Marsh-Felch

Welcome to Garden Park Fossil Area's Marsh Quarry and Marsh-Felch Correspondence Letters

This website details the correspondence between Othniel C. Marsh (Yale paleontologist) and Marshall P. Felch (a Cañon City, Colorado resident) from 1881 to 1892. During this time, Felch excavated fossils for Marsh and sent them by train to Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut.

On this website you will find links to:

  • A brief life story of M.P. Felch
  • All letters of correspondence between Felch and Marsh with additional documents (except for the Marsh to Felch letters in 1885)
  • An interactive map illustrating where and what the fossils were in the quarry

"The work of removing fossils from this quarry calls for a vast amount of ability, skill, and patience, sometimes more than I possess - and is like dislodging an enemy from some strongly fortified position - only there the more damage done the better the work - while here we must take the fortress and all belonging with it without a scratch."

M.P. Felch
Jan. 6, 1885