Tualatin, Oregon, lies in its own valley near the head of the Willamette Valley. In the time of the Ice Age floods, about 18,000 years ago, the area was a rich wetland. The gift those floods left behind was a hearty silt containing loess that was picked up from lands in Eastern Washington in the rush of the flood waters. The depositied loess supported abundant plant life that supported the megafauna animals that benefitted from this rich land, including Columbian Mammoths, Mastodons, Giant Sloths, Grey Wolves, the first Horses, Bison and others in the Pleistocene Age. In today’s world, fossil hunting for these extinct animals is a fruitful treasure hunt and celebrated in the Tualatin area.
Tualatin has helped lead the way in displaying Ice Age fossils at various family friendly sites in the City:
Tualatin Public Library: Enter, and the first thing you see is the Mastodon skeleton displayed high behind the checkout desk framed in an etched glass panel depicting the grassland and the Mastodon’s body. This fossil skeleton was discovered nearby during a site excavation for a large retail store. Further on into the Library are a group of lighted display cabinets for fossils arranged on shelves. The cabinets are arranged side by side in a gentle arc for easy family viewing. 18878 SW Martinazzi, Tualatin, 97062.
Tualatin Greenway: To the right and behind the Library/City Building is the entrance to the Tualatin Greenway, a trail system along the Tualatin River. It is complete with signage concerning Ice Age Floods. The primary trail is a long winding concrete path with a blue meandering mosaic center strip representing Tualatin’s part of the National Ice Age Trail. It’s a favorite for joggers, cyclists and those who love to walk.
Cabela’s Shopping Center: Return from the Greenway to the front of the shopping center building. See the full-size juvenile Mastodon sculpture being admired by a farm boy holding a spade with which to find a fossil skeleton. At his farm, a molar tooth is a barn doorstop. Read the story on the plaque. Brian Keith is the sculptor. Inside Cabela’s store, see the Cave at the back which shows Ice Age fossils displayed in context.
Tualatin Heritage Center: Here, Columbian Mammoth and Mastodon tusks are featured among other Ice Age fossils. Of special interest are the large granite boulder erratics on display outside, all with explanatory plaques. 8700 SW Sweek Dr., Tualatin, Oregon 97062
In addition, the Lower Columbia Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute offers regular presentations about various Ice Age Floods topics by renowned experts, as well as newsletters and other events of interest. Visit the Ice Age Floods Institute website (IAFI.org) for much more information.