34. Hampton Butte. Crook County, Oregon. Clarno formation; Eocene. Hampton Butte is a large area with some of the finest fossil wood on the planet, in several varieties that are unique to the area and are recognizable to knowledgeable wood collectors worldwide. It has been a few decades since I hunted wood at Hampton Butte and even then it was all digging by guesswork and hard labor … hot and buggy. I found a few nice specimen round pieces with colorful jasper. That said, based on personal observation, Hampton Butte is one of the last locations for top grade collector wood that still produces on a regular basis. Full round log with one cut and polished end. 6 by 7 cm polished face; 11 cm long; one pound and ten ounces. $1200
35. Hampton Butte. Crook County, Oregon. Clarno formation; Eocene. Like all of the pieces in this collection, it’s nice from any angle. Specimen round log with one cut and polished end. Super attractive all around. This type with a variety of colored jaspers with agate is a major type for Hampton Butte. Figures in Ancient Forests on page 174. 10 by 5.5 cm mirror-polished face; 10.5 cm long; one pound and ten ounces. SOLD
36. Hampton Butte. Crook County, Oregon. Clarno formation; Eocene. Specimen round log with one cut and polished end. Super attractive all around. The natural end’s botryoidal shimmering green agate offers insight into the complex mineral and crystal shenanigans required to make this beautiful wood. 10.5 by 4 cm mirror-polished face; 4.5 cm long; eight ounces. SOLD
37. Rogers Mountain. Linn County, Oregon. Tertiary. Fossil wood from this area is river-run cobble, rarely full round. Consequently, the wood guys made objects like this to display the beauty of the wood, which is generally remarkably solid, and normally considered a sequoia. Excellent example of the wood from Rogers Mountain and an excellent sample of petrified wood art. It’s been on display in my home for many years. Flat cut base and polished on two faces. 11 cm tall; 17 cm wide base; three pounds and four ounces. SOLD
38, Hampton Butte. Crook County, Oregon. Clarno formation; Eocene. 100% all natural and untouched by human machinery. If you dig at Hampton and are lucky, you might find one like this. Remarkably solid and naturally beautiful with wood bark impression. The dark green and coffee tan are an alluring combination. Some of the chromium green wood from Zimbabwe is also paired with a similar brown and it seems like one can shift into the other or had at some time, as if the color difference is simply the difference of a valance variation. About 12 by 12 by 6 cm; three pounds and one ounce. $500
39. Hampton Butte. Crook County, Oregon. Clarno formation; Eocene. 100% all natural and untouched by human ingenuity. Remarkably solid and naturally beautiful with apparent wood evidence. Attractive greens. About 12 by 14 by 8 cm; three pounds and twelve ounces. $500
40. Blue Mountains Tempskya. Of the several places on this planet where fossil Tempskya fern was found, in my opinion the material from the Blue Mountains of Oregon is the best. All Tempskya is Cretaceous – a period in which almost all of current day Oregon was under water. This Tempskya grew on an island. All natural, as found. Excellent size and shape for a complete plant. It’s surely gem-like golden glass inside but should not be brought to a saw – It’s too perfect. 26 cm tall by about 10 by 12 cm in girth; ten pounds and three ounces. $2500
41. Swartz Canyon. Tertiary. One of the early, well-known fossil-wood collecting areas. It was a private ranch and I am unsure about who was allowed to hunt there. Beautiful, large logs, often oak and elm, were abundant in the early years and then it ran out, as they all do. [Note the Lyle and Lela Jacklin Collection in Ancient Forests for old-time big slices.] Full round hardwood branch end, cut and polished on one end, otherwise natural. Solid with some excellent cell preservation. 5.5 by 7 cm mirror-polished face; 6 cm long; 14 ounces. $600
42. Swartz Canyon. Tertiary. I recall the day I found this one very well. It was my first visit to Shirts Quant at his rock shop in Prineville. He liked my book and gave me permission to look through his stuff, which was an enormous task – outbuildings full of dusty boxes and barrels of rocks. Prineville was the epicenter of rockhounding in the old days and Shirts was one of the first to get to it. I got this and several nice South Fork pieces that day. Super solid hardwood limb section, cut on both ends and polished on top. 7.5 by 8 cm mirror-polished face; 11 cm tall; two pounds and five ounces. $700
43. Lightning storm. Swartz Canyon. Tertiary. Super solid full round hardwood limb section, cut and polished on one end. Spectacular design. 10 by 8 cm mirror-polished face; 15 cm long; three pounds and eight ounces. $1500
44. Swartz Canyon Oak (the other side of the hill). Tertiary. Specimen round oak masterpiece, as found with one cut near an end and both faces polished. Great specimen of the other side wood with its unique exterior and lovely blue colors. 7 by 11 cm mirror-polished faces; 14 cm long altogether; three pounds and seven ounces. $2500
45. South Fork Crooked River. Full round limb cast, cut and polished on one end and natural on the other. Informative and attractive exterior and beautiful agate inside. 7 by 4.5 cm mirror-polished face; 10 cm long; one pound and thirteen ounces. $1500
46. South Fork Crooked River. Fossil acorn – complete. 17 by 22 by 32 mm; 1/2 ounce. $300
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