Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 1

Rocky Mountain Federation News

May 2018 Volume 49, Issue 5

The official publication of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. The RMFMS is a regional member of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and is issued monthly (except June and July). It is a privilege of membership of the RMFMS and cannot be exchanged by the editor for individual club newsletters from other regional federations. www.rmfms.org Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 2

Contents From the Editor

From the Editor ...... 2 Did you just go on the best field trip ever? Did you just finish polishing that amazing piece of Affiliations ...... 2 petrified wood? Did your favorite Pebble Pup Letter from the President – May 2018 ...... 3 just get 1st place at the science fair for their Treasurer’s Report for the 2018 Convention .... 5 geology project? Tell us all about it and send a photo if you have one! Wyoming’s Rockhounds of the Year ...... 5 Obsidian ...... 6 Please submit your contributions for the next issue by June 10th to [email protected]. Heading to RMFMS: Exploring the Black Hills with George Custer ...... 10 Heather Woods, PG RMFMS Convention and Show ...... 18 April/May Upcoming Shows and Events ...... 26 Affiliations Show Flyers ...... 27 RMFMS Board and Committees...... 32 The Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies (RMFMS) is a member

of the American Federation of Mineralogical Cover photo courtesy and copyright of Erin Societies (AFMS). Delventhal of the San Juan County Gem and

Mineral Society. “Traylor Headframe at the Kelly Mine, Magdelena District, Socorro County, New Mexico” Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 3

Letter from the President – May 2018 By Liz Thomas Wow, all the shows everywhere can make a person dizzy trying to figure out which direction to travel. And travel, my husband Ben and I have been doing a lot of it this year. A week in Quartzsite, Arizona in January; Kansas City, Missouri show in March; The American Federation for a week in Raleigh, North Carolina in April; Wichita, Kansas show in April; Tulsa, Oklahoma show in July, RMFMS show/convention in Rapid City, South Dakota in July for a week; Moab, Utah show in October for a week, and a lot of shows I will attend throughout the year. Then I looked at next year’s calendar and see I will be traveling even more. I sure am glad I have a very understanding husband that loves the hobby as much and even more than I do. He tells me all the time he is my Uber driver.

I cannot say enough about our vice‐president, Bob Regner. He is a very busy and talented man. I hope you all read his article in last month’s newsletter. It was amazing and interesting. He is very eager to help in any way he can with the Federation. When I need advice, he is a great person to bounce things off of. He helps with my decisions and answers my questions with thought out answers. Thank you, Bob, for being a great Vice‐President and friend. And he has a most awesome partner in his wife, Donna. Not only is she beautiful outside, she is inside as well. She is a rock hound and will get just as dirty as the rest of us.

I hope everyone got the list of the field trips for the convention in Rapid City, South Dakota. Two days prior to the show and two days after the show filled with field trips. I am in heaven. And there could be more offered. Which way are we going to decide will be difficult for me. Here is the list:

Field Trips for the 2018 Show - Here are four planned trips. There should be more forthcoming as we move closer to the show date.

Wednesday July 18, 2018 – Antelope Ridge This is an easy walking area and is very accessible from the road. You will find sponge coral on this field trip. Departure time to be determined.

Thursday July 19, 2018 – Black Hills National Forest / Hill City area This field trip is centered around the Hill City region. It consists of two parts where each part explores distinct geological activity all within several mile radius. The region is in close proximity to Mount Rushmore National Park; the trip locations, however, are located with the Black Hills National Forest. The first stop will be Blackberry Trail. This is a contact metamorphic region where most of the Cambrian rock has been upthrust and metamorphosed through heat and pressure. One should expect to find pyrite, feldspar, mica schist, mica and biotite as well as some other metamorphic materials along a stream bed. The trails are somewhat rugged. Hiking boots and jeans suggested. The second stop will be sand caves. Aptly, no formal name for the spot, but a favorite where trilobites of Cambrian origin can be found. This was a site intended to mine fracking sand, however, the sand particles did not meet the specifications and tunneling was discontinued. Several short, interconnected caves are present and some rough terrain hiking can be had. Hiking boots and jeans suggested; bring a high intensity flashlight for photography. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 4

The rally point will be the Civic Center parking lot 0800. Expect to depart by 0830. Maps will be handed out prior to departing.

