This is Throwback Thursday #235. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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Have you heard of the Fluorspar Festival? It's held in Rosiclare, IL on the first weekend of October every year... 2024 was the Diamond Celebration! That's 60 years! The Fluorspar Festival celebrates the history of fluorite mining in Hardin County, IL. There's even the American Fluorite Museum in Rosiclare, IL.
ROSICLARE BUS TRIP
We have the desired permission to enter Crystal Fluorspar Mine at Cave-in-Rock, Illinois on April 26th.
We also have 17 people signed up for the trip. We need 19 more to make that trip possible.
We plan to leave 7:30 P.M. on Friday, April 25th, stop at Harrisburg Hotel in the wee small hours.
Not later than 10:00 A.M. enter mine because they close Saturday P.M. We will ride to operations in a jeep. Each one must sign liability waiver, furnish their own galoshes, hard hat, and some kind of electric light. $10.00 for bus fare round trip.
We are taking March vacation, will visit these people on our way home so after April 1, we can give you more information. Please mail name, address and telephone number if you wish to go to
John G. Schnizlein
5905 Woodward Avenue
Downers Grove, Illinois
A report followed in the May 1958 edition. There were ulimately 28 - 30 attendees.
THANK YOU - JACK AND DOROTHY
At the bewitching hour of midnight Friday April 25th, 30 not-too- sleepy folks boarded the bus in Downers for a better than anticipated trip to Cave-in-Rock and Rosiclare, Dorothy and Jack had dry run the route and knew just where we were bound. Cat naps were enjoyed by most of us, and there was singing too 'cause Dr. Hoff brought along his guitar. We saw Venus rise that early Saturday morning, but at sunup the rain came, but you helped us laugh that off.
While a tire was being changed on the bus at Olney, we had breakfast- then on our way again. By now it was really raining but that seems never to stop a rockhound donning our helmets, boots, and raincoats and carrying flash lights, bags and hammers, we were on our way to the mine. It was a walk-in entrance, really quite interesting, we walked and walked a descent of 250 feet someone said here we came upon fine specimen of fluorspar - we left ladened. Some of us who didn't hurry too fast to shelter in the office to enjoy brought-along sandwiches and cokes we took from the office refrigerator (nickels were deposited in a box inside) and cookies served by Ethel Malott and date bars Mildred Babbitt had baked, saw the flotation plant.
Back in the bus, we drove to Cave-in-Rock where we enjoyed an early dinner of catfish and corn sticks. So many folks in town at one time was an event in this small town, but the restaurant folk took good care of us, for Jack had made advance reservations. While here we also visited the cave at Cave-in-Rock State Park, we were glad we'd taken time to see this.
After dinner we ferried across the Ohio to the home of the Clements in Marion, Ky. It was raining here too, but we didn't let it bother us we just were amazed at the wonderful collection which is large. Incidently the collection is so large that much of it is right out in the yard in the weather. Mr. and Mrs. Clement were gracious hosts to our group. Many purchases were made, and we were glad for an oppor- tunity to get such fine specimen at the good prices Mr. Clement offered he gave ESCONI 10% wasn't that nice? We thought so. Thank you, Mr. Clement!
Again, we ferried across the Ohio and now to Elizabethtown to the picturesque Rose Hotel overlooking the Ohio (our group had the entire hotel here again Jack and Dorothy made arrangements for us). Our hostess here Mrs. Gullatte, 85 years young, she of the fifth generation of owners of this fine old hostelry since 1812, and Frankie (born right here just years ago) who was more the confidante than servant, possibly a generation removed from slavery.
Sunday morning everyone was up sorta early for in this old hotel there wasn't a bath to a room, or for even two or three rooms but faces were washed and teeth brushed and seems everyone was at Edna's restaurant 'bout the same time good food even juke box music and here Donnafred surprised some of us with another of her accomplishments.
It's time for us to be on our way now for we are going to the stock piles of the Aluminum Company of america to find flu fluospar with galena and sphalerite in one cluster. Fermission to enter these premises was obtained thru our own Carl Hoffman.
Frankie and her husband, he the sort of helper when we drove away pictures were taken of them waved us good-bye - hope you see them.
Our driver says, he can tell there's more weight in the bus, did we collect?
There was a birthday party too Ethel Malott saw to it that we all had a piece of the fine birthday cake for Olive Knight and Hazen Bonow when we stopped for lunch in Carmi there was much fun when they opened gift packages and read their birthday cards.
Homeward bound now Wilbur Hoff's guitar accompaniment for our sing- ing was grand, as was Olive's song with gestures. And right here would move that we do away with the old fashioned auction 'cause we discovered in Helen Rapsul a most vivacious auctioneer. Yes, it rained all the way home but there was so much hilarity inside the bus weather was forgotten some said they'd not laughed and had so much fun since goodness knows when.
Arriving back in Downers and unloading was really something every- one helping get the "stuff" off the bus then transferred to cars good byes and "let's do this again sometime" seemed to be the thought when we parted and headed for our homes with our luggage, purchases at Clements, our "finds" and some of us even found specimen or (?) we'd not put in our bags. Now just who would do a thing like that???? It was fun worth the expense a bit more than anticipated 'cause we didn't quite have the bus quota but, we think we might like another such trip to some other interesting place.
Thanks again Jack and Dorothy.
-Margie-
We have some photos of the trip.
The Ohio River.
Clements home? Or is it the Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown, KY?
These last photos are from Cave-In-Rock, a state park in Illinois.
