Indiana Collecting Sites
Indiana Collecting Sites
State Route 37 Roadcut near Bedford, Indiana
Geodes containing Barite, Calcite, Dolomite, Marcasite, Millerite, Pyrite, Quartz, and Sphalerite
Source: The Mineralogical Record v.22/#5 September-October 1991 ISSN 0026-4628 ©1991
Geodes containing a large variety of minerals are to be found in a 15 foot thick chirty layer of limestone exposed by the roadcut along State Route 37, 10.5 miles north of Bedford. This collecting site is just south of the Monroe Lake exit.
Typical geode specimens contain quartz with either calcite, dolomite or barite. Less common are geodes containing marcasite, millerite tufts and sprays, pyrite or sphalerite. Specimens range in size from under 1" to over 36" in diameter. Care should be exercised in obtaining and opening any specimens found embedded in massive limestone as these are most the likely to contain the delicate millerite.
Other local outcrops in this area are reported to have yielded geodes containing ankerite, aragonite, goethite, siderite and honessite.
Newton County Stone Quarry near Kentland, Indiana
Arenite Sandstone
Source: Rocks-and-Fossils Gopher Server
gopher://ftp.std.com:70/11/associations/Rocks-and-Fossils/
Roudebush@aol.com
Kentland is a small northwestern Indiana town in which exists the only
dome structure in the state. There is a quarry, the Newton County Stone
Quarry, which extracts the exposed stone for a variety of purposes. The
Quarry is phenomenal!! You know how most strata in Indiana only has around a
3 degree dip WELL here at the quarry the beds a tilted 90 degrees! Everytime
I go I am amazed at the overall mess the beds are in but it is by far the
most beautiful place in Indiana (my opinion). Fossils are plentiful but I
have not collected extensively there. I mainly go there to see the only
observable anticline in the state<-- what a sight! Also there are these neat
shatter cones in many of the beds which attest to the violent history of this
place. It is believed by many geologists, including myself, that this
location was struck by a comet or comet like meteorite which exploded over
the site and the impact caused the beds to be pushed downward and the
Kentland dome was caused by the rebound of the layers of strata. I was there
last year and the manager was very nice and you are able to go anywhere where
they are not digging. You have to sign a waiver and wear a hard hat. The
later is because this place HAS steep wall and the rocks are literally
popping of the sides because of the pressure. Though I have never been hit
(cross your fingers). Also if you are into rock collecting you will not find
a better arenite sandstone than the rocks in the St. Peters formation. It is
the cleanest sandstone I have ever seen.
bkeller@rockhounds.com 8/17/95
