Jeerson County Hall of Fame Preserving Prehistory: Friends of Dinosaur Ridge Meyer Award for Historic Preservation hen a small group assembled over the Ridge received recognition on the State Reg- “It is still a magical John William Green, Sr. Marian Metsopoulos breakfast in 1988 with a shared vi- ister of Historic Places. In 1973, the quarries on organization… the Pioneer, Businessman, Community Leader Historian Wsion of protecting Jeco’s prehistoric the Ridge had been designated a National Natu- level of commitment ohn William Green , arian Moeller Metsopoulos , heritage, many of those in attendance didn’t re- ral Landmark (NNL), but this honor was not of- and energy among the JSr. arrived in Bua- Ma native of Chanute, Kansas, alize the magnitude of the project they were un- cially celebrated until 2004, when a plaque was people who are part lo in September 1879. attended Kansas State University, re- dertaking. Twenty-ve years later, the Friends of placed at the bone quarry site on the west side of the group is just He was 16 years of age ceiving a BS Degree in Home Eco- Dinosaur Ridge (FoDR) have become one of the of the Ridge. In 2011, with the submission of a phenomenal…” and had traveled from nomics. From the University of Texas great success stories of volunteer commitment in second evaluation, the NNL was expanded from —Ginny Mast, former his birth place in In- Medical School, in Dallas, TX, she the Front Range and are the 2014 recipients of 60 to 84 acres, and now includes three track Director of Colorado School of Mines Geology dependence, Virginia. earned a Masters in Medical Art. She the Norman and Ethel Meyer Historic Preserva- sites near Golden in addition to the two original Museum and early FoDR He was employed by married Major William Metsopoulos, tion Award. quarry sites. e Morrison-Golden Fossil Area board member, in 1999 the Morrison Timber a career Air Force navigator, and had Dr. Martin Lockley of the University of Colo- is the only NNL in Jeerson County and one of Company as a logger a daughter, Lisa Norris. On his retire- rado Denver, who rst researched dinosaur track 14 statewide. and made his rst home, a lean-to built between ment in 1964, the family moved to the Lakewood area. fossils here in the late 1980s, promoted the pro- Under the leadership of Executive Director Joe two large granite boulders, along Bualo Creek. A horticulturist at heart, Marian planned the landscaping of their tection and public ownership of the area. In fact, Tempel, who has been involved since the early He worked as a logger and by 1883 he owned the the hogback was already owned by Jeerson Co. days, and dedicated volunteers on the Board of Spectators with Joe garden, which was opened to the public for tours. In 1969 she vol- Tempel, Dinosaur store, “J.W.Green, Dealer in Everything”. unteered as “gardener” at the Foothills Art Center, and then served Open Space, with a right-of-way along Alameda Directors, the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge have Ridge Executive Between 1885 and 1888, he acquired a hotel, saw- as director for 18 years. She worked with artists to promote wa- Parkway that was part of Denver Mountain Parks. published dozens of books, guidebooks, and Director, and Rick termedia and oil paintings, sculpture, pottery, quilting, weaving, In 1988, theft of dinosaur tracks was reported reports, as well as regular annual reports and Frost, National Park mill and a house with lots along the North Fork of Service Regional the South Platte River. jewelry, needlework, poetry, and music. At that time the Rocky in the newspapers, creating interest in preserva- newsletters. Many of these report research by Oce, at the Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition was born and is still tion of this unusual resource, and the group that Dr. Lockley that provides new scientic insights. dedication of the His sawmill supplied railroad ties for the Den- bringing watermedia paintings from throughout the United States gathered to do so included representatives of the is collection constitutes a substantial contri- Morrison Fossil Area ver Tramway. In the heyday of business, ve spur National Natural to Golden. She initiated the Holiday Arts Market, attracting large U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Denver bution to the historic record of the fossil sites tracks were built for unloading merchandise and Landmark, May crowds to the Center. Marian is an award-winning member of the Museum of Nature and Science, the Colorado and of the organization’s development. 