Post Rock Limestone (Picture Heavy)

[Ramo]

Today was very warm for KS in December, so I decided to hunt an old quarry near my home. If any of you has driven across KS on I-70, I'm sure you noticed the limestone fence posts about 2/3 of the way across the state. Back when the area was settled, there were not many trees, so the pioneers here used a layer of limestone that is found close to the surface in this area to make fence posts. Many of these posts are still standing, as are many of the homes and buildings made around 1900 from this layer. Considering the rock is plentiful, and they are hard to move, almost every mile or so is an old quarry. Unfortunately most are overgrown and not much use to fossil hunters, but some are still in use. Here are a few pictures from the active one I visited today. Above the "post-rock" layer is the Fairport chalk. The picture with the orange container is what I collected in the Fairport, and the layer including the fence post limestone and below is the Pfeifer Shale. The picture with the blue container is from the Pfeifer shale. Those are typical finds in these layers.

I also included a very untypical find I picked up today at another location. A string of shark centrum, or I guess I should say a string of shark centrum impressions. Seems like most of the verts have eroded out. Now all I want to find the head of that shark! It was found where a bunch of rocks were dumped to stop erosion. Most likely it is from the Pfeifer, and most likely I won't find the rest of it.

Ramo

[obsessed1]

Thanks for the insitu shots. It looks like an interesting place to hunt and the preservation of te fossils is excellent.

[Bullsnake]

Interesting report, Ramo. And really cool finds.

I noticed all of the fenceposts I've seen have that darker streak down the middle of them, and always wondered how they could all look like that. Now seeing your quarry pic, it appears the limestone is relatively thin, but consistent with that darker layer sandwiched between the lighter ones.

Would that be correct?

[Xiphactinus]

Cool! I've seen hundreds of posts, but never one being quarried. Is that an old post being cut out or is that a new dig?

[Fossildude19]

Great report, Ramo!

Thanks for the site shots.

Regards,

[Ramo]

Yes Steve, All the posts are from the same layer. That dark streak varies in color across the range of the exposure, and the thickness varies as well. Most are around 8' thick. Most posts also have the dark streak running "with the fence" they are a little stronger that way as you would imagine. That is a "new" post being quarried. Most new ones are destined to be decorative yard art now days. They are just a little too hard to haul around compared to metal T-posts. I'll get some pictures together one of these days of some different uses of this layer of rock.

Ramo

[KansasFossilHunter]

Very cool! Great Ptychodus- thanks for posting.

[Scylla]

Thank you for posting this! After 9/11 I was stranded in Denver and a buddy of mine and I finally got a rental car and drove back to New York. I remember seeing those stone posts and wondering about them. Now I know.