Monday July 23, 2018– Railroad Butte/Farmingdale Farmingdale is about 25 minutes east of Rapid City and is part of the National Grasslands recreation areas. You will be able to find agates (prairie agates and possibly one of those illusive Fairburn agates), coral, petrified wood, chalcedony and other treasures. The area is accessible by car, but if the weather has been on the wet side, you will want to make sure that you keep your vehicle on the trails or in the gravel parking areas. Since this area is prairie and our summers can be quite warm, remember to bring water for drinking and a spray bottle with sufficient water to bring out the ‘color’ in your finds. Sturdy shoes and jeans are also recommended because there can be knee high grass and the slithery creatures that reside in the grasslands. We will meet at the Civic Center at 8am and depart at 8:30am. Maps will be provided at the Civic Center on the day of the field trip. If you have a smart phone and would like to download a map of the National Grasslands area, download the “Avenza” app and download the Buffalo Gap NG – Fall River Ranger District MVUM map.

Tuesday July 24, 2018 – Conata Some of the things you will be able to find on the field trip to Conata Basin are prairie agates, petrified wood, Fairburn agates, coral and a lot of other beautiful rocks. Meeting time has not been determined. More information forthcoming.

Be safe and Be kind to the land Bring water to drink, food to eat, chairs to rest, sunscreen to not burn, tools, buckets and anything else you might need.

One very important thing, if your club does not have a representative attending the convention, please print off the proxy, fill it out and send it to me or give it to someone that is going to the convention so that we will have a quorum as well as your club has a say on the votes. If you have any questions on this, please ask. You will find all the forms for the show on our website under shows. I truly hope you or someone from your club will get to join us in South Dakota.

Thank you Liz Thomas Rocky Mountain Federation Mineralogical Society President

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Treasurer’s Report for the 2018 Convention By Gene Maggard, RMFMS Treasurer RMFMS ended fiscal year 2016‐17 with 78 member clubs and a total individual membership of 10,577 members, an increase of about 700 members. There was not just a few clubs that accounted for the increase membership. Although some clubs lost members, the general trend continued to be increasing membership in many clubs for fiscal year 2016‐17. We have one club from 2016‐17 that has decided not to renew their RMFMS membership for fiscal year 2017‐18. We have 78 member clubs in RMFMS for fiscal year 2017‐18. Individual membership numbers turned out better than I expected. We have 9,680 dues paying members this year compared to 9,685 last year. Total membership is 10,680 this year compared to 10,577 last year. A first half fiscal year 2017‐18 financial report will be distributed by email to all clubs prior to the July convention. Most income and expenses for 2017‐18 have already occurred and there are no big surprises. About the only remaining expenses will be associated with the convention and will be reflected in the annual report at the end of the year.

Wyoming’s Rockhounds of the Year By Stan Strike, RMFMS Wyoming State Director Bob Carlson Jr. was nominated as the Riverton Mineral & Gem Society’s Club Rockhound of the Year and was selected as Wyoming’s 2017 State Rockhound of the Year. Bob is the field trip coordinator for the RMGS and also belongs to the Natrona County Rockhounds. He coordinates between RMGS and the Natrona club to organize combined club field trips each year. Bob loves to share his rock collection, especially with kids. He always has a pocket of polished rocks and gives them to children and visiting persons. Bob has an opal mine which he opens up collecting for club members. He practices Project HELP to the letter, in that he respects and teaches others the use of the land, its ownership, and the joy of the outdoors. Bob participates in all of the club’s activities including the annual show. He is the most personable person in our club in that he makes everyone feel welcome and is the first one to help if someone needs it. Bob Carlson Jr. is a major part of the backbone of our club. Other Wyoming Club Rockhounds of the Year are: * Roger McMannis‐Sublette Couny Rock Hounds * Linda Thomas‐ Shoshone Rock Club * Stan Strike‐Cody Fifty‐Niners Rock Club

