![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn8sRcQ1MvdaZV-hpQChsGfDKh2zjJsDDL8Hjnsd2lKr3rLlI1tITRAZ4Wwh5Ht3sNnTjOFgl_TXqqpzppMhXXTvn9C9AJxhwVwOkmG2espzkMfZUjqIq8aZGOkHBJpwlFU9PMeKJKB8/s640/104_1218.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OgU_sef9UYdEVguKH1qttLcNCIBkmk_DLvox97Sv8_Dt7Swj1dUx6t7uCJ5iE2nFgwR7DL3rfN_wh8lxs4pFPsC1BRJ2QlIhKhPTyUjvoDQ_v9Exk7GSmsBsKPTCqkgLWHF7wToXEP8/s640/104_1179.jpg)
Pulling off the highway and into the tiny town of Oakley we
could not miss the huge statue on the only high ground for miles. Riding his
favourite horse "Brigham" as he rides down a bison is the bronze
statue of Buffalo Bill. This is an unusual statue as walking up the crest of
the hill where it stands are numerous information displays and even short radio
announcements you can listen to about the Buffalo hunter and the history of the
region.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxvy7mTaRnCKwpLBPp1WnY6OEM1xcb-QkH_p4RPP2yuXgda1DAg2ZllcObKpNH7ebiHSCxiYxVngS9vBPeFOCzR_oj6SEP0B0FdVLm3UtPQAhg9Ils090DnJIMUBRXkjO65bHZVyA2OM/s640/104_1213.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9prOZ24VpWHik1fSUR5liMnSOcAjJAJCeQ_byfKQ9yv1aufUPQvajTJzKm8MWdELyvImkIHfPFrQLdfVDOzjKyjCxvWbtLuYtN_oFyf0_vJB5RvvnORiBkR_5i3z3lr8pT9PTYLALr3Y/s640/104_1219.jpg)
The Fink museum is located in the same building as the local
Oakley library, and was built after the town was given an unusual donation by
Ernest and Vi Fick in 1972 of a number of fossils and artworks - and strangely
a number of artworks containing fossils.
During the Late Cretaceous much of central USA lay under the
Western Interior Seaway, which created vast beds of chalk that so many of the world’s
most famous marine fossils were discovered lying within. Amongst the fish,
turtles, sharks and birds have been found long necked plesiosaurs and numerous complete
mosasaurs.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rVftPf7QvLG55eI98LGNsZeoH-ZC4ISrpl39mL2D-JL0PLjUb-yanG92pFqF5OLOAIeQhEW8qSnMUZsI6FycQ__y1rLTGJCXUDXG59KTnoXJcby_xMuwLgHiRdAvufzeDUPtDdyebD4/s640/104_1284.jpg)
Also on display are is one of the world’s oldest known
mosasaur fossils, along with a 15 foot Xiphactinus Audax specimen that had been
prepared by well-known Kansas fossil-hunter, George Sternberg.
There are some items of interest not to be missed, including
the complete paddle from a Plesiosaur that may contain the evidence for why
only the paddle was found. Running across the large bones of the reptiles
flipper are a number of large grooves, believed to be from the teeth of an
attacking mosasaur.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5TKUgr49GMNrId18pVHmSVS-ZHPClSGsr6Y9esbZHX42jSDDyHUHfA6xqObwmMtWg8uOrPZ5H1_gU6QlMsouiwkslv41ow3C-bLj0LdI4Vuv6h5gb9owhgKwgBi2BqQajBo9slESHFM/s640/104_1306.jpg)
As a local museum, many of the specimens were found and
donated by local residents, and the displays often proudly announce who found
the item and any story that went along with the fossil and its finder.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1BKFlDsT8TMUjW6oUQFKFy_lUG_AqiemXngWOjMXSLLWBc8QWg1jTxWR4WCC5tCgWVaU1EBvinXNce-RDiYVqsWvOoi7KT7ujXs6ke0KOAb5q07BGdGgiAWa90Lw6ZQOlrdLLu6clzo/s640/104_1225.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSIGkVA2JEE2uHRsI_uA_CSZob8d1O54ljg6KWHZLI7G7clPVuuQUg4leEe19qTiL2IXKHTMSKu_5gWUZZmRSkFV4n_jXfVpMDH0U4G1u_CZKDqK6xMuRecg8WJ8_9iVg219a48Dnnp0/s640/104_1267.jpg)
...by the way, I never did get to see that 5 legged cow!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClRyyVPEubPLjPBWxLwlXiwP8JZPOOwbPqIn7ckMXZEM4pQr4NRIVp18DI1B0aASp9QtNCRhbTMYAvxLediLX_KhzS8q15_S-RK8IgAnEvVwB8kT_2pywWgOc6pxPFHN3nbdJd-GPdI0/s640/104_1391.jpg)
Entry is free- as for hours, it is likely bet to contact the museum to find out when it is open as it seems to have limited operational hours during winter.
the museum can be found at:
700 W 3rd St, Oakley, KS 67748, United States