The Jacklin Collection of Silicified Wood and Minerals

Petrified Wood is a primary focus of the Jacklin Collection on display at Washington State University. Photo from flickr.   The Jacklin Collection, on display at Washington State University in Pullman, features an extensive collection of silicified (petrified) wood and mineral specimens. Gifted to the University by alumni Lyle and Lela Jacklin in 1983, the collection contains petrified wood dating back 200 million years ago.  

40 Years of Rockhounding

Housed on the first floor of the Kate B. Webster Physical Sciences Building, the Jacklin Collection features hundreds of mineral and mineralized wood specimens, such as sections of petrified trees. For over 40 years, the Jacklin family spent their free time rockhounding together. Scouring the Saddle Mountain region of Vantage, Washington, as well as the Hampton Butte and Swartz Canyon areas of Eastern Oregon, the family eventually expanded into other western states of the US, and even to Europe. Many of the specimens in the Jacklin Collection came from California, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, and Arizona. They also hunted in Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. For some of the more exotic specimens, the Jacklins traded material they had hunted themselves. Some of these exotic specimens come from Mexico and Brazil.  

Highlights from the Jacklin Collection

The Jacklin Collection represents one of the most extensive collections of cut and polished petrified wood in the United States. Perhaps the most exciting item in the collection is a section of petrified palm tree. Believe it or not, palm trees grew abundantly in Central Washington about 12 million years ago, when the climate was far milder. The collection also includes an 8-foot petrified tree, as well as a 500-pound portion of tree trunk which shows evidence of prehistoric beaver teeth marks! The majority of the Jacklin Collection consists of similar sections of petrified logs, gorgeous geodes (or thunder eggs), dinosaur bones, and bookends made from petrified wood. The University offers free admission to view the Jacklin Collection during open hours on the weekdays.  

The Jacklin Family

The family behind the Jacklin Collection resided in Spokane, Washington, during the 1930s through the 1970s. In 1936, Lyle Jacklin, along with his father, and a cousin, founded the Jacklin Seed Company. In its beginnings, the Jacklin Seed Company specialized in the development of pea, lentil, and navy bean seeds. After World War II, Lyle's brother Arden joined the company. At that point, the company expanded to include grass seed. The Jacklin Seed Company flourished as they expanded to include research, breeding, and production of many types of turf grass seed. Presently, the company holds patents on a number of these varieties of grass seed. In 1977, the family moved the company to Post Falls, Idaho, where they began producing Kentucky blue grass seed. Twenty years later, the family sold the company to J.R. Simplot. Several generations of Jacklins graduated from Washington State University. In addition to the donation of the Jacklin Collection, the family also sponsors an Education Abroad Endowment. Visitors to the WSU campus can stop in and view the Jacklin Collection during the science building's open hours. For more details, please visit the university's website.   ~ Angela Magnotti Andrews