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Obsidian By Lawrence H. Skelton, Wichita Gem & Mineral Society Obsidian, named for the ancient Roman Obsidian artifacts dated at 13,000 B.C. were explorer, Obsius (according to Pliny the Elder) found in the Franchthi Cave on the Bay of Argos was first brought to Rome from Ethiopia. Pliny in Greece. Obsidian has been traced to Melos, (A.D. 23 – 79) very likely erred by repeating local the volcanic, southwestern‐most island of the “stories” since obsidian was known and used in Cyclades. Theophrastus (Ca. 371 – 287 B.C.) the Mediterranean area during the Neolithic wrote about obsidian and was aware of its Period (6000 – 3000 B.C.). Four sources of sources on Melos and Lipari. Obsidian artifacts obsidian available to and used by Italian tribes throughout the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon and during Neolithic time were southern Sardinia, the Tigris‐Euphrates area) originated in volcanic Palmarola, the second largest of the Pontine zones in east, west and central Turkey. The islands, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Roman, Obsius, whoever he was, likely west coast of Italy between Rome and Naples discovered obsidian in the same manner that and Lipari in the Aeolian Islands off the former Vice‐President Al Gore discovered the northeast coast of Sicily. Pantelleria, an island in internet. the strait between Sicily and Tunisia, North What about obsidian had made it such an Africa has been occupied since the Neolithic and attractive material for thousands of years? is another source of anciently used obsidian. Simply, it is available from volcanic areas throughout the world, it is easy to knap or grind, and can be knapped to a razor‐sharpness. An extrusive, igneous rock, obsidian is comprised of 70% or more silica (SiO2), 12% or so of aluminum oxides and 5% or so of calcium and/or potassium oxides (essentially feldspar minerals) that is, a composition like granite or rhyolite. When it is formed, obsidian is molten and quickly cools to form a glass. Glass lacks any crystalline structure, essentially being a super‐cooled liquid. Such material allows the very slow movement of atoms over time to form a better organized, crystalline‐like order. As a result, no discovered obsidian deposits are older than the Tertiary Era and according to studies at Oregon State University, obsidian exceeding twenty million years old is rare. Since it is a rock and lacks a definite chemical composition (compared to a mineral), obsidian’s physical characters vary: its hardness is “around” five and its specific gravity ranges from about 2.33 to Figure 1. Obsidian knife blade 2.47. Obsidian is brittle and possesses Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 7

conchoidal fracture. Its principle colors are contraction results in the rock fracturing in black and mahogany‐ red, often occurring concentric, “onion‐like” layers. Rounded to together. Other colors are blue, purple and spherical nodules of unaltered obsidian remain green. Some is iridescent. Being an igneous, surrounded by perlite when cooling is extrusive rock, the lava from which it is made completed. Subsequent weathering and erosion flows in layers. Resultant flow lines are visible in of perlite mass frees the obsidian. Such obsidian thin slices. When sliced at different angles, the nodules, also known as marekanite nodules flow lines create some interesting patterns. As (from an occurrence along the Marekanka River it cools from a molten stage, escaping gases and near Okhotsk, Siberia, in Peru, in the Hrazdan water vapor form and leave lithophysae, round River valley in Armenia, in western United to ovoid bubbles, to be filled with cristobalite (a States and Sonora and Chihuahua states in high temperature, tetragonal polymorph of Mexico. Many of the Apache tears on the quartz) and alkali feldspar. The result is American market originate in Pinal and snowflake obsidian. Maricopa Counties, Arizona.

Figure 2. Obsidian showing conchoidal fracture Figure 3. “Red & Black” obsidian

Apache tears, obsidian nodules, weather out of As noted, obsidian has been used by humans for deposits of perlite. Perlite, like obsidian, is a at least 15,000 years. Arrow points, spear glassy igneous rock containing from two to four points, knives, scrapers and, more recently, percent water (compared to obsidian’s 0.3 surgical scalpels are among its many uses. percent). It is thought to be formed by Flaked edges are sharper than the most finely‐ alteration and hydration of obsidian probably honed steel. Because it is readily polished, it has during the cooling stage. During cooling, been used as a mirror since antiquity. An Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 8

obsidian mirror dated to ca. 6000 B.C. was found Obsidian occurs in volcanic areas throughout the at Çatal Hüyük, Turkey. Such mirrors were used world. Most of the western states of the United also by ancient Greeks, Egyptians and in States are listed as sources. Review of Mesopotamia. The Aztecs of Mexico used worldwide distribution listed by the internet obsidian for mirrors and other implements. One mineral lexicon, Mindat.org©, identifies more use was for scrying or “crystal gazing.” John Dee, than twenty sources and provides references for astrologer for Queen Elizabeth I used an each. Obsidian even is found in Victoria Land, obsidian mirror brought back from Mexico in Eastern Antarctica. Uncut obsidian, mostly from order to read the future. A modern use is using American and Mexican retail sources listed on depth of hydration of obsidian artifacts to the internet ranges from $3.00 to $10.00 per determine approximate dates of manufacture. pound. Fancy varieties such as green, blue or A fresh obsidian surface on a newly knapped iridescent are somewhat more expensive. object absorbs moisture at a constant rate. Health agencies warn to avoid “dry cutting” Combined with a method of mass spectrometry, obsidian because its dust, if inhaled, may cause thickness of a hydrated rind can be measured silicosis. and a date for the previously new surface determined.

