About Us
Many years ago while sitting in my 5th grade class, one of my neighbors brought in a large slab of rock with a large fish fossil on it. I now know that fish was a Priscacara and it came from Fossil Lake, part of the Green River Formation. I never forgot that amazing fossil and decided that someday I would go and find one for myself.
The Judd Family visited Fossil Lake for the first time back in 1998. Until that time Kemmerer Wyoming located in Lincoln County, was just a place that we drove through on our way to someplace else. After that first visit we have been back hundreds of times. The buff colored shales of Fossil Lake have provided endless hours of fascination as we have quarried many tons of rock and slit it down looking for the treasures hidden within. I tip my hat to those who allowed us to “pay to dig” over many years; Carl Ulrich, Rick Hebdon, and George Putnam. It was George who one day told me that I was doing enough digging that I really should go commercial.
In 2005 we started digging commercially and JC Fossils was born. JC is short for Judd Communications LLC, my day job. Quarrying fossil fish proved to be an excellent summer job for my 2 teenage sons. They both have moved on to other things like college, but the summers we spent digging together will always be fond memories.
I owe a debt of gratitude to Bob & Bonnie Finney of the Fossil Lake Fish Company, Charlie Nunn of Promise Land Fossils, and all the other folks in quarry who took my family under their wing and showed us the ropes. Last but not least I need to thank my wonderful wife Vicki who has put up with lots of rock, dust, and more dust.