Hadrosaurus Foulkii Leidy Site facts for kids
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Hadrosaurus foulkii Leidy Site
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Marl pit at the site, in which the bones were found
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 Location in Camden County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | Haddonfield, New Jersey, USA |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1858 |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001648 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 12, 1994 |
| Designated NHL | October 12, 1994 |
The Hadrosaurus foulkii Leidy Site is a special historical place in Haddonfield, New Jersey. It's where the first almost complete set of dinosaur bones was found in 1838. Later, in 1858, a man named William Parker Foulke carefully dug up the rest of the bones. The dinosaur was then named Hadrosaurus foulkii by Joseph Leidy. This site became a National Historic Landmark in 1994. Today, it's a small park called "Hadrosaurus Park" and you can find it at the east end of Maple Avenue in Haddonfield.
Contents
Discovering the Dinosaur
In 1858, William Parker Foulke was on vacation in Haddonfield. He was a lawyer, but he also loved studying old fossils. People called him an amateur paleontologist. He heard about some large bones found on Joseph Hopkins' farm back in 1838.
The Bone Hunt Begins
Joseph Hopkins and his farm workers were digging for marl, a type of clay used as fertilizer. That's when they found bones that looked like backbones. Foulke decided to lead a careful search around Hopkins' marl pit. He found 35 bones from the Hadrosaurus. Scientists believe this dinosaur was a plant-eater. It was about 7 meters (23 feet) long and weighed 2.5 tons (about 5,500 pounds). This amazing creature lived during the Cretaceous period, about 73 million years ago!
Putting the Pieces Together
Foulke gave the bones to Dr. Joseph Leidy for him to study. Dr. Leidy published his findings in 1865. Then, in 1868, he helped create a full skeleton of the Hadrosaurus using the bones found. This reconstructed skeleton was put on display at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. It helped many people learn about this incredible dinosaur discovery.
A Boy Scout's Project
For many years, the site was not well-known. But in 1984, a local Boy Scout named Christopher Brees changed that. He was from Troop 65. For his Eagle Scout project, Christopher researched the site. He helped bring attention to the Hadrosaurus and its discovery. His efforts eventually led to the Hadrosaurus foulkii being named the official dinosaur of New Jersey.
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Plaques at the site showing National Historic Landmark status and a plaque from Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences.
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A display at the Academy of Natural Sciences of casts of the 35 bones dug up at the site.
