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Dr. Peter Buckholtz, Museum Curator, on an inspection of Rochester Shale, easily accessible along the north side of the canal locks area in Lockport, just east of the locks. The stone removed from this cut was moved to an area near the NYS Drydock area, in Lowertown. Prime specimens are usually not found this easily today in this area. However, in making just a cursory search, Buckholtz recovered a small fossil sample in a matter of minutes.
Our Museum's Consulting Paleontologist, John Keyrk, is pictured below bringing back two choice rock samples, loaded with fossils off Niagara Street in Lockport. This area, a "mother lode" for fossil hunters for forty years, is along the side of the Somerset Railroad tracks as they cross Niagara Street. The rocks collected are both from the Clinton Limestone formation. The larger sample was washed and is pictured in our museum rock gallery.
Even though he has lived in Michigan for many years, Keryk knows the Niagara Frontier rock scene like the back of his hand. He comments, "after 300 million years, not much really changes in only 20." He supervised an up-date survey of current rock, mineral, and fossil conditions in the Niagara Frontier in preparation for the opening of the Lockport Cyber Museum in August 1999.
Specimens found in the field, or acquired from other collectors are brought in for cleaning, cataloging, and storage. When necessary chemical tests can be made or close examination under one of two special microscopes can be preformed. An extensive collection of reference books and years of experience help your volunteer museum staff put together the story and identification associated with each exhibit. Marvin Hess (left) and Peter Buckholtz are shown conferring below about the catalog placement for a newly acquired (old) specimen.
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