The Oregons Prospectors Page
Copyright Protected,© 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 , 2008 , 2009 Please Ask Permission Before Copyng
I Thank You...
>WELCOME TO THE OREGON PROSPECTORS PAGE. THIS PAGE IS PRIMARILY DEVOTED TO THE PIONEERS OF THE GREAT ROCK DISCOVERIES IN OREGON/IDAHO. MINING PROSPECTS IN OREGON, HISTORY OF MINING PICTURE JASPER AND PLUME AGATES, THUNDEREGGS, LIMB CAST, GEOLOGY OF OREGON.
SHIRT QUANT AND HIS DAUGHTER MARCY GASCON
IN QUANTS ROCK SHOP AND MUSEUM.
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST HAS ALWAYS BEEN RICH IN A DIVERSE SELECTION OF MINERALS, ROCKS, GEMSTONES, A ROCKHOUNDER'S HEAVEN!!! OREGON HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST JASPER AND AGATE DEPOSITS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PAGE IS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE WHO DISCOVERED THESE DEPOSITS, THE MINER'S WHO STILL MINE IT, AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR ROCKHOUNDERS ON THEIR ROCKHOUNDING ENDEAVORS.
THE OCHOCO MOUNTAIN RANGE IN CENTRAL OREGON IS RICH WITH JASPERS/AGATES/OPALS, JUST TO NAME A FEW.....
I GET ASKED A LOT HOW TO PRONOUNCE OCHOCO, HERE GOES: (((OCH--OH--KO))) YES IT IS A NATIVE AMERICAN WORD MEANING (WILLOW COVERED STREAMS) IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN OFF THE BEATEN PATH YOU WILL SEE WHY THE NATIONS FIRST ROCKHOUNDS CAME UP WITH THIS NAME!!!
THERE EXIST IN THOSE MOUNTAINS A VAST VARIETY OF THUNDEREGGS, "OREGON'S STATE ROCK"...FROM AGATE EGGS TO OPAL EGGS THE OCHOCO'S HAVE IT ALL. I RECALL AS A ROCK-PUP GOING TO THE OCHOCOS WITH MY DAD, WE WOULD ALWAYS COME HOME WITH A NICE SELECTION OF EGGS, PETRIFIED WOOD, JASPERS. THE MOUNTAINS THERE ARE TEEMING WITH LAPIDARY ROCKS...
MUCH OF THE LAND THERE IS BLM "BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT," SO BE FORE-WARNED MANY DEPOSITS ARE UNDER CLAIM. ON THE FLIP SIDE THERE IS YET ROCKS TO BE DISCOVERED/CLAIMED.
TO MANY ROCKHOUNDS WHEN ONE HERES THE WORDS, "OCHOCO'S," THEY THINK OF THE LATE GREAT SHIRTS QUANT OF PRINEVILLE. SHIRTS WAS BORN FEB. 1ST 1915 IN THE FAMILY HOME IN MITCHELL OREGON. HIS PARENTS WERE MORE THAN AVID ROCKHOUNDERS. SHIRTS MOTHER WAS NICKNAMED "THE THUNDEREGG QUEEN," YOU CAN READ A GREAT STORY ABOUT HER IN THE MAY 1953 MINERALOGIST.
SHIRTS RECALLS SHE WOULD GET SOME GRUB AND A ROCK HAMMER THROW THEM IN HER OLE MODEL T AND BE GONE FOR DAYS ON END. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY ROCKHOUNDING IS IN HIS BLOOD.
SHIRTS HAS MADE MANY FAMOUS ROCK DISCOVERIES DURING HIS ADVENTURES IN THE OCHOCOS. HE RECALLS A SHEEP HERDER BACK IN THE 30"S SHOWED QUANT A CLEAR CHUNK OF ANGEL WING AGATE, WHEN HE INQUIRED ABOUT IT QUANT WENT ON A PROSPECTING TRIP AND FOUND THE ANGEL WING, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION HE FOUND THE FAMOUS CAREY PLUME BEDS THAT HIS FAMILY STILL OWNS.
