Riker Hill Fossil Site
Encyclopedia
Riker Hill Fossil Site is a 16 acres (6.5 ha) paleontological site in Roseland, New Jersey
, located at the south western side of the borough
at the border between Roseland and Livingston, New Jersey
. It is one of the major sites in United States
where a large number of dinosaur
tracks are preserved. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
in June 1971.
owned by the Kidde
company called Roseland Quarry. In 1968, there were a discovery of dinosaur tracks on the quarry. With the news, a 14-year-old, Paul E. Olsen
who lived in Livingston, and his friend Tony Lessa started visiting the quarry to study them. Over a period of a few years, they uncovered more than one thousand dinosaur, animal and insect tracks from the Late Triassic
and Early Jurassic
period.
With the fate of the quarry site became uncertain, the teens came up with a plan to prevent the site from being developed. They made a cast
from a footprint of Eubrontes Giganteus
and sent that to President Richard Nixon
to get support. Eventually, the quarry was split. The most productive portion was preserved and donated to Essex County
Park Commission and named after Walter Kidde
. The rest of the quarry was later developed into Nob Hill apartments. In June 1971, the preserved site was registered as a National Natural Landmark
.
Currently, the site is now part of the Riker Hill Complex along with Riker Hill Art Park
and Becker Park. For many years, the public was allowed to collect fossils at the site, but now access to the site is restricted.
Roseland, New Jersey
Roseland is a borough in western Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,819...
, located at the south western side of the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
at the border between Roseland and Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
. It is one of the major sites in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where a large number of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
tracks are preserved. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in June 1971.
History
Originally, the site was part of a 55 acres (22.3 ha) stone quarryQuarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
owned by the Kidde
Kidde
Kidde, a brand and division of United Technologies Corporation, is a business, or group of businesses, that manufactures and distributes fire detection and extinguishing equipment.-History:The company was founded by Walter Kidde in 1917 in the United States...
company called Roseland Quarry. In 1968, there were a discovery of dinosaur tracks on the quarry. With the news, a 14-year-old, Paul E. Olsen
Paul E. Olsen
Paul E. Olsen is an American paleontologist and author and co-author of a large number of technical papers. Growing up as a teenager in Livingston, New Jersey, he was instrumental in Riker Hill Fossil Site being named a National Natural Landmark as a teenager by sending President Richard Nixon a...
who lived in Livingston, and his friend Tony Lessa started visiting the quarry to study them. Over a period of a few years, they uncovered more than one thousand dinosaur, animal and insect tracks from the Late Triassic
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is in the geologic timescale the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. The corresponding series is known as the Upper Triassic. In the past it was sometimes called the Keuper, after a German lithostratigraphic group that has a roughly corresponding age...
and Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
period.
With the fate of the quarry site became uncertain, the teens came up with a plan to prevent the site from being developed. They made a cast
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
from a footprint of Eubrontes Giganteus
Eubrontes
Eubrontes is the name of fossilised dinosaur footprints dating from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. They have been identified from France, Poland, Slovakia, Italy, Spain, Australia and the USA...
and sent that to President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
to get support. Eventually, the quarry was split. The most productive portion was preserved and donated to Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
Park Commission and named after Walter Kidde
Walter Kidde
Walter Kidde was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1897. He was the owner of the Kidde company which manufactured fire extinguishers....
. The rest of the quarry was later developed into Nob Hill apartments. In June 1971, the preserved site was registered as a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
.
Currently, the site is now part of the Riker Hill Complex along with Riker Hill Art Park
Riker Hill Art Park
Riker Hill Art Park is a former Nike Missile base which has become an artistic community in Livingston, Essex County, New Jersey. Together with the Walter Kidde Dinosaur Park and Becker Park, it is a part of the Riker Hill Complex. The Art Park provides studio space for working artists in...
and Becker Park. For many years, the public was allowed to collect fossils at the site, but now access to the site is restricted.