FOSSILS, HOOKER AND CHERRY COUNTIES

by Claudia Tompkins

Entry T93 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Ranch R/M Oil Well on W.R. Machlan's 1952

The first recorded remains of fossil ele-
phants in Nebraska were found in 1857 near
what is now Mullen, Nebraska. (a newspaper
clipping with no identification or date on it
but stated the fact was from UNL Newslet-
ter.)

January 25, 1918 the local newspaper
stated: " . . . each succeeding day seems to
bring new glory to someone, and now we are
told that millions in riches that has laid
hidden in south Hooker County all these
years has been opened up within the grasp of
Tom Quinn in rich deposits of potash in a lake
situated on his land. Recent analysis of its
waters show a 10 percent solid . . . With the
discovery of so much wealth so near at hand
comes much speculative talk as to the best
means of taking care of it. Plans are being
made for a large refining plant and many
believe Mullen is the proper place to locate
it. Mr. Quinn sees the advantage of being
connected up with a main line of railroad
rather than depending on the extension of the
Stapleton branch to build into south Hooker
County, and if proper financial inducement
is forthcoming, here is very likely where the
plant will be located and a pipe line laid to
the lakes for conveying the raw material to
this point." (With the war ending this did not
materialize)

March 29, 1929 Hooker County Tribune
had an article as follows "While trailing along
the forks of the North Loup river a few days
ago, Mach Carrier's curiosity became aroused
when he sighted an unusually large bone
extending from a gyp bed. After discovering
the object to be of stone, he set about digging
and when he quit the job, he had several fine
specimens of what is believed to be the frame
of a mastadon or some other prehistoric
monster. On account of much frost being in
the ground, Mr. Carrier had considerable
difficulty in resurrecting the ten specimens
he brought to this office last Saturday to be
placed on display, but there are yet many
specimens in the gyp bank that could be
removed at a later time. A pair of tusks are
among the display, thus indicating they likely
are part of the defense apparatus of a
mastadon that roamed this section thousands
of years ago. George Griffith informs us that
he made a similar find in a sand bank in E.P.
Ericksen pasture ten miles northwest of
Mullen last summer."

In July of 1939, a part of scientists from the
University of Nebraska Museum headed by
C. Bertrand Schults, Assistant Director, were
in Mullen and vicinity and spent sometime
at the sand and gravel pit on the McCully and
Bramer ranch just north of town on the
Middle Loup River, where they found a
number of fossilized bones, among them
being parts of the skeleton of an ancient
camel. From Mullen the party went to Erik,
located about 7 miles northwest of Mullen, in
answer to a letter telling them of a fossil
deposit. They found quite a large bed of
fossils on the ranch belonging to Mr. Mona-
han. Before leaving town Mr. Schults stated
that if permission could be secured from Mr.
Monaham permitting them to excavate these
fossils, that a field party would be sent to the
ranch and would probably spend several
weeks there in removing those fossils. Mr.
Schults mentioned that a great wealth of
fossilized material of scientific value was to
be found in this vicinity. (in part from a
Hooker County Tribune)

In the spring of 1952, an oil company
drilled for oil on the R/M Ranch, that of W.R.
Machlan 10 miles southeast of Mullen. This
lasted for several weeks until they struck
granite. The hole was plugged and the rig
removed. There have been other wells tried
but seem to have the same result. It was said
this was the first oil well rig brought into
Hooker County, which did bring out many
spectators.