Back in the late 80’s I got a call from a knapper buddy from the St. Louis area inviting me on a rock run. A construction project had opened up just south of St. Louis and there was lots of rock available. The project was a housing addition along MO 30 near the town of High Ridge. The rock was Crescent, a subtype of Burlington chert. It is usually white but this particular deposit was heavily colored, making it very desirable.
Roads and underground utilities were finished and the backhoes were starting to dig basements on the dozens of lots. Every time they dug into a lot for a basement, they dug up limestone and a layer of the colored stone. It was quickly dubbed “High Ridge Crescent”. Back then, there probably weren’t more than a dozen knappers in the St. Louis area, and it seemed like they were all there loading up. There were piles of limestone and flint everywhere with end loaders loading the stuff in dump trucks and hauling it away. The dump site was found later and turned into a kind of sub-quarry. It was a colored flint free for all.
I spent 4 or 5 hrs. there and got, if I remember right, six 5-gallon buckets, or around 350 lbs. of rock. I drove an old Jeep CJ7 back then and that’s was about a load for it. Enjoyed the rock run and meeting some new knappers, then headed home with my cache. I spent the next few months processing the rock and chipping points. I chipped enough for one good frame, then gave away or traded off the rest.
Here is one nice piece I saved for posterity. This is pretty much what we were hauling out of High Ridge back then. Some pieces were even larger than this, most were smaller.
Here’s the frame and close ups of some of the points I made from the High Ridge material. I had been knapping 4 yrs. or so when I made these. Gary
Roads and underground utilities were finished and the backhoes were starting to dig basements on the dozens of lots. Every time they dug into a lot for a basement, they dug up limestone and a layer of the colored stone. It was quickly dubbed “High Ridge Crescent”. Back then, there probably weren’t more than a dozen knappers in the St. Louis area, and it seemed like they were all there loading up. There were piles of limestone and flint everywhere with end loaders loading the stuff in dump trucks and hauling it away. The dump site was found later and turned into a kind of sub-quarry. It was a colored flint free for all.
I spent 4 or 5 hrs. there and got, if I remember right, six 5-gallon buckets, or around 350 lbs. of rock. I drove an old Jeep CJ7 back then and that’s was about a load for it. Enjoyed the rock run and meeting some new knappers, then headed home with my cache. I spent the next few months processing the rock and chipping points. I chipped enough for one good frame, then gave away or traded off the rest.
Here is one nice piece I saved for posterity. This is pretty much what we were hauling out of High Ridge back then. Some pieces were even larger than this, most were smaller.
Here’s the frame and close ups of some of the points I made from the High Ridge material. I had been knapping 4 yrs. or so when I made these. Gary