SHIRTS DISCOVERED THE EAGLE ROCK PLUME AGATE DEPOSIT IN 1944 JUST 3 DAYS BEFORE HE HAD TO REPORT FOR DUTY IN THE MILITARY. IN HIS WORDS, "I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT SIGHT, THE LEDGE WAS SOLID PLUMES, GOLD/BLACK/RED I AIN'T NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT." SHIRT GATHERED AS MUCH AS HE COULD THEN LEFT ALL THE INFORMATION FOR HIS MOM TO FILE A CLAIM ON THE DEPOSIT. AFTER SHIRTS TOUR OF DUTY HE CAME HOME TO FIND THAT THE MINE HAD NEVER BEEN RECORDED AND SOMEONE HAD FOUND HIS HUGE CACHE OF PLUMES HE HAD PILED UP. SHIRT WENT TO EAGLE ROCK TO FIND THAT MOST OF IT HAD BEEN DUG OUT.TOUGH LUCK FOR A MAN TO COME HOME TO AFTER SERVING HIS COUNTRY. HE STILL HAS SOME OF THE PRETTIEST EAGLE ROCK PLUMES IN HIS MUSEUM THAT YOUR EYES WILL EVER SEE.
YET ANOTHER FAMOUS QUANT DISCOVERY IS THE SOUTH FORK LIMB CAST BED WHICH YIELDED BEAUTIFUL PINK LIMB CAST WITH DENDERITES. SHIRTS ALSO DISCOVERED THE TUBE AGATE BED.NOW CALLED (QUANT TUBE,) IN HONOR OF THIS AMAZING MAN!!! HE DISCOVERED IT WHEN HE STOPPED ON THE TRAIL FOR A DRINK OF WATER AND NOTICED THE FLOAT AGATE--THATS ALL IT TAKES FOR A GOOD PROSPECTOR.
SHIRT POINTED OUT SOMETHING TO ME THAT I NEVER REALIZED. THE EAGLE ROCK PLUME BED, ROBINSONS PLUME, AND CAREY PLUME ARE ALL WITHIN A 2 MILE RADIUS. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM IN CAREY IS ALL RED WHILE ROBINSONS WILL USUALLY HAVE SOME BLACK PRESENT AND EAGLE HAS A VARIETY OF COLORS...
BEAR CREEK PLUME AGATE IS ANOTHER DEPOSIT HE DISCOVERED- ONE OF HIS ALL TIME FAVORITE VARIETIES OF AGATES WITH IT'S GREENS/YELLOWS/ AND RED PLUMES IT MAKES FOR SOME SHOW-PIECE SLABS FOR SURE!
ANOTHER FAMOUS DISCOVERY IS THE JUMPIN JEEP MOSS AGATE FIND NEAR MITCHELL OREGON. NOW SHIRTS AND A FELLA BY THE NAME OF MITCHELL LOCATED THIS CLAIM WAY UP ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. THEY WERE GETTING SOME FANTASTIC AGATE OUT. THERE WAS A HUGE BOULDER OF SOLID MOSS AGATE WITH REDS AND GOLDS, BUT THEY COULD NOT BUDGE IT. THEY GOT THE IDEA OF BRINGING UP AN OLE WILLYS JEEP AND IT HAD A WINCH ON THE FRONT END, MAN THEY WINCHED THAT HOSS UP AND HIKED TO THE JEEP AND GRINNING THEY TURNED ON THE WINCH AND THE ROCK BUDGED A BIT AND BEFORE THEY COULD STOP IT THE JEEP TOOK OFF ROLLING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN WITH THE ROCK!!! IN THEIR HASTE THEY HAD FORGOT TO ANCHOR THE JEEP. SHIRTS SAID THEY JUST STOOD THERE IN AWE HE LAUGHED AND SAID "A COUPLE TIMES THAT JEEP WENT WAAAAY UP AIRBORNE" HE SAID FOLKS FROM ALL OVER HAD TO COME AND LOOK AT THAT JEEP...
NO SINGLE PROSPECTOR THAT I HAVE EVER MET ACCOMPLISHED MORE THEN SHIRTS QUANT. TRUTH BE KNOWN THE MAN PROBABLY GAVE AWAY MORE ROCK THEN HE SOLD-GOOD LORD KNOWS WE NEED MORE LIKE SHIRTS. MAY GOD BLESS YOU SHIRTS.
