For six years, Bill Shipp has been keeping a secret from their neighbors, which is not easy in this town of about 150 people in the south of the falls of the Missouri River.
On Wednesday, he broke his long silence, before a crowd of about 35 people per Winifred Museum, revealing a replica of a dinosaur skull of 75 million years, searched his property. The museum will be the new home of the replica, one of four created from fossilized bone fragments in position.
Beaked whale, three horns, frilled dinosaur ceratopsian Direct is believed to be the most complete skull of this species ever found, according to Chris Ott, a paleontologist who wrote the book that the fossil is still awaiting publication.
"You can see all other horned dinosaur species which are nothing like this," he said.
How does it differ mainly Ott said, is that the two horns of this dinosaur near his stick in the eye instead of forward, and their culture - the great, difficult to use bone plate behind his eyes - is decorated in a style never seen before. In life, the adult may have weighed about three tons, with a brain the size of a can of beer. Ate plants, breaking the branches with his sharp beak large.
"It takes a lot to impress me with a dinosaur, but I'm impressed by it," said Ott.
Shipp, semi-retired physicist, said he found the fossil in 2005 while walking his property within six miles of the city local fossil hunter Patrick Gil.
"We paleontologists have a strong belief in beginner's luck," he said in October "I know people who are hunting for fossils of 50 years and never found anything like it."
The fossil was integrated into the hill with its rear end near the surface. The first signs of the animal was a leg bone back. Although Shipp had to leave shortly after the discovery, it has hired Patrick and his friend, George Fisher, start searching the site.
"We have not a clue what we were," said Fisher. "It was fun. It's very exciting."
Small paleontologist Joe was hired to help manage the pits while the paleontologist Peter Larson assembled the pieces when they were taken from the site and created the mold pieces reassembled.
They collect original fossil - except for its formidable beak - is through the Black Hills Institute of South Dakota. The tooth fossil remains with the replica of Winifred.
Shipp said it was important for him to reveal the fossil replica he calls Judith - because it was found in the Judith River Breaks - to his friends and neighbors first. It is also important for him to stay on a replica Winifred Museum.
"I feel that since it was found six miles away, is part of this community is part of this environment, it should remain part of the environment," he said.
Curator Helen Rich did not know about the gift of dinosaur that last Thursday, when Shipp came to her class the school to talk to him. By the time she was wearing a cowboy hat and red cape as part of a week-long event in mind.
"So, it was fast and furious," she said. "Our collection of Tonka toys of 3000 parts used to be our claim to fame. Now ... "
Winifred resident Ron Poertner said that the donation of a replica is an addition to the incredible museum. Amateur fossil hunter himself, he said that there are fragments of dinosaur bones scattered throughout the prairie landscape, but there are some that can be put together individual and Shipp found.
He asked how much it cost to dig, clean and have a replica made of dinosaur skull, Shipp joked that his wife, Linda, had financed the project of saving money to buy food.
"Linda is often said that he wished we had never found," he said.
"And, hopefully, will never find another," he joked again.
Despite the cost and a lot of hard work to excavate the fossil bed of sandstone and bentonite, a call Shipp said he would continue looking for alternative fuels.
For more information related to dinosaurs, visit rareresource.com.
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