and
pelvis complete. The only limb bone is a rt. femur. The skull and jaws was separated and scattered before
fossilization. Both jaws and the dentigerous portion of the skull, malar and predentary were recovered. It
took 3 weeks to excavate and box this specimen. While working on this specimen, several other were
located. Another partial Claosaurus, due to difficult matrix, the limbs were collected and vertebrae left. A
complete Trionyx was found nearby as well as a humerus and femur of an Orrnithomimus and an important
layer of mammal paydirt was collected and screened. An important claosaur skeleton was found near
the Cook ranch on Crooked Creek, and camp was moved near it. This has a large section of skin
impression on the distal end of the tail. The last camp was on Gilbert Creek. A reconnaissance was
made about 70 miles W to Seven Blackfoot Creek. The country is so precipitous that it is impossible to
prospect most of it. No vertebrates were found but a fine collection of leaves were found on the head
waters of Smoke Butte Creek in the Fort Union beds. At Gilbert Creek a young claosaur (duck-bill
dinosaur) was found , as well as vertebrae and ribs of a ceratopsian. Another rich mammal locality was
found with several teeth, limb bones and interesting reptile remains. Owing to the rainy weather and in
order to prospect some localities noted by Dr. Leonard south of Miles City, the season was closed at
the end of September. Mr. Kaisen returned to New York, as soon as the collection was stored in Miles
City. 33 boxes of fossils will make a full half box car. Brown prospected the country south of Miles
City. Some fossils were located near Newberry's ranch on Spring Creek and good country was noted on
the head of Black-tail and Alkali creeks. Expedition of 1906 to the Miocene on Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation, SD., by Albert Thomson. Thomson reached Rapid City on June 4th. On June 14th Dr. W.
D. Matthew joined the party and Mr. Halisey was hired as cook and teamster. Entering the Pine Ridge
Reservation on the divide between Cheyenne and White Rivers, they crossed the White River and followed
up Wounded Knee Creek for a distance of 29 miles where they made their first camp in the Miocene
beds. They spent 4 days collecting with good results. They then moved camp to Porcupine Creek
near Porcupine P. O. where they remained until the end of the season. With a light team and wagon they
were able to work the country around for a radius of 20 miles. During the early part of the season, good
luck was with them and they came across nearly all the good pockets in the Upper and Lower Rosebud
beds. On July 26th Dr. Matthew returned to New York City. Mr. W. K. Gregory of the AMNH joined the
party on Aug. 1st and remained until the close of the season.
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