1898
- 2nd Expedition for dinosaurs Jurassic of Wyoming. At the close of the previous season H. W.
Menke was left in winter quarters in Aurora to look after the outfit, as well as examine the "Mammal dirt"
that had been transported there. Before winter set in, he also took short exploratory trips and located
additional specimens for work in the coming season. Early in April Dr. Wortman left the museum with
Mr. Norman Grant, a volunteer member of the expedition. They examined some "finds" in St. Louis,
which proved to be of little value. Another matter also claimed their attention. Dr. Scheffner of Hay
Springs had given a tooth to Mr. Granger in 1897, which had come from skull that seemed to be a man.
It had been found by parties digging a well. Originally it had been in a fair state of preservation, but
subsequently broken up and the pieces carried away by various people. Dr. Wortman and Mr. Grant joined
Albert Thomson in Nebraska, where he was waiting with the outfit. The party proceeded to Hay
Springs; they attempted to locate additional human remains, but without success. They continued on
to Aurora, arriving in the later part of May. Mr. Granger had gone directly to Aurora camp where he
and Mr. Menke began work in the middle of April. In early June the entire party moved to the Little
Medicine to prospect the finds made in this region previously. On June 12th a rich strike was made in
opening "Bone Cabin Quarry". This is where the larger part of the years collection was secured. The
work was arduous and additional help was needed. P. Kaisen was engaged at the end of June. The
party stayed here until the close of the field season on October 1st. Museum Expedition into Kansas,
Nebraska and Colorado. The object of this expedition was to obtain fossil mammals from the Miocene and
Oligocene badlands. The field party consisted of W. D. Matthew, Barnum Brown, H. T. Martin and Thos.
Maxwell, teamster. Starting form Elcader on the Smoky Hill River on June 1st , we explored for 3
weeks in the upper Miocene beds in NW Kansas and SW Nebraska, mostly near Sappa and Driftwood
Creeks, tributaries of the Republican River. The area had been worked out by previous explorers.
We, therefore, moved westward, and in the last week of June began exploring the Oligocene and Miocene
badlands of NE Colorado. The region we found to be rich collecting beds was around the heads of
Lewis, Cedar, Horsetail and Pawnee Creeks. Beginning with Lewis Creek where exposures start, we
explored beyond Pawnee Buttes; beyond this fossil beds were nearly all eroded away. Dr. Matthew
returned to the museum the last week of July, leaving Mr. Brown to conduct the party for the rest of the
season.
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