Miracle Mile in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Chester Stock, Ph.D. / Observation Pit
Hancock Park
— La Brea Tar Pits —
Chester Stock, Ph.D., January 28, 1892 - December 7, 1950. Paleontologist. Chief Curator of Science - Los Angeles County Museum, Chairman of the Division of Geological Sciences - California Institute of Technology who, encouraged by the foresight and generosity of G. Allan Hancock, inspired his many co-workers in developing and preserving the treasures of Rancho La Brea.
Presented by the Los Angeles County Museum Association.
panel 2:
Observation Pit
The observation pit at the west end of Hancock Park is a partially excavated deposit of fossils and bubbling asphalt enclosed in a circular building that first opened in 1952. Depth of excavation 12 feet.
Located on the site of Pit 101, the display in the Observation Pit demonstrates what the fossil localities looked like while being excavated. This building was dedicated in 1951 to the memory of Dr. Chester Stock, the Caltech professor and County Museum curator, who personally described many of the different kinds of fossil mammals recovered from the tar pits.
Photo captions:
(1) Chester Stock measuring a fossil while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1925.
(2) Dire Wolf.
(3) Chester Stock examining dire wolf skull and teeth in 1939.
Erected 1952 by Los Angeles County Museum Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Education • Paleontology • Science & Medicine. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1987.
Location. 34° 3.815′ N, 118° 21.408′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Miracle Mile. Marker can be reached from Wilshire Boulevard west of South Curson Street. The markers are at the Observation Pit which is near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the La Brea Tar Pits. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90036, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hancock Park (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Berlin Wall Segments (about 700 feet away); Carthay Circle (approx. half a mile away); Jedediah Strong Smith (approx. half a mile away); Daniel O. McCarthy (approx. 0.6 miles away); The History of Gilmore Oil Company 1900-1945 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Juan Bautista de Anza (approx. 0.7 miles away); Rancho La Brea Adobe (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.
Also see . . .
1. George C. Page Museum. The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County website homepage (Submitted on January 10, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. "Chester Stock, 1892 - 1950, A Biographical Memoir by George Gaylord Simpson". National Academy of Sciences Online website entry (PDF) (Submitted on April 11, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,077 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 8, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 9, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 7. submitted on April 11, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.