In 1968, the Groleau Brothers, Inc. construction company unearthed a mastodon skeleton while digging near Cranberry Lake in White Lake Township. They donated the bones to OCC along with $500 for their preservation. Only one-third of the mastodon’s bones were found and eventually the decision was made to only reconstruct the head, tail, and left side of the mastodon skeleton.

Thirteen years later, the reconstruction of the now nicknamed “Elmer” began under the supervision of Dr. Jeheskel (Hezy) Shoshani. He instructed students in the class “Mounting a Mastodon” at OCC’s Highland Lakes Campus. This class spanned three terms and had around 50 students working on the reconstruction throughout the process. On June 24, 1982 Elmer’s reconstruction was finally complete and at that time he was the second such skeleton in Michigan.

Inspired by the original mastodon project, students searched for another opportunity to become involved with a similar excavation. In 1983, a consortium consisting of the Cranbrook Institute of Science, Wayne State University, and OCC sponsored a series of classes entitled “Dig a Mastodon”. These classes were offered at OCC’s Highland Lakes Campus and provided students with the necessary scientific background to accompany fieldwork at the Shelton Mastodon Excavation Site in Brandon Township. The students were able to perform a basic site layout, excavation, and preparation of all materials uncovered at this property.