Agate Fossil Beds Administrative History

The Cook Collection Goes To Scotts Bluff, 1963

On November 30, 1962, Mrs. Cook and attorney Lester Danielson visited Scotts Bluff National Monument to discuss storing the Cook library and Indian and Western gun collection there. Because of her periodic absences from the ranch, Margaret Cook expressed concern that the valuable items were not safe from fire, or from family members who wanted to possess some of the articles. Mrs. Cook repeated her intention to donate most, if not all, of the items to the Park Service. The fireproof walk-in vault at Scotts Bluff was an ideal place for the artifacts. Superintendent Jones noted:

She is very anxious not to have either the library or the artifact collection broken up. She will not be willing to donate this material until there is reasonable assurance that the Agate Springs Fossil Quarries National Monument will be established and the material can be used and exhibited there. [36]

Jones asked Regional Director Baker for special authority from the Director to store the historic, but not Federally-owned, items at Scotts Bluff, and forwarded a draft agreement for review. [37]

Following a ruling of the Interior Department's Field Solicitor in Omaha, the Regional Director reported on January 25, 1963, that since the loan was advantageous to the Service, "there is authority for accepting such loans where there is no unusual expense to the Government for maintenance, protection, and/or display." With the assistance of Field Solicitor Morris Cook (no relation), the Regional Office developed a proposed loan agreement based on Jones' draft. [38] On February 17 and 18, while Jones discussed the agreement, Mrs. Cook declared she would donate the collection when the fossil beds became a national monument. [39] During the review of the draft agreement, Field Solicitor Cook stated that since the estate of Harold J. Cook had not been officially closed, Mrs. Cook as an individual had no right to loan the objects until title to the objects had been transferred to her by the Sioux County Probate Court. The field solicitor urged that Mrs. Cook not only sign as an individual and as executrix, but a court order voicing approval should also be required. [40]

Margaret C. Cook signed the loan agreement in her Scottsbluff attorney's office on March 4, 1963. Scotts Bluff Superintendent Bob Jones signed on behalf of the Service. Lester Danielson did not agree to the need for a Sioux County Probate Court order, and Jones did not pursue the stipulation. [41] The agreement formalized Mrs. Cook's desire to donate the collection "if the establishment of the Monument in the vicinity of Agate, Nebraska, is assured before January 1, 1967," the centennial of the State of Nebraska. [42]

The transfer of the Cook Collection to Scotts Bluff began in the following weeks. Regional Museum Curator Newell F. Joyner was at the Agate Springs Ranch from May 13 to 15 to assist in packaging and fumigating the bulk of the collection. [43] On May 16, Mrs. Cook received an official receipt for the loaned collection which acknowledged that the items would be stored at Scotts Bluff until "the establishment of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and the construction of suitable facilities for the storage and research use of the material." [44] On the same day, Mrs. Cook, with her personal secretary Mrs. Teresa Forsling (wife of the foreman of the Agate Springs Ranch), helped Fort Laramie Museum Curator Robert Murray in conducting an inventory of the items. Stored in the vault at Scotts Bluff were thirty-eight cartons containing a paleontological research library of 5,656 books, periodicals, journals, research papers, and other scientific papers and publications. In addition, the Cook Indian Collection of artifacts and wearing apparel, and the Western gun collection were also in safekeeping at Scotts Bluff. [45]