Saturday, April 14, 2018

Singleton says Claiborne fossil beds best viewed when river is low


(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Planet’s beginning visible in the Claiborne fossil bed” was originally published in the July 22, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Dating back into the Mesozoic period, the Claiborne fossil bed is probably the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Mesozoic means middle life, which, according to geologists, covered a period of about 165 million years. It was also during this period that reptiles so overshadowed all other animals that it is often called the “Age of Reptiles.” Birds, mammals, flowering plants and many insects that we know today appeared for the first time. Elm, oak, maple and other modern broad-leafed trees became common. Other important geographic changes were also taking place. New patterns of lands and seas formed. New mountains slowly emerged from the bowels of the earth, as the planet earth took on new form.

What does all this mean in plain everyday language? It means that approximately 60 to 100 million years ago, the river bands and bluffs of Claiborne were formed. The fossils that we find there today were living creatures. Both land and water inhabitants were in abundance in the area even at that early date.

The fossil bed of Claiborne is best seen when the river is at its lower levels. I have on several occasions visited the fossil bed. On two occasions, I was amazed and pleased to find people from several other states there looking for fossils. This could be one of Monroe County’s major attractions, with only a little effort.

I have read somewhere that the planet earth is around four or five billion years old, give or take a few million. According to this, the fossil bed at Claiborne is quite young in comparison. When we speak in terms of millions of years, it is sometimes hard to comprehend. Looking back through time, with all its changes, I am reminded once again of this passage of scripture, which is appropriate, I think:

“And God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and the fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven, and it was so.”

(This column was also accompanied by a photo taken by Aaron White. The caption read as follows: The Claiborne fossil bed attracts many explorers in search of traces of early life forms.)

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born during a late-night thunderstorm on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

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