Figure 4. Thin slab of obsidian showing flow marks

References

Astruc, L., Vargiolu, R., Ben Tkaya, M. et al., 2011. Multiscale tribological analysis of the technique of manufacture from Aşikli Höyük (Aceramic Neolithic, Central Anatolia): Journal of Archaeological Science, V.38, No. 12, p. 3415‐3424. Bates, R. L., 1960. Geology of the Industrial Rocks and Minerals: New York, Harper & Brothers. Chataigner, C., Poidevin, J.L. & Arnaud, N.O. , 1998. Turkish occurrences of obsidian and use by prehistoric peoples in the Near East from 14,000 to 6000 B.C: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, V. 85, p.517‐537. Ericson, J.E., Makishima, A., MacKenzie, J.D. et al., 1975. Chemical and physical properties of obsidian: a naturally occurring glass: Journal of Non‐Crystalline Solids, V.17, p. 129‐142. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 9

Kemp, J. F., 1940. A Handbook of Rocks, 6th ed. revised by F.F. Grout: New York, D. Van Nostrand Co. Miller, J., 2016. Obsidian is hot stuff: OSU Volcano World. www.volcano.oregonstate.edu/obsidian. Accessed 3 March 2016. Minerals Education Coalition. Perlite: www.mineralseducationcoalition.org/minerals/perlite. Accessed 13 April 2016. O’Hanlon, L., 2011. A new technique offers evidence of early seafaring traders in the Aegean Sea: Inside Science News Service. www.insidescience.org/content/volcanic‐artifacts‐imply‐ice‐age‐ mariners‐prehistoric‐ greece. Accessed 6 April 2016. Pliny, 1962. Natural History, Book 36; translated by D.E. Eichholz: Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press. Simon, E., 2015. Notes on John Dee’s Aztec mirror: Journal of Northern Renaissance. www.northernrenaissance.org/notes‐on‐john‐dee’s‐aztec‐mirror. Accessed 16 April 2016. Theophrastus, 1965. De Lapidus, translated by D.E. Eichholz: London, Oxford University Press. Tycot, R.H., Bulgarelli, F.M., Speakmann, S. et al., 2005. Prehistoric obsidian trade in central – northern Italy: artifact analyses from the Neolithic site of Yuggio Olivastro (Canino – Viterbo): www.shell.cas.usf.edu/~rtycot/ISA2005Tycot.pdf. Accessed 29 Feb. 2016. U.S.G.S., 2015. Perlite: U.S.G.S. Mineral Information.www.minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/perlite/. Accessed 13 April 2016. Weldon, K., 2010. Hotter side of obsidian: www.volcano.oregonstate.edu/book/export/html/205. Accessed 13 April 2016.

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Heading to RMFMS: Exploring the Black Hills with George Custer By Mike Nelson, Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society, [email protected]

Frontispiece. Early Paleozoic rocks exposed in Spearfish Canyon, northern Black Hills. As I write this small article (Part 3 of 4 of the series on the Black Hills) while camped near Spearfish (Frontispiece), and later in Custer State Park, I am reminded that George Armstrong Custer seems always present here in the Black Hills. Custer left behind the name of a town, a county, a mountain peak, city streets and numerous motels, cafes, bars—you name it and Custer’s name will be affixed at some location in the Hills. Of course, he also left behind the beginning of the end for a large group of Native Americans who were soon to lose their ancestral hunting grounds and their nomadic way of life (Fig. 1). There seems no middle ground here in the west for Custer—like him for opening the Black Hills to mining and settlement or despise him for destroying the local population of Native Americans. Not so much killing the Natives in firefights, but in opening the Hills to settlement which resulted in the resettlement of the Natives and their loss of a huge hunk of land. The beginning of the end started with Custer’s expedition to the Hills in 1874 and the end came only two years later at the Battle of the Greasy Grass (AKA Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer’s Figure 1. Most Army officers thought the slaughter of Buffalo by Last Stand). Literally hundreds of books meat and hide hunters, settlers, miners, etc. would signal the end and articles have been written about of the nomadic Native Americans. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 11

