Remembering the meteorite that ripped through Uptown home
"It's so rare for these things to hit in populated areas that it became quite a big deal," Nelson said.
Meteorite hunters from all over flocked to the neighborhood almost immediately, trying to make deals with the stunned homeowner.
Nelson said he tried to persuade Fausset to keep the valuable in local hands.
"I got calls from universities all over the state telling me, do whatever you can to keep (Fausset) from selling (the meteorite) out of the state, and so my theme was, well Louisiana is losing so much land, when a piece of rock comes and adds to the land, we should definitely keep it here," Nelson joked.
Nelson said Fausset donated a piece of the rock to Tulane, and sold some of it to a local rarities collector. Now, 10 years later, the incident still conjures feelings of wonder for those involved with it.
“For me, it was very fascinating,” Nelson said.
