MN Trilobite Found

[Oldkid]

Found and Lost

Years past, around 1965 I was 12 years old. My friends and I were on a day trip walking along the Straight River in Rice County by Faribault MN.

 I found a very large intact Trilobite on a larger piece of limestone. It was approx. 18 inches long and about 9 inches wide. But embedded in a slab way to large to carry.

We chipped the slab somewhat smaller but it was too large to hand carry along the riverbank. We managed to carry it about 100 feet but no more. I found a large tree with a hollow at the base. We put the Trilobite in the hollow and set some brush in front.

The next day we came back with a pack frame. As we got to the tree, we saw the brush was aside and inside the hollow was a metal hatchet. It was a nice hatchet but not as nice as the Trilobite. None of us had seen anyone else that day. Did someone watch us or was it just stumbled on.

We all were disappointed but learned a lot and had a good adventure. I've always wondered what happened to that Trilobite and where it is now.

Thought this might interest some.

[minnbuckeye]

That is one BIG trilobite!! Rice County is mostly sand and gravel from eskers of the  Des Moines lobe of  the Wisconsinan Glacier,  12,000-14,000 years ago. So finding such a specimen in your county is even more impressive. There is however a bit of Ordovician Platteville Formation that occurs and would would house trilobites. Isotelus trilobites are the likely type, seeing it was 18"long. 

 

 Mike

Edited September 18, 2022 by minnbuckeye