This is Throwback Thursday #285. 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 send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! email:esconi.info@gmail.com.

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25 Years Ago – October 2000

• The ESCONI Flea Market was held on October 7th, 2000.
• Wendy Taylor of the Field Museum did a presentation about “Crinoids and Related Animals” for the General Meeting. Wendy was the Invertebrate Collections Manager at the time.
• The Mineralogy/Micromounts Study Group was discussing Bancroft, Ontario, Canada. Beautiful amethyst and other minerals are known from that locality. Bancroft bills itself as the “Mineral Capital of Canada”.
• For the Paleontology Study Group, Dave Bergmann spoke on his experiences on a dinosaur dig and a visit to the Tyrell Museum.
• New members included Rob Coleman and his wife Tina!
• Irene Broede wrote a report about the Stephen Jay Gould lecture at the Field Museum. It was very successful!
• Karen’s Komments had a blurb about the “Earliest Sauropod”. Additionally, there was one titled and “Do Parasites Rule the World?”

50 Years Ago – October 1975

• The Lapidary Study Group was discussing “Copper Sculpture”.
• Micro-mounting had a program about the “Symmetry of Crystals”.
• William Klose of PRI was requesting a loan of any specimens of Lepidocarpon corticosum. ESCONI has long been a part of Mazon Creek research.
• Dorothy Schnizlein reported she had a visit with Cora Norvell. She and her husband, Stevens, were charter members of ESCONI. She was then living in Florida and up in Mount Prospect visiting her daughter. Oh, and she was still a member of ESCONI at 80 years young!
• Donald Brazda was a new ESCONI member. He later served as president.

70 Years Ago – October 1955

• The “Chairman’s Message” spoke of the success of the September “Brag Nights”. It sounds like everyone had a good time.
• The ESCONI Auction was planned for October 14th, 1955. That was a big annual event at the time.
• Bill Kelly wrote an article “The Rocks We Live On” for the newsletter.
• The Riverside Juniors had a field trip to Braidwood for Mazon Creek fossils. It’s not surprising to see the directions included a reference to Route 66.
• Jay Farr wrote about IL-IN-OY in the newsletter.
• The Fethers hosted the Paleontology meeting at their house. The topic was “Brachiopods”. They had plenty of giveaways… They also discussed Mazon Creek ferns.