Don Fisher of Kinderhook
Windows Through Time; The register Star; Jan 1, 2013
Robert Titus
If you ever visited Don Fisher’s OK Rock Shop in Kinderhook then you saw a wondrous and very crowded display of rocks and minerals mixed with fossils, in a medium-sized store, right on Main Street. You didn’t just have to look at all those specimens; you could touch them, buy them and even take them home with you! Some people open bed and breakfasts when they retire. Dr. Don Fisher opened up his rock shop. It was perfect for a man who had spent decades doing professional geological research, and who wanted to continue his science at a more casual level during his many retirement years. But, more than that, it largely stemmed from the pleasure he took in talking to people about his science of geology. He had the common touch when he was being approached by non-professionals. The rock shop was the perfect venue for that.
Don had a very long stint at the New York State Museum: 29 years in full. There he was the sixth New York State Paleontologist. That is a very venerable and honorable position. The people who have held that post have distinguished themselves greatly. Don continued this scientific lineage ably, distinguishing himself in the process. He was important.
I first met Don, I think it was in 1972, when I was a member of a team working on the paleontology of the Black River Valley. I was finishing up my doctoral dissertation at the time. Don, and his close friend Larry Rickard, invited us to the Museum to present our findings. That wasn’t enough for them; they wanted to have us lead a field trip to where we were doing our work. We were all eager to do so. Don and Larry were very highly respected geologists, both being, back then, in the primes of their careers. It was a real thrill for me to rub shoulders with the two of them. I quickly found them to be most remarkably likeable people as well as world class scientists.
It is hard for me to cite Don’s most important contribution; there were so many to pick among. The one that I use almost every day is the New York State geological map, published in 1972. It’s actually five maps which together display the distribution of all of the major geological units in New York State. It is an indispensable starting place for any professional work in our state.
But it is important to note that Don always found the time to write for the general public. Some of his best works were found in The Conservationist magazine. These include an article about collecting Devonian fish in New York State. Another was about collecting fossils in general. Still another one was about the Triassic age dinosaur Coelophysis. That dinosaur had left a lot of footprints in southern New York State. That last article he saved for a New York State Museum publication.
But Don’s masterpiece was his “The Rise and Fall of the Taconic Mountains” (Black Dome Press, 2006), written along with Steve Nightingale. It chronicles the geologic history of the Taconic region from way back more than a billion years ago to as late as the Ice Age. I always keep a copy nearby when I am working. So do a lot of other people. Johanna and I were out exploring in northern Columbia County once and we stopped at a fine outcrop that Don had described in his book. We were looking up at the rocks and down at his book and then back up again. Soon another car pulled up and parked. A man got out and he was carrying his copy of Don’s book. Then, astonishingly, just minutes later, still another car pulled up and another man got out with his copy of Don’s book. There we all were: one outcrop, three cars and three copies of Don’s book! Johanna and I can only hope to have that sort of influence with our writings.
I may be a professional, but I often needed help and advice. I had a number of occasions to call or visit Don and ask him questions when I was developing columns about the geology of Columbia County.” Where can I go see the Stockbridge formation?” “Where can I see a good exposure of a thrust fault?” He always had the time; he was always very helpful and never had to look things up. He just knew the answers right off the top of his head. And he could give directions too. He had a true encyclopedic knowledge of Taconic geology. The man was a real resource.
We lost Don Fisher on the day before Christmas. We will miss him greatly.
