[meteorite-list] "Greenburg Palisite", Brenham Meteorites, Stockwell and the Big Well.

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Dec 25 18:38:07 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-F15925FDDB7DCB164FA0073B3A70_at_phx.gbl>

Hello all,

Hope everyone is having a happy holiday.

The "Greensburg Pallisite" is really a Brenham meteorite. I don't think they
really care we call their meteorite something else. The exact mileage
escapes me. Greensburg is a small farming town and I don't think they care
enough to change the name. The failed Well is more the attraction. I
remember seeing a sign there, the Big Well Museum, where it is sets today,
that claims the meteorite was found 16 miles from the museum, or something
close to that.

Back to the meteorite.....

A polished window in on one side of the meteorite confirms it is paired with
the Brenham meteorites, but since the "Meteorite Farm" was not farm from the
location of find, it was thought to be.

In fact it was found by H.O. Stockwell, who was hunting for big Brenham
meteorites with a self made metal detector. Stockwell had worked several
years at an electric shop in Hutchison, Kansas. The metal detector he
constructed, was an awkward looking machine placed on a wheelbarrow made
completely of wood. Any metal in the wheelbarrow would set off the detector.
Just like ANY metal in the field set off his machine. Using this
contraction, Stockwell found several large Brenham meteorites, and a stone
meteorite not related to the Brenham fall. In his shop he had a huge
Brenham meteorite on a stand with a sign saying that if you could lift it
and take it our of the door it was yours. It took a fork lift to get it
moved. An interesting fact about "H.O." as most called his, was that he was
color blind and when asked to identify a stone he would first ask the color
of that stone.

Back to the meteorite.....

The Greensburg Pallisite is the Brenham "main mass" with a weight of 1,000
lbs or 454.54kg. If I remember correctly, I read that it was weighed on a
large grain scale, which could mean the weight is off, give or take about
5%. Stockwell found the meteorite in January 1949 under 63 inches of dirt. A
well known photograph shows him holding the meteorite, just pulled from the
ground and still in the cranes chains.

The Big Well has a very interesting story. Greensburg at one time, in early
Kansas history, had hopes of becoming a great city. There are several funny
stories related to the town. Such as their early problem in getting a post
office. A very small and almost vacant town, "Janeville", had an official
post office in it. At this time, post offices had to spaced so far apart,
which meant Greensburg could not build their own. The postmaster, who's
daughter Jane, was the namesake for the town did not want to move. My
understanding is that the locals, got the postmaster drunk in a poker game,
letting him win and when he awoke the next morning, he found the people had
moved the whole post office, with him in it, to a nice spot of land in
Greensburg.

The well was dug by hand and is the deepest such well. It provided early
water plumbing to the town people and with a deal with a couple of coach
wagon companies, Greensburg slowly started to thrive. I am not sure what
did it in, but at some point the town went defuct with a bank on the well.
The bank came and took every piece of piping and sold it off to another
town.
Now it has a doghouse like building with windows in the side above it. For a
few dollars you can walk down inside. I have always just went for the free
window peak.....it looks deep. A building beside the well is the gift shop
and in a small corner room, maybe 10 by 8 feet is a wooden glass case with
the Brenham meteorite. I think it is the same meteorite that once set in
Stockwell's shop. They however do not have a lift it and you can have it
sign. Darn it.

Well times for seconds of a typical Christmas meal....

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
www.kansasmeteoritesociety.com
www.meteoritearticles.com
www.imca.cc
Received on Sat 25 Dec 2004 06:37:14 PM PST