Custer in the West and readers have their choice of authors. Even today there are new tomes being published that win major awards. It is tough for me to understand how new information seems to constantly appear and therefore offers authors a chance for different interpretations. At any rate, I am interested in the rocks and minerals that seem associated with the Custer expedition of 1874. Thanks to authors like Ernest Grafe and Paul Horsted (2002), campsites and trails covered by the Expedition are well known and one can follow along the entire Black Hills’ route if desired. Like many geologists and rockhounds I am greatly interested in the area around Custer City, the site of his “gold discovery.” Lt. Col. George A. Custer was a Civil War hero (at least to the “North”) and at age 25 received the rank of Brevet Major General, and accolades poured in from the press for the “Boy General.” At the conclusion of the War Custer remained in the U.S. Army and in 1866 was awarded the rank of lieutenant‐ colonel and assigned to a new regiment, the Seventh Cavalry. Most/all of the regiment referred to him as General Custer. It was hard for army officers to advance in rank after the war and certainly “reconstruction duty” in one of the former Confederate states was not a great stepping stone. Custer viewed himself as a frontiersman and pathfinder and yearned to do battle with Native Americans occupying much of the Plains States, especially the loose confederation of the various Lakota bands (mostly Oglala and Hunkpapa), the Northern Cheyenne and the Arapaho. Therefore, Custer was instrumental in convincing General Philip Sheridan, Commander of the Division of the Missouri and General Alfred Terry, Commander of the Department of Dakota, that a military reconnaissance of the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory was a necessity. All three officers wanted to subdue, by whatever means (such as firefights, slaughtering the Buffalo [Bison] herds, etc.), the Native Americans occupying the Hills and the Powder River Basin to the west; however, an unpublicized argument was to confirm the presence of minerals rumored to exist in the Black Hills. President Grant then approved the expedition since after the Financial Panic of 1873 the country needed new resources such as gold and timber, and any gold/mineral rush to the Hills would also provide “jobs” for the many unemployed men (and a Figure 2. Barracks at Fort Abraham Lincoln ca. late 1800s. Photo courtesy North few women). Dakota Studies (www.ndstudies.gov and North Dakota State Historical Society). So, off Custer went on July 2, 1874, from Fort Abraham Lincoln (Fig. 2; situated across the Missouri River from Bismarck, Dakota Territory) with somewhere close to 1200 men. Besides members of 10 companies of his 7th Calvary (including a 16 piece band), the group included ~110 wagons and accompanying team‐sters, about 300 Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 12

head of cattle for food in case the hunters could not produce game, a medical staff, several newspaper correspondents, the experienced miners Horatio Ross and William McKay (perhaps disguised as teamsters), several Native American Scouts, at least two of Custer’s staghounds, extra horses and mules, Chief Engineer Figure 3. The Expedition passed very close to Sundance Mountain on July 22. Captain William Ludlow and The isolated peak is a Tertiary laccolith. his assistant (who produced Figure 4 (Left). The botanist A.B. Donaldson also wrote dispatches for the St. Paul Pioneer. This article from South Dakota Historical Collections, Volume VII, 1914.

wonderful maps), and Scientist George Bird Grinnell, a graduate student at Yale who later became a famous anthropologist, naturalist and writer, assigned to describe the flora and fauna. Grinnell had three assistants: 1) Newton H. Winchell later became the Director of the Minnesota State Geological Survey and authored the six volume treatise entitled The Geology of Minnesota; 2) Luther North, a jack‐of‐all‐trades best remembered for leading a group of Pawnee Scouts, along with his brother Frank, helping protect the Union Pacific Railroad and later business partners with William (Buffalo Bill) Cody); and 3) A.B. Donaldson, a botanist and newspaper “man” from Minnesota (Fig. 4). William Illingworth was the Expedition’s photo‐ grapher who evidently was hired by Ludlow to provide photos for the U.S. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 13

Army. The Expedition also included at least one woman, a former slave known as “Aunt Sally” who cooked for Sutler John Smith. The initial part of the trip through western North Dakota and northern Wyoming was hot and dry with alkaline water but the Expedition reached the northwestern outlier of the Black Hills (Bear Lodge Mountains near present Sundance, Wyoming; Fig. 3) around July 20. On July 25 they crossed the Wyoming‐South Dakota state line and entered the Black Hills proper from the Figure 5. Perhaps the Expedition knew they entered South Dakota Northwest (Fig. 5). by spotting a “state line” marker! After spending several days traversing the center of the Hills (reaching the Needles‐Harney Peak at the end of July; Fig. 6), the Expedition reached an area a few miles east of Custer that was termed “Permanent Camp” (Figs 7‐8). The miners of the Expedition, Ross and McKay, soon noted the discovery of a few flakes of gold near what is now Custer City, and additional flakes and tiny nuggets along French Creek that ran through the "Permanent Camp" (AKA known as Custer’s Gulch). Most of the gold found along French Creek came from the prospectors digging holes Figure 6. In the central part of the Hills the Expedition, or at least along the stream, through the gravel the photographer, termed these rocks the Organ Pipe Range. and preferably down to bedrock. They Today they are known as The Needles and are part of Custer State then panned the gravel and sand lying Park situated north of Custer City. on the bedrock surface and removed the tiny flakes. Altogether it was not a great find, the tiny bits of metal Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 14

