This is Throwback Thursday #311. 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 – April 2001

• Anton “Tony” Sobolik passed away at the age of 87. He and his wife Viola were very active in ESCONI during the 1950s and 1960s. Tony held several board positions – Historian- 1959, 2nd V.P.- 1960, 1st VP -1961, President in 1962-1963, and Curator – 1966-1969. See Throwback Thursday #209.
• At the General Meeting, Larry Scheff did a presentation titled “An Archeology Dig”. Larry is a volunteer at both the Oriental Institute and the Field Museum. Attendees learned about the exciting site of Ashkelon in Israel.
• The Paleontology Study Group was studying trilobites. Trilobites are found everywhere, so they were going to narrow the subject a little.
• Jim Daly and Stan Schmidt were discussing the “Minerals of Paints and Plastics” for the Mineralogy/Micromount folks. It was a look at the practical side of minerals.
• Andy Hay gave talk at the Lizzadro about Mazon Creek plants. They had a very long waiting list for the follow up field trips with Don Auler.
• There was a field trip to Lone Star Quarry in Oglesby on April 21st. That was a great place to hunt Carboniferous marine fossils.
• Karen Nordquist did a report about “Out of the Rock Paleo Festival 2001”. They had quite the list of speakers including Niles Eldredge, Dennis Kolata, and Do Lessem.
• Rich Rock wrote a nice article about collecting quartz crystals and wavellite in Arkansas.

50 Years Ago – April 1976

• There was a report on the “Indoor Field Trip” for 1976. It was very successful!
• Planning was underway for the 1976 Midwest Show in July 1976. The Midwest Federation Show and Convention was a huge event on the ESCONI calendar from the 1950s through the 1970s.
• The Archaeology Study Group was continuing their look into American Historical Archaeology for the upcoming bicentennial celebration. This month they discussed the sinking of many Spanish treasure ships. They watched the movie “The Graveyard of the Gulf” from the Texas Historical Commission.
• The Micromount of the Month was Cuprite. I think we had a piece of it in the live auction at the ESCONI Show this year.
• Athena Bates wrote an nice article titled “The San Andreas Fault and The San Fernando Valley Earthquake” for the ESCONI newsletter.

70 Years Ago – April 1956

• The presentation at the Regular Meeting was “Knocking at the Doors of the Great Observatories”. It was given by Professor Clarence R. Smith of Aurora College. He gave descriptions and discoveries of the famous and less known observatories in the United States.
• The Archaeology Study Group was learning about prehistoric pottery from Illinois.
• The Berwyn Junior had a presentation about “Calcite” by Howard Knight.
• David Wenner concluded his article “Arrowheards” for the newsletter.
• John Watson continued his “Mineral Determination by Chemistry” article in the ESCONI newsletter.