MARCY, SHIRTS DAUGHTER IS STILL AT THE SHOP WITH HER HUSBAND TEDDY-STOP BY AND BUY SOME ROCK-SOME OF THE BEST BUYS AND VARIETY AND COMPANY YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER!
TO LOCATE QUANTS JUST GO ON THE N.E. SIDE OF TOWN ON SPRUCE LANE JUST ACROSS FROM APPLE PEDDLER RESTAURANT.
BLUE MOUNTAIN JASPER ROUGH.
"THE GOOSE," WT. 1.3 LBS
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MALHURE COUNTY OREGON. BLUE MOUNTAIN JASPER IS ONE OF THE KINGS OF THE PORCELAIN JASPERS AND IS HIGHLY DIVERSE, FROM ORBS TO BREATH-TAKING SCENES, ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT TREASURE EACH ROCK HOLDS. CABS OF THIS FINE JASPER HAVE WENT FOR AS MUCH AS $800.00 YEP EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! YOU MIGHT SCUFF AT THAT BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE CABS YOU WILL SEE WHY CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY SUCH A HIGH PRICE. THE SLABS ARE VERY DISTINCT, TAKE, FOR INSTANCE, "THE GOOSE," CHUNK OF ROUGH DOWN BELOW. WHEN MAKING A CAB OF THIS MATERIAL JUST ORIENT THE PICTURE AND IT WILL JUMP OUT AT YOU, HE HAS CABS THAT TRULY LOOK LIKE PHOTOGRAPHS!!!
THEY LIVE IN MITCHELL OREGON A TINY MOUNTAIN TOWN BETWEEN PRINEVILLE AND JOHN DAY. DON'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE DEER WALKING DOWN MAIN STREET. WHILE MY SON, TRAVIS," AND I VISITED WITH KOP AND CINDY OVER A HOT CUP OF COFFEE I CAUGHT MOVEMENT OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE, IT WAS A SPIKE MULE DEER BUCK NO MORE THEN 5 FEET FROM THEIR KITCHEN WINDOW!!! KOP AND CINDY LAUGHED AND GATHERED UP HIS DAILY TREAT OF SLICED APPLES THAT THE SMALL BUCK HAD CAME FOR.
THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A MUSEUM TO HOUSE AND DISPLAY THEIR BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF SPECIMENS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ONE CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO GUESS THE TONS OF HIGH GRADE ROCK KOP HAS BUT IT IS BY FAR ONE OF THE BIGGEST I HAVE SEEN AND IT WAS A THRILL TO GRAB A BUCKET AND GO THROUGH THE PILES WITH THEM.
YOU CAN VISIT THEIR WEB SITE AT http://www.luckystrikemine.com/about.htm
OR CALL THE LUCKY STRIKE MINE AT 1-541-462-3073...
KOP AND CINDY KOPCINSKI
ON "ONE," OF THEIR THUNDEREGG PILES
NOVEMBER 2002
DALE RHODE WITH DAUGHTER MAKAYLA AND KOP AND CINDY
CHRISTMAS 2005
Fellow Rockhounds,
Once again we have lost another elder in the Rockhound World...Mr Howard Dolph passed away at his home on May 17th 2004...I talked to him a few days before he passed and he still had that twinkle in his eye. He was a good friend and teacher and will be sadly missed......We held benefit auctions for the family of Howard Dolph, a total of 5 top Ebay sellers held and auction and devotion. Thank you all!!!
HOWARD DOLPH OF RUFUS OREGON
HOWARD DOLPH IN HIS MUSEUM JUST OFF I-84 IN RUFUS, PICTURE TAKEN APRIL 2003.
HOWARD DOLPH BEGAN COLLECTING ROCKS BACK IN THE 1930'S HERE IN OREGON. FROM THAT POINT ON IT WAS NON STOP COLLECTING, MINING, CUTTING ROCKS AND HIS ALL TIME FAVORITE-PROSPECTING NEW DEPOSITS OF BIGGS PICTURE JASPER.HE TOLD ME MANY STORIES OF THE BIGGS DISCOVERY OF 1964. IN HIS WORDS "WE USED A BUDDY SYSTEM WHEN WE DUG A GOOD HOLE, ONE WOULD DIG 12 HRS AND STAY WITH THE HOLE AND MY BUDDY WOULD COME AND RELIEVE ME FOR 12 HOURS, BECAUSE IF YOU LEFT YOUR HOLE JUST TO USE THE BUSH SOMEONE WOULD DIVE IN IT."