certainly caused “gold fever” among the members of the Expedition as noted by a reporter for the Inter‐Ocean (as reported in Grafe and Horsted (2002): At daybreak there was a crowd around the ‘diggins,’ with every conceivable accoutrement. Shovels and spades, picks, axes, tent‐pins, pot hooks, bowie knives, mess pans, kettles, plates, platters, tin cups, and everything within reach that could either lift dirt or hold it was put in service by the worshippers of that gold, gold…Officers and privates, mule whackers and scientists, all met on a common level, and the great equalizer was that insignificant Figure 7. Calamity Peak and the valley of French Creek near yellow dust. where Custer established his “Permanent Camp.” This scenic locality is located a few miles east of Custer City and is now On August 3 Custer, not wanting to wait with on private land but bisected by US 16A (heading east the news of “gold in the Black Hills” until the towards Custer State Park). Gold was “discovered” in the Expedition returned to Ft. Abraham Lincoln, foreground by miners Ross and McKay. It was given the sent scout Charley Reynolds with a dispatch to name Golden Park. Ft. Laramie in east‐central Wyoming. In glowing terms Custer over‐exaggerated the gold discovery knowing full well that a rush would soon begin to the Black Hills! On August 5, 1874, 21 claim‐holders from the Expedition formed the District No. 1, Custer Park Mining Company, Custer’s Gulch, Black Hills, D.T. Aug. 5, 1874. The discovery claim belonged to miner Ross while one of the other claimants was Sarah Campbell (“Aunt Sally”) who held title to No. 7 below Discovery. In Figure 8. Custer’s “Permanent Camp” near Golden Park in reality, very few of the claim owners ever the valley of French Creek. This photograph is a part of the returned to the Black Hills, although historical Illingworth collection and the print is scattered across the records point out that miner Ross and Aunt Internet without much copyright information. However, Sally did live out their days in the Black Hills; Grafe and Horsted (2002) give credit to the Minnelusa neither became wealthy from the gold along Pioneer Museum. French Creek. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 15

The Expedition left the Custer City area with dreams of gold and headed north leaving the Hills in mid‐August at a locality known as Custer’s Gap along Boxelder Creek north of Rapid City. Either good work by the scouts, or sheer luck, allowed the Expedition to “discover” the gap through the upturned sedimentary rocks that allowed movement onto the Plains. Near Bear Butte (Fig. 9) the Expedition camped for a couple of days to retrofit the wagons and then had a rather uneventful trip back to Ft. Abraham Lincoln arriving July 30th (Fig. 10). Figure 9. Bear Butte near where the Expedition camped after leaving the Hills. The Butte is an Eocene laccolith.

Figure 10. The Expedition returning to Ft. Abraham Lincoln. The Illingworth photo is often listed as the group leaving the Fort. However, Grafe and Horstead (2002) noted that several wagons had stacks of elk horns picked up in the Hills indicating a return trip! Grafe and Horstead also attributed the photo to the Minnelusa Pioneer Museum. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 16

Figure 11. By 1876, downtown Custer City was booming. Photo from a private collection, but Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4030996.

The Laramie Treaty of 1868 had awarded the Black Hills to the local Native Americans and forbid settlement by “outsiders.” Custer left the Hills in summer 1874 but by December of that year the gold‐ seeking Gordon Party (28 persons) from Iowa evaded Army patrols and built a stockade near Custer’s Permanent Camp. The group was evicted by the Army in spring 1875 but the floodgate had cracked open and by the fall thousands of potential miners were camping in Dakota Territory and trying to “sneak into” the Hills; some were successful while others were killed by Native Americans or turned back by Army patrols. On November 3, President U.S. Grant decided the Army would no longer patrol and turn back the settlers and the “rush” was in full force and hostilities with Native Americans became a common occurrence (Fig. 11). This brings us to June 25, 1876 and completes the journey to the end. Certainly, hostilities with Native Americans continued for another year; however, the two‐year interval between Custer’s arrival in the Black Hills in summer 1874 and his demise in summer 1876 was the journey to the end. What about the gold near Custer City? Did it ever produce in “paying amounts”? Gold mining in the Custer area was never really very successful although many cubic yards of soil and gravel were turned over and panned or sluiced for the metal. Placer gold is never as lucrative as lode gold and miners never Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 17

Figure 12. Lower French Creek southeast of Custer runs clear and scenic today. However, in looking carefully one can Figure 13. Flakes of gold panned from French observe areas where the gravel was “dug up” and panned or Creek. Width photomicrograph ~1.0 cm. sluiced.