2004. loading lumber. Every day 25 to 30 cars of lumber Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Department of Transportation, Colorado School S.L. White were shipped to Denver. In 1937 when the railroad of Mines, Rocky Moun- As past president of the Applewood Reliques, a chapter of the pulled up the tracks, trucks were used to deliver tain Association of Geolo- Questers International, she has written grants for preservation and the lumber. gists, Chevron, and Amoco restoration of the Creighton Pumphouse and the Wide Acres In- In 1886, President Grover Cleveland appointed Production Co., as well terurban Trolley Stop, now on the grounds of Lakewood’s Twen- J.W. Green, Sr., Postmaster of Bualo Creek. He as Jeerson County and tieth Century Museum. She published a booklet on the history of maintained that position until 1915, when his Morrison. Retired USGS the Consolidated Mutual Water Company. son took over the position. By 1899, Mr. Green paleobotanist Dr. Richard was a deputy sheri for Bualo Creek and the sur- In 1995, with Marian’s leadership, the Lakewood Historical Soci- Scott is credited with sug- rounding area. He oversaw voting from the time he ety had two structures placed on the National Register of Historic gesting the name “Dino- bought the store until his death in 1948. Places: Davies’ Chuck Wagon Diner and the 1888 Schnell Farm. saur Ridge,” a parallel to e Register of Historic Landmarks in Lakewood now lists 22 the West Slope’s Dinosaur Mr. Green worked his way up from a newcomer to structures, thanks to much diligent work. She was instrumental Valley. the new Denver, South Park and Pacic Railroad in leading a group to refurbish the WWII Memorial, which bears Since those early days, the stop called “Bualo” to a successful businessman, the n ames of Lakewood High School’s students lost in World War Friends have partnered postmaster, deputy sheri and community activist II. Marian has edited e Lakewood Historian , a quarterly news- with numerous organiza- to provide for the residents of Bualo Creek. letter for the Society, for 22 years. She also created the Dennis tions to protect their origi- Vanderhoof Lakewood History Essay Contest with prizes totaling John William Green, Sr. was elected to the Jeer- nal concern, the hogback at $2,000, received each year from the estate of Mr. Vanderhoof. e son County Historical Commission Hall of Fame Alameda Parkway, ocially winners are published in e Lakewood Historian . in 2014. renamed Dinosaur Ridge Marian was elected to the Jeerson County Historical Commis- in 1994. at same year, sion Hall of Fame in 2014. 38 Historically Jeco 2014 Historically Jeco 2014 39 barbecue on July 4, 2014, as well as a lofty view of reworks from the top of the Ridge. Rediscovered Dinosaur Quarry is New Landmark roughout the organization’s 25-year history, n 1877, when the Rev. Arthur Lakes began the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge have mastered nding dinosaur bones along the Hogback the art of engagement. Many of their volunteers Inow known as Dinosaur Ridge, he opened and board members are practicing or retired ge- 13 quarries between Morrison and present-day ologists and other professionals, giving them a I-70. His diggings, under the auspices of Yale’s sound basis for scientic interpretation. ey Peabody Museum, gave us some of the West’s have attracted major funding from the Adolph rst signicant dinosaur discoveries. ereafter, Coors, Boettcher, Harvey Family, and Gates several quarries faded into history and their loca- Family foundations, as well as organizations like tions grew obscure. the American Association of Petroleum Geolo- Recently researchers from Dinosaur Ridge relo- gists, and are regularly supported by the Scien- cated Lakes (or Yale) Quarry #1, the northern- tic and Cultural Facilities District, the Greater most of the set. Because its exact location was Denver Area Gem and Mineral Council, and “lost,” the site was not included in National Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. Register (1975) or National Natural Landmark More than 50 corporations and foundations and Each year, Friends In 1994, Jeerson County had acquired the (1973) designations in the area. In May 2014, of Dinosaur Ridge 100 individuals stepped forward to support the Wagner Ranch, near Rooney Ranch, which be- Dr. Beth Simmons submitted a landmark appli- Watercolor painting sponsors a Fossils purchase and development of the new Discovery section of Alameda Parkway and Highway 93. and Fun Summer came the Friends’ headquarters for oces, gift cation to JCHC for the site. e Friends of Dinosaur Ridge have ocially by Arthur Lakes Camp where shop, events, and interpretive exhibits. Alameda Center. For their impressive accomplishments in shows two workmen According to the nomination: designated this site of drilled quarry rubble and drilling the rock for participants can Parkway over the hogback was closed to motor protecting Jeco’s earliest history and their stew- measure tracks, ardship of these nationally recognized sites, we collapsed rock beds as Lakes Quarry #1. blasting at Quarry follow the footsteps vehicles in 2008, improving the safety of visitors e site is signicant because it is the rst place #1. On the hogback, of dinosaurs, and to the track sites on the east side, as well as to the are pleased to present to present the 2014 Meyer that dinosaur bones were found in the American In August 2014, the JCHC Landmark Com- 1877, above Mount learn about local historic bone quarries on the west. In 2011, the Award to the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. West... e discoveries made during 1877 at mittee formally approved designation of this site Vernon Valley, dinosaurs. looking south. Friends expanded their umbrella to encompass Sources: Quarry #1 changed the course of paleontologi- as a county landmark. e Friends of Dinosaur Amber Cain Yale Peabody Museum the historic Parfet clay pits (now known as Tric- Ridge Report, Summer 2014. http://dinoridge.org/ridgereport/ cal history . ey also intensied what have been Ridge intend to add this newly designated land- Archives. RidgeReport_Summer2014_26-2_web.pdf mark to their eld trip and interpretive opportu- eratops Trail at Parfet Prehistoric Preserve). Hartmann, Rudi, Editor. 1999. The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge 1989- called “the bone wars” between Edwin C. Cope 1999: An Oral History. University of Colorado at Denver. 40 p. and Othniel C. Marsh. Marsh intended to keep the nities for visitors to Dinosaur Ridge. Each year, more than 40,000 visitors take guided Recent photograph McGrew, Paul O. and Michael W. Hager. 1972. Evaluation Report, Morrison site secret, thinking it was secluded in the shows the scar of an tours of Dinosaur Ridge from the Visitor Cen- Morrison, Colorado, Fossil Area. National Park Service. 17 p. mountains of the west. However, numerous visitors old rock quarry slide ter; 60,000 more walkers informally access the Lockley, Martin. 2011. Evaluation of the Golden Fossil Area, Jeerson and the rubble that came not only to see the easily accessible quarries Ridge, reading informational signs about the County, Colorado. National Park Service. 40 p. has accumulated. and sit on the bones, but also to help S.L. White fossils and geol- with the digging... The new Dinosaur ogy. In 2014, the Ridge Discovery Center was opened Friends opened a ...e Rooney family would have in summer 2014 second “Discovery known about the site because Otis, near Entrance 1 to Center” to provide son of the original homesteader, Red Rocks Park. access and interpre- helped Arthur Lakes and George Can- S.L. White tive services to the non during the dinosaur digs when he west side of Dino- was a teenager. However, the site was saur Ridge. e new “lost” in the 1960s through a paleon- Center includes tological blunder. ... exhibits, a base for Quarry #1 is the site of discovery programs, a prehis- of the rst large dinosaur, Atlanto- toric garden, oces, saurus , and rst Jurassic crocodile, and a gift shop. Its Diplosaurus (both described in pre-launch celebra- 1877). e landmarked site lies on tion attracted 170 the west side of the Hogback about guests for beer and one-quarter mile north of the inter-
40 Historically Jeco 2014 Historically Jeco 2014 41