2/19/2011:
An interesting bit of prehistoric history surfaced in Velva on this date in 1922. Fred Russell was the proprietor of a hotel in which he had a collection of curios including stuffed animals and birds. According to the story, which is somewhat questionable, he was the recipient of an unusual specimen of fossilized fish – a fossil found by Alfred Hoehmeyer, who was working in an underground coal mine south of Sawyer.
While blasting lignite coal at a depth of one hundred and fifty feet, Mr. Hoehmeyer uncovered the three and a half foot specimen so perfectly preserved that the fins and scales were plainly visible. It may have been a member of the shark family, but unfortunately, like so many of North Dakota’s treasures, it is no longer around to verify the tale.
Dakota Datebook written by Jim Davis
Source:
The Devils Lake World, February 22, 1922