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The Fossils of the Essex Quad in Kankakee/Grundy County Illinois


Joseph Fossil

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I've been recently trying to find some good places to go fossil hunting in the Mazon Creek area and there is one area some say is good but I've never heard or or been to before. It's called the Essex Quadrangle or Essex Quad in Kankakee County Illinois. It's supposed to be extremely close to the old Peabody coal company pit 15 and have fossils from the Essex Biota dating to around the Pennsylvanian period. 

 

https://isgs.illinois.edu/maps-data-pub/quads/e/essex.shtml

 

https://ilmineswiki.web.illinois.edu/index.php/0359

 

 

I'm wondering if anyone's heard of or been to the place before, what kind of fossils you can find there, and where is it?

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 A quadrangle or quad is a type of topographical map created  by the US Geological Survey- each has a name and covers a designated piece of land, and together they provide maps for the entire country. 
 

What you are seeing references to is the USGS 7.5 minute Essex quadrangle map, which covers a wide area that does include Pit 15, 13, and the famous Pit 11. So definitely a place to find Mazon Creek fossils! But much too broad of an area (like 50 square miles) to be useful for narrowing down specific locations to collect from. 
 

I applaud your continued research though, keep looking! 

Edited by deutscheben
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