DCMS donates Woolly Mammoth rib to Boot Hill Museum

Posted Date: 05/28/2021

May 25, 2021

Dodge City Public Schools – Mrs. Debbie Hiers and her DCMS students donated the Woolly Mammoth rib to Boot Hill Museum.  The Woolly Mammoth rib was discovered in 1967 during excavating operations by Dodge City Sand Company in an area known as the Water Sports Campground. During dredging repairs, two six foot woolly mammoth ribs were discovered.  One was donated to the Kansas City Museum and the other matching rib was donated to the Dodge City Junior High Science Department.  Ninth grade science teacher Russell Lupton became the first keeper of the precious artifact. The honor was passed on to Debbie Loker in room 201, and over the past twenty years, Mrs. Debbie Hiers has served as the protector and keeper in the very same science room. Thousands of Dodge City students have marveled at the two million year old artifact during their Geological Time scale studies.

Today, Mrs. Hiers and her students escorted the rib to the Boot Hill Museum where the curatorial team accepted the artifact.  Boot Hill Museum staff members explained the museum acquisition process which is shared by every museum in the world.  Accessioning is the process of creating a permanent record of an object, or lot received from a source for which the museum has custody, right, or title, and assigning a unique number to such object or lot. 

Mrs. Debbie Hiers has inspired her students by sharing her love of science in and out of the classroom.  She will be retiring at the end of this school year.