The village of Fillmore is small, maybe 200 people, with no amenities–no cafe, no store, no bathrooms. But what it does have is WONDERFUL FOSSILIFEROUS road cuts!
I took the photo of Fillmore from the road cut just above it to the east on Cty. 8. This is a large, tall cut, maybe an eigth to a quarter mile long. Probably Prosser member of the Galena Formation–Ordovician. I have found brachs & bivalves, bryozoa, hash plates, and it should have gastros, cephs and trilos.
Directly south of Fillmore is a long broken cut, also probably Prosser. It should produce all of the above plus I have found significant amounts of flow stone (indication of underground caves).
Here is one of my favorite cuts! Perhaps about 2-3 miles south of Fillmore on the west side of Cty. 5–you won’t miss it! Perhaps 1/8-1/4 mile long and very, very high! I believe Prosser on the top and Cummingsville on the bottom.
I have never gone here and not found Receptaculitids within 5 minutes. Also prolific for Receptaculitids Ischadites iowensis–the small, perfectly round ones. Cross sections of course. Gastros, brachs, bi-valves, cephs, should be trilos as well.
I found this complete Receptaculitid last year on a very large rock in perfect condition–beautiful specimen, just no way to get it out of the rock. Over just one winter, you can see how it has sadly deteriorated.
Fossil Lesson: The freeze/thaw and torrential rains that expose fossils also deteriorate them! Do not leave fossils you love out in the weather!
In twenty minutes of walking maybe a hundred feet of this cut, I found these!
And these…
Sometimes I just can’t resist the hunt!
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