really found the source of the flakes and small nuggets retrieved from the Custer area. Most likely the source is “upstream” somewhere near Rochford, perhaps waiting for discovery. Or perhaps the lode rock was eroded away! Flakes of gold can be panned, with hard work, from many streams in the Black Hills (Fig.12). And, one runs into claim markers at numerous localities. However, none of the placer deposits seem more than recreational opportunities, but—hope springs eternal. As for my panning attempts, I have a few flakes from French Creek (Fig. 13). However, I nether dug down to bedrock nor worked very hard! I just wanted to see if the early miners left a small tidbit for an ole geologist. See you in Rapid City at the Federation meeting.

REFERENCES CITED Grafe, E. and P. Horsted, 2002, Exploring with Custer; The 1874 Black Hills Expedition: Golden valley Press, Custer, SD.

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RMFMS Convention and Show

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April/May Upcoming Shows and Events

June 1 ‐ 3, 2018; Coconino Lapidary Club of Flagstaff’s 6th Annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show; (See flyer on page 28); Friday and Saturday 9am‐5pm, Sunday 9am‐4pm; Admission free, Outdoor Market at Silver Saddle located at the corner of Hwy 89 N & Silver Saddle Road, 3.5 miles north of Flagstaff Mall. This is a free admission open air event (rain or shine). We will have raffle drawings, and an awesome education zone for children of all ages. Contact and vendor info: Wayne Scott, [email protected] or (928) 607‐3185, http://flagstaffmineralandrock.org, Facebook @ coconinolapidaryclub. June 1 ‐ 3, 2018; Pikes Peak Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show sponsored by the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society; Friday and Saturday 10am‐5pm, Sunday 10am‐4pm; Admission $5 per day or $8 for all 3 days, children 12 and under free; Norris‐Penrose Event Center, 1045 Lower Gold Camp Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80905. Over 50 vendors specializing in rocks and minerals from Colorado and other US and international localities, as well as fossils, meteorites, sculptures, jewelry, crystals, and more! This year’s featured mineral is fluorite. Show highlights include silent auctions, kid’s activities, door prizes, and exhibits. Our featured exhibit, the American Woman, is a 10,000 pound, life‐size sculpture carved out of a single block of Colorado Yule marble! More info: https://pikespeakgemshow.com. June 15 ‐ 17, 2018; Southern Teller County Focus Group’s 6th Annual Gem and Mineral Show; (See flyers on page 27 and 31); Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am‐5pm; Admission free; Downtown Historic Victor, Free Geology Presentation (geology of the gold mining district presented by Newmont Mining Corporation) Saturday at 1pm at Victor Elks Lodge. Vendors selling Colorado dug minerals, items for sale include polished gems, hand‐crafted jewelry, rough slabs, specimens, cabochons, geode breaking, Cripple Creek and Victor Mining District gold ore specimens, Burtis Blue Cripple Creek turquoise, and more. Gold panning at the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum. Guided tours of the modern gold mine are available through the museum – see VictorColorado.com for reservations. For more information email [email protected] or (719) 689‐2675. June 15 ‐ 17, 2018; Sublette County Rock Hounds present the Wyoming State Mineral and Gem Society Show: Rock the Wyoming Range Gem & Mineral Show; (See flyer on page 29); Friday and Saturday 9am‐ 5pm, Sunday 9am‐4pm; Admission $2, children under 12 free; Sublette County Fairgrounds Event Center, Marbleton, Wyoming. Show theme is Petrified Woods of Wyoming. Door prizes, raffle, fluorescent mineral display, exhibits, field trips, knapping, silent auctions, Wyoming Geological Survey, kids’ activities, Wheel of Fortune, Paint Your Rock table, “Spike” the animated fossil, rough rock, slabs, opals, petrified wood, jade, and jewelry. Contact: [email protected]. June 29 – July 1, 2018; San Juan County Gem and Mineral Society’s Annual Show; (See flyer on page 30); Friday and Saturday 10am‐6pm, Sunday 10am‐5pm; Free Admission; McGee Park, 41 RD 5569, Farmington, NM 87401. Gemstones, mineral specimens, jewelry & repair, books, tools, rough material, polished cabs, silent auction, hourly door prize drawing, raffle, Wheel of Fortune, and fluorescent display. Contact: Tory Bonner [email protected] or (505) 716‐2847, Facebook @ SJCGMS. Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 27

