DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

FRANKLIN K. LANE, Secretary

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director

Bulletin 663

THE

STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES 

OF MINNESOTA

BY

OLIVER BOWLES

Prepared in cooperation with the Minnesota State Geological Survey 

W. H. Emmons, Director

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1918

CONTENTS.

Introduction.............................................................. 13

Development of stone quarrying in Minnesota.............................. 14

Limestones........................................................... 14

Crystalline rocks..................................................... 15

Sandstones............................................................ 16

Uses of stone.......................................................... 16

Production.......................................................... 17

Bock minerals............................................................ 19

Physical properties.................................................... 19

Silicates............................................................. 20

Kaolinite........................................................ 20

Feldspar........................................................... 21

Mica......:...................................................... 22

Hornblende.............................................:......... 22

Augite........................................................... 22

Chlorite.......:.................................................. 23

Epidote...................... ................................... 23

Olivine.......................................................... 23

Talc.............................................................. 23

Sphene.............."............................................. 23

Zircon......:.................,.................,................ 23

Garnet............................................................ 23

Carbonates............................................................ 24

Calcite........................................................... 24

Dolomite........................................................ 24

Oxides............................................................... 24

Quartz............................................................ 24

Magnetite......................................................... 24

Hematite........................................................ 25

Limonite. ............................................... .....'... 25

SulpMdes............................................................ 25

Pyrite............................................................ 25

Marcaaite........................................................ 25

Phosphates............................................................. 25

Apatite.......................................................... 25

Kocks.................................................................... 26

Classification.......................................................... 26

Igneous rocks.......................................................... 27

Granite.......................................................... 27

Aplite............................................................ 28

Syenite. .......................................................... 28

Quartz monzonite................................................. 28

Diorite.......................................................... 28

Granodiorite...................................................... 28

Gabbro.......................................................... 28

Basalt........................................................... 28

Diabase.............. '. ............................................ 29

3
4 CONTENTS.

Rocks Continued. Page.

Sedimentary rocks..................................................... 29

Conglomerate..................................................... 29

Sandstone........................................................ 29

Shale................................................:............ 30

Limestone and dolomite.......................................... 30

Metamorphic rocks.................................................... 31

Gneiss........................................................... 31

Schist............................................................ 31

Quartzite................................. ...................... 31

Slate............................................................. 31

Marble........................................................... 31

Bock structures that affect quarrying................................... 31

Types............................................................ 31

Joints............................................................ 32

Sheeting planes................................................... 33

Bedding planes................................................... 33

Rift and run..................................................... 33

Properties of stone........................................................ 35

Outline of properties................................................... 35

Methods of study........... 1.......................................... 35

Brief descriptions of properties......................................... 35

Composition...................................................... 35

Hardness........................................................ 36

Texture.......................................................... 36

Color............................................................ 37

Strength......................................................... 37

Porosity.......................................................... 38

Specific gravity and weight per cubic foot........................... 38

Physical tests........................................................ 38

Considerations in selecting stone....................................... 39

Durability.......................:................................ 39

Appearance...................................................... 40

Cost.............................................................. 41

Physiography............................................................ 41

Geology of the building stones............................................. 42

Archean............................................................. 43

Algonkian............................................................ 43

Paleozoic............................................................ 44

Cambrian........................................................ 44

Dresbach sandstone and underlying shales and sandstones....... 44

Franconia sandstone........................................... 44

St. Lawrence formation. ..................'.......... ^.......... 45

Jordan sandstone............................................ - 45

Ordovician....................................................... 45

Oneota dolomite.............................................. 45

Shakopee dolomite............................................ 45

St. Peter sandstone........................................... 45

Platteville limestone.......................................... 45

Decorah shale................................................ 46

Galena limestone.............................................. 46

Maquoketa shale............................................. 46

Devonian........................................................ 46

Post-Devonian erosion............................................. 46
CONTENTS. ' 5

Geology of the building stones Continued. Page.