DOLPH HAS TAUGHT ME ALOT ABOUT CUTTING BIGGS PICTURE JASPER,ESPECIALLY THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES IN THE BIGGS MINED AT BIGGS JCT AND THE BIGGS MINED IN RUFUS OR.THE BIGGS BIGGS, DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT. BUT THE RUFUS BIGGS ONE MUST CUT WITH THE STRATA AND AS HE SAID IT IS ALOT HARDER THAN BIGGS JCT BIGGS AND SOME CONTAINS MANGANESE A FORM OF IRON.BUT ALL IN ALL RUFUS BIGGS DESERVES A THRONE ALL TO ITSELF AS I HAVE SEEN SOME SPECTACULAR BLUE BIGGS COME FROM THAT COUNTRY...
HOWARD DOLPH PROBABLY CUT MORE BIGGS THEN ANY OTHER PROSPECTOR.HE RAN NECK AND NECK WITH SAMMI SABOTA. NO OTHER MINER CAN COME EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT THESE MEN MARKETED AND CUT ON THEIR OWN...THE OLD TIMERS LIKE DOLPH ARE SLOWLY MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN. SURE WILL MISS SHIRTS AND DOLPH. I ALWAYS ADMIRED HIS ETHICAL STANDARDS. THE MANY AFTERNOONS WE SPENT SITTING IN HIS ROCK SHOP LOOKING AT CABS HE WAS WORKING ON AND HEARING HIS STORIES THAT ALWAYS BROUGHT A BELLY LAUGH, WILL ALWAYS BE MISSED...
HOWARD WAS HONORED WHEN I NAMED A LOCAL AGATE AFTER HIM. IT WAS BIGGS AGATE, FIRST USED BY THE NATIVE AMERICANS FOR POINTS AND BLADES. THEN MINED BY FRED DORMIER "AT BIGGS JCT, HOWARD LOVED THIS AGATE AND WORKED IT LL THE TIME, SO IMAGINE HIS SURPRISE WHEN IT WAS NOW BEING MARKETED AS "DOLPHITE!!!" AN HONOR WELL-DESERVING FOR A MAN WHO HELD NO PREJUDICES AND DESPISED GOSSIPY BOLONY, WHOM WORKED HARD AT KEEPING ROCKHOUNDING FUN
HOWARD DOLPH ON THE LEFT
NET FISHING ON CELILO FALLS 1955...ONLY 5 MILES FROM WHERE THE 1964 BIGGS JASPER DISCOVERY WAS MADE!!!
(C) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 , 2007, 2008 Dale Rhode Copyright Protected, Please Ask Permission Before Copyng
I Thank You...
THE ADVENTURES OF SHIRTS QUANT
AFTER MUCH THOUGHT I DECIDED I WANTED TO PUT ON PAPER SOME OF THE MANY DISCOVERIES THAT THE LATE GREAT SHIRT QUANTS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. I ALSO FELT A NEED TO SHARE WITH YOU A MAN THAT NOT ONLY TOUCHED MY LIFE IN SUCH A POSITIVE WAY, BUT HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WITH HIS KIND, GENTLE, AND GIVING MANNER.
THERE WILL BE SOME DISARRAY ON THIS PAGE AS THE ARTICLE UNFOLDS SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME UNTIL I GET IT WHERE IT HOPEFULLY WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW MUCH THIS MAN CONTRIBUTED.
THE BEAR CREEK PLUME DISCOVERY
Shirt Quant's favorite discovery, near Harvey Gap one day prospecting he came across the deposit that gave up some of the most beauitful Plume I have ever seen. Big Green Plumes in a Gemmy Agate. Shirts worked the deposit hard and only a few hundred Lbs was located. People still wander around from Mill Creek, Bear Creek and Harvey Gap in hopes of finding another deposit of this Rare Green Agate.
(c) 2006, 2007 , 2008 , 2009 DALE RHODE OF RHODESCABBIN ROCK SHOP
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