A 93-pound Petoskey stone was confiscated 10 years ago: Where is it now?
It’s been nearly 10 years since a man lugged a giant Petoskey stone from Lake Michigan only to have it confiscated by the state months later.
Today, it can be seen at the Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater St. in Detroit.
In 2015, Tim O’Brien had unknowingly violated a state law that allows individuals to collect up to 25 pounds of rocks or fossils from state land per year for personal use. The 93-pound stone was nearly four times over the limit.
Conservation officers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources confiscated it on Dec. 9, 2015.
RELATED: State confiscates 93-pound Petoskey stone from Michigan man
A 93-pound Petoskey stone found in Lake Michigan in 2015 was later confiscated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. It is now on display at the DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater St. in Detroit.MLive file photo
O’Brien had found the stone in September in shallow water near Northport along the Leelanau Peninsula. For three months, he displayed it in front of his Copemish home and had no intention of doing anything else with it, he told MLive at the time.
State officials became aware of the stone after O’Brien posted a photo of his discovery on Facebook. It went viral.
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The DNR promised that the rare stone would be put on display for the public.
A 93-pound Petoskey stone found in Lake Michigan in 2015 was later confiscated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. It is seen here as part of a waterfall display at the DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater St. in Detroit.Missy Sharp | MDNR
In November 2017, that promise was kept. The stone was delivered to the DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center where it can still be seen today as part of a waterfall display. The stone is submerged, making the fossilized Hexagonaria coral, also known as Petoskey stone, more visible.
“Since our mission includes educating the public about Michigan’s natural resources, we make a perfect home for items confiscated by our conservation officers,” said Missy Sharp, director of the OAC. “Many of our mounted animals were obtained in this manner.”
At 93-pounds, this stone is “uncommonly large” for a Petoskey stone, said Matt Fry, DNR minerals manager. However, he says, this rock is not purely Hexagonaria coral. Most of it is Traverse limestone with the fossil attached to it.
“Most are pebble size, and it is unusual to find Petoskey stones that are purely Hexagonaria coral larger than a hockey puck,” Fry said.
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As rockhounds continue to scour Michigan’s shorelines for Petoskey stones, Yooperlites, pudding rocks and agates, they should keep in mind that stones over the 25-pound limit “should be left alone” in most cases, he said.
However, if the finder believes there is a risk of theft or damage, or if the rock is a hazard, they can report their find to the local DNR office.
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