Mesozoic............................................................. 46

Cretaceous........................................................ 46

Cenozoic.............................................................. 47

Pleistocene epoch................................................. 47

Crystalline rocks of Minnesota........................................:.... 47

Age and general distribution........................................... 47

Archean rocks of the Minnesota Eiver valley........'.................... 47

Keweenawan rocks of central Minnesota................................ 50

Rocks shown on the maps.......................................... 50

__^ Granites and related rocks......................................... 50

Prominent rock types......................................... 50

 "St. Cloud red" granite.................................. 50

" St. Cloud gray" granite................................. 51

Rockville granite......................................... 52

Porphyritic granite.................'........................... 53

Age of the granites............................................ 54

Rock defects................................................. 57

Occurrence and character.................................. 57

Mixtures of red granite and gray granite .................... 57

Diabase or trap dikes..................................... 58

Aplites................................................... 59

Hair lines...I............................................ 59

Black knots............................................... 60

Joints.................................................... 61

Sheeting planes........................................... 62

Surface alteration......................................... 62

Nature of the product.......................................... 63

Gabbros and diorites.......................................... 64

- - Technology............................................................ 64

Quarry methods............... ................................... 64

Stripping ...................................................... 64

Plan of operation............................................. 64

Drilling....................................................... 65

Blasting...................................................... 65

Wedging...................................................... 65

Hoisting...................................................... 66

Finishing..................................................... 66

Rock transportation.......................................... 66

Waste........................................................... 67

Economic conditions............ ? ................................. 67

Granites................................................................. 68

Granites and gneisses of Archean age in the Minnesota River valley...... 68

Big Stone County .....................................'............. 68

1 Distribution and character of the rocks......................... 68

Consolidated Granite Co. quarry................................ 69

Aberdeen Granite Co. quarry.................................. 69

Chippewa County................................................. 69

Montevideo area............................................... 69

Granite Falls area............................................. 70

Yellow Medicine County.......................................... 71

Granite Falls area............................................. 71

Renville County................................................. 72

Distribution of the rock....................................... 72

North Redwood Granite Works................................. 72

Anderson Granite Co. quarry.................................. 73
6 CONTENTS.

Granites Continued.

Granites and gneisses of Archean age in the Minnesota River valley Con. Page.

Redwood County.................................................. 74

Nicollet County................................................... 74

The Keweenawan granites of central Minnesota..........'.....:.......... 74

Quarries and undeveloped outcrops................................ 74

Stearns County. '.................................................. 75

Ashley Township............................................. 75

Le Sank Township........................................... 75

United Granite Co. quarry..............;................. 75

Undeveloped rock outcrops............................... 75

Lynden Township............................................. 80

Melrose Township............................................ 81

Rockville Township........................................... 81

Clark & McCormack quarry................................ 81

Rockville Granite Co. quarry............................... 83

Abandoned quarries and undeveloped outcrops............. 83

St. Augusta Township......................................... 83

St. Cloud Township........................................... 85

Atwood quarries.......................................... 85

Black Diamond quarries.................................. 86

Doerner quarry............................................ 88

Efnpire Quarry Co. quarries. .....:......:................. 88

Flaherty Bros, quarry..................................... 90

Frick & Berwick Granite Co. quarry....................... 90

Graham quarry........................................... 91

Granite City Granite Co. quarries........................... 92

Holes Bros, quarries...................................... 92

Jones quarry.............................................. 93

Melrose Granite Co. quarries............................... 94

Monarch Granite Co. quarry............................... 96

National Quarry Co. quarry............................... . 97

Noreen quarries.......................................... 98

Northwestern Granite Co. quarries......................... 99

Robinson quarry.......................................... 100

Robinson Bros, quarry..................................... . 101

 - St. Cloud Granite Works quarries........................... 101

Schwab quarry............................................ 102

Simmers & Campbell quarries.............................. ]03

Streitz Bros, quarry...................................... 105

Undeveloped outcrops..................................... 105

St. Joseph Township........................................... 115

Pioneer Granite Co. quarry................................. 115

Undeveloped outcrops..................................... 116

St. WendallTownship.......................................... 116

Sauk Center Township........................................ 117

Wakefield Township........................................... 117

Sherburne County................................................. 119

Character and distribution of the rocks.......................... 119

Quarries..................................................... 119

Old Rock Island or Saulpaugh quarry ......................... 119

Minnesota State Reformatory quarries....................... 120

__East St. Cloud Granite Co. quarry. .................. = ..... 121

"" Hilder Granite Co. quarry.................................. 122

Erickson quarry........................................... 123

Kellas quarry............................................ 124
CONTENTS. 7

Granites Continued.

The Keweenawan granites of central Minnesota Continued. Page.