July 7 – 8, 2018; White Mountain Gem and Mineral Club’s 21st Annual Show; Saturday 9am‐6pm, Sunday 10am‐4pm; Hondah Resort and Casino, Show Low, Arizona. Jewelry, gems, minerals, beads, slab & fossil dealers, lapidary equipment & supplies, silent auction, door prizes, grand raffle, Wheel of Fortune, and more. More info: [email protected] attn. R. Fowers, www.whitemountain‐azrockclub.org. July 14 – 15, 2018; Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society’s Annual Gem Mineral and Jewelry Show; Admission $6 Adults, children free under 12 with paid adult admission, free admission for uniformed military, scouts, police, and fire; Exchange Center at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds, 4145 E. 21st St., Tulsa, OK. Show includes gems, beads, fossils, jewelry, crystals, working exhibits, demonstrations, florescent display, touch and feel display, spinning wheel, grab bags and free kid’s zone. Show information contact Finis Riggs, [email protected] or Eric Hamshar, [email protected]. Vendor inquires contact [email protected], (918) 346‐7299, or Liz Thomas, [email protected]. July 20 – 22, 2018; Western Dakota Gem and Mineral Society’s 38th Annual Gem and Mineral Show; (See flyer page 19); Admission $4 per day, children 12 and under free with adult; Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Barnett Arena, Rapid City, SD. Show in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Society’s Convention. Vendors will offer rocks, fossils, gemstones, minerals, lapidary tools, and jewelry. Show activities include door prizes on the hour, silent auction, grand prize drawing, kid’s activities, exhibits, fluorescent mineral displays, guest speakers, and live demonstrations. For more info: [email protected] or www.wdgms.org.

Show Flyers

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RMFMS Board and Committees

President Liz Thomas [email protected] Vice President Bob Regner [email protected] Secretary Wayne Cox [email protected] Treasurer Gene Maggard [email protected] Historian Cinda Kunkler [email protected] Past Presidents Richard Jaeger [email protected] Diane Weir [email protected] Arizona State Director Jodi Brewster [email protected] Colorado State Director Kathy Honda [email protected] New Mexico/Texas State Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] Director Oklahoma/Arkansas State Virgil Richards dws@dances‐with‐snakes.com Director South Dakota/Nebraska Sondy Hemscher [email protected] State Director Wyoming State Director Stan Strike [email protected] Utah State Director Tom Burchard [email protected] Editor Heather Woods [email protected] Publications Contest Linda Jeager [email protected] Webmaster Jim McGarvey [email protected] Finance Robert Hains (Chair) [email protected] Wayne Cox [email protected] Convention Advisory Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] Insurance Gene Maggard [email protected] RMRMS Show Chairman Dr. Martin Kocanda [email protected] Nominations Richard Jaeger (Chair) [email protected] Judy Beck [email protected] Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] Fluorescent Technical Pete Modreski [email protected] Fossil Technical Roger Burkhalter [email protected] Lapidary Bill Smith [email protected] Mineral Technical Pete Modreski [email protected] Programs Contest Gene Maggard [email protected] Program Library Gene and Peggy [email protected] Maggard Webmaster Contest Jennifer Gerring [email protected] Boundaries Bill Smith [email protected] Membership Directory Kay Waterman [email protected] ACROY Sheri Johnson [email protected] All American Club DeLane Cox [email protected] International Relations Mike Nelson [email protected] Rocky Mountain Federation News, Vol 49, Issue 5 Page 33

Long Range Planning Judy Beck (Chair) [email protected] Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] DeLane Cox [email protected] Name Badges Richard Jaeger [email protected] Parliamentarian Gene Maggard [email protected] Permanent Address/Trophies Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] Junior Program Terri Harris [email protected] Ribbons Peggy Sue Moore [email protected] Scholarship Richard Jaeger [email protected] Supplies Finis Riggs [email protected] Safety OPEN Credentials Janet Smith [email protected] Public Relations DeLane Cox [email protected] Gold Pan Award Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] (Chair) [email protected] Richard Jaeger [email protected] Public Land Advisory (PLA) Mike Nelson (Chair) [email protected] Colorado/Nebraska/North Dakota PLA Arizona Dr. Alex Schauss [email protected] PLA Kansas Jared Kyner [email protected] PLA New Mexico/Texas Mel Stairs [email protected] PLA Oklahoma/Arkansas Stan Nowak [email protected] PLA South Dakota Brandon Nelson [email protected] PLA Utah/Nevada Jack Johnson [email protected] PLA Wyoming Richard Gerow [email protected] Uniform Rules Lee Whitebay (Chair) [email protected] Jay Bowman [email protected] Roger Burkhalter [email protected] Dr. Robert Carlson [email protected] Paul Otto [email protected]