Benton County................................................... 124

Character and distribution of the rocks.......................... 124

Quarries ..................................................... 125

Fischer Co. quarry........................................ 125

Coates quarry........................ '.. ................... 125

Sauk Rapids Granite Co. quarries........................... 126

Swanson & Hagstedt quarry............................... 128

Sauk Rapids quarry...................................... 129

Undeveloped rock outcrops.................................... 129

Granite Ledge Township................................... 130

Gilmantan Township...................................... 131

Mayhew Lake Township.................................. 131

Sauk Rapids Township.................................... 131

Watab Township.................................'........ 134

Granites of Morrison, Kanabec, Aitkin, Cass, Mille Lacs, and St. Louis

counties....................................................... 136

Morrison County.................................................. 136

Williams quarry............................................... 136

Fish Lake quarry.............................................. 137

Davidson & Davidson quarry................................... 138

Whitney quarry.............................................. 139

Kanabec County.................................................. 140

Distribution of granite........................................ 140

Reynolds Granite Co. quarry.................................. 141

Warman Creek Granite Co. quarry...................."......... 142

Undeveloped outcrops ....................................... 143

Aitkin County.................................................... 144

Cass County....................................................... 144

Mille Lacs County................................................. 145

St. Louis County. .................................>................ 145

Giants Range........................................ o....... 145

Hinsdale quarry.............................................. 146

Gabbros and diabases..................................................... 148

Lake, St. Louis, and Chisago counties................................. 148

Lake County...................................................... 148

St. Louis County.................................................. 148

Duluth Crushed Stone Co. quarry.............................. 148

Other quarries................................................ 149

Chisago County................................................... 149

Limestones and marbles................................................... 149

Distribution and character.....................:...................... 149

Color................................................................ 150

Durability of argillaceous limestone.................................... 151

Economic conditions.................................................. 152

Quarry methods........................................................ 152

Quarry descriptions....... t ............................................ 153

Anoka County. .................................................... 153

Blue Earth County................................................ 153

General features............................................... 153

Bradley quarry................................................ 154

McClure and Widell quarries.................................... 155

Jefferson and Willard quarries.................................. 156
8 CONTENTS.

Limestones and marbles Continued. 

Quarry descriptions Continued.

Blue Earth County Continued. Page.

Quarries in Mankato............................................ 156

General features........................................... 156

Chicago & Northwestern Kail way quarry.................... 157

Fowler & Pay quarry...................................... 157

T. R. Coughlan Co. quarry.................................. 158

Mankato Limestone & Fuel Co. quarry...................... 158

Carney's Bricklayer Cement Co. quarry..................... 158

Dakota County.................................................... 158

0. Carlson quarry.............................................. 158

Gentzkow & Mogreen quarry................................... 159

Blomstrand & Olson quarry..................................... 159

Mendota quarries................. r ............................ 159

Aiken quarry...............'................................... 160

Dodge County..................................................... 161

General features............................................... 161

McDonough quarry........................................... 162

Fillmore County................................................... 162

General features............................................... 162

Ely quarry.................................................... 163

Carey quarry................................................. 163

Other quarries near Spring Valley.............................. 164

Clayton quarry................................................ 164

Quarries near Lanesboro........................................ 165

Quarries near Whalen and Peterson.............................. 165

Akre & Dahl quarry............................................ 165

Nelson quarry. ................................................ 166

Goodhue County.................................................. 166

General features.............................................. 166

Bjork quarry.................................................. 167

Dahl quarry.................................................. 167

Lillyblad quarries............................................. 167

Haglund quarry................................................ 168

Frontenac Stone Co. quarry.................................... 168

Johnson (G. P.) quarry.......................................... 168

Johnson (Bert) quarry......................................... 169

Dutcher quarry................................................ 169

Hennepin County....... t .......................................... 169

General features............................................... 169

University of Minnesota Campus quarry......................... 170

Minnesota Crushed Stone Co. quarry............................ 171

Minneapolis Stone Co. quarry.................................. 171

Blue Limestone Co. quarry..................................... 172

Anderson quarry.............................................. 172

Johnson quarry....................................!....,...... 172

Rogers quarry......... 1............... :........................ 172

Hortenbach quarry............................................ 173

United States Government quarry.............................. 173

Houston County........................................................ 173

General features.............................................. 173

Baldwin quarry.......................:....................... 174

Pilger quarry................................................. 174
CONTENTS. 9

Limestones and marbles Continued. 

Quarry descriptions Continued.

Houston County Continued Page.

Duffy quarry.................................................. 174

Hoscheit quarry...............................'._................ 175

Gengler quarry. ................................................ 175

Minor quarries................................................. 175

Le Sueur County................................................... 175

General features.............................................. 175

Kasota area.................................................... 175

General features of the stone............................... 175

Chemical and physical characters of "Kasota " stone......... 178

Technology.............^.................................. 178

Breen Stone Co........................................... 179

Babcock & Willcox quarry ................................ 180

Hugunin Estate Co. quarry................................ 180

Minor areas................................................... 180

Hix quarry................................................ 180

Livingstone quarry........................................ 180

Mower County..................................................... 181

General features.............................................. 181

Fowler & Pay quarry.......................................... 181

Nicollet County................................................... 182

General features............................................... 182

North Mankato Stone Quarry Co............................... 182

Olmsted County.................................................. 182

General features............................................... 182

Rochester State Hospital quarry................................ 183

Donahue Bros, quarry.......................................... 183

Waldee quarry................................................. 184

 Ramsey County................................................... 184

General features.............................................. 184

Bielenberg quarry.............................................. 184

Robbins quarry............................................... 185

Rice County....................................................... 186

General features. .............................................. 186

Cromer quarry................................................. 186

Lieb quarry.................................................. 186

Kaul quarry................................................... 187

Minor quarries................................................. 188

Scott County..................................................... 188

General features.............................................. 188

Schroeder Brick & Lime Manufacturing Co. quarry............... 189

St. Lawrence quarry.......................................... 189

Steele County..................................................... 189

Wabasha County.................................................. 190

' General features............................................... 190

Burkhardt quarry............................................. 190

First National Bank quarry............................'........ 191

Beaver quarry................................................ 191

Jewell Nursery Co. quarry ..................................... 191

Bremer quarry................................................. 191

Minor quarries................................................ 192
10 CONTENTS.

Limestones and marbles Continued.

Quarry descriptions Continued. Page.

Washington County.. ........................ ^^., a .^.............. 192

General features................................................ 192

Bean and McGee quarries....................................... 192

Stillwater City quarry......................................... 193

Minor quarries................................................. 194

Winona County.................................................... 194

General features............................................... 194

Quarries in the Oneota dolomite................................. 194

General features of the rock........:....................... 194

Haun quarry.............................................. 195

Biesanz Stone Co. quarry.................................. 196

Abell quarry.....................i......................... 196

United States Government quarry.......................... 196

Gentzkow & Mogreen quarry............................... 197

Dresbach quarry............................................ 198

Chicago & Northwestern Railway quarry .................... 198

Minor quarries near Lewiston ............................. 199

Kramer quarry............................................. 199

Leatherman quarry........................................ 199

Quarries in the Platteville limestone........................... 200

Thompson quarry........................................... 200

Wolter quarry....i........................................ 200

Palmer quarry............................................. 201

St. Charles City quarry...................................... 201

McGrath quarry............................................ 201

Sandstones and quartzites,................................................. 201

Distribution and character.............................................. 201

Huronian quartzites.................................................... 202

Nicollet County................................................... 202

Distribution and character .................................... 202

New Ulm Stone Co. and the Minnesota Flint Rock Co. quarries.... 202

Pipestone County.................................................. 203

Distribution and character .................................... 203

Nason Co. quarry............................................. 203

Jasper Cooperative Stone Co. quarry............................ 204

Staples quarry................................................. 204

Jasper Stone Crushing Co..................................... 204

Abandoned quarries .......................................... 204

Cottonwood County................................................ 205

Rock County...................................................... 205

St. Louis County.................................................. 205

Keweenawan sandstones................................................ 205

Geologic relations................................................. 205

Pine County....................................................... 206

Kettle River Quarries Co. quarry............................... 206

-Barber Asphalt Paving Co. quarry............................... 208

St. Louis County.................................................. 208

Krause quarry................................................ 208

Cambrian sandstones.................................................. 209

Winona County.................................................... 209

Chisago County................................................... 210

Scott County..................................................... 210

Le Sueur County................................................... 210

Ordovician sandstones.................................................. 210
CONTENTS. 11

Slates..................................................................... 211

Structures in which Minnesota stone was used.............................. 211

Quarry operators......................................................... 214

Stone-finishing plants .................................................... 218

Index................................................................... 219

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Pago. 

PLATE I. Map of the St. Cloud region, Minn., showing rock outcrops and

quarries...................................................... 14

II. Map showing location of granite quarries in west-central St. Cloud

Township, Stearns County, Minn................................ 16

III. Map showing location of granite quarries in Haven Township, Sherburne County, Minn.......................................... 18

IV. Geologic column of Minnesota..................................... 42

V. A, "St. Cloudgray" granite; B, "Kasota pink" granite; C, "St.

Cloud red "granite; D, "Hinsdale" granite..................... 52

VI. A, Gray granite split along the rift, Robert Graham's quarry, St. % 

Cloud Township, Stearns County, Minn.; B, Hair lines as they 

appear on the granite surface................................ 60

VII. A, Even surface measuring 12 by 15 feet obtained by a single blast 

in a 3-foot reamed drill hole; B, Dikes of red granite cutting 

gray granite, sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Minn............. 61

VIII. A, Granite column quarried by the Pioneer Granite Co. in the lathe 

of the Eockville Granite Co., Rockville, Minn.; B, Similar 

column in the polishing lathe............................... 66

IX. A, "Morton" granite gneiss; B, "Sauk Rapids light-gray" granite;

C, "Ortonville" granite.................................... 68

X. Clark & McCormack's quarry and shops, Rockville, Minn.......... -80

XI. Carving over main entrance of cathedral, St?Paul, Minn............ 81

XII. Granite City Granite Co.'s quarry................................... 92

XIII. A, "Warman Creek gray" granite; B, "Rockville" granite; C,

"Richmond red "granite; D, "Morrison County gray" granite 118

XIV. Reformatory quarry, East St. Cloud, Minn........................ 120

XV. Main building of St. Cloud reformatory............................ 121

XVI. Map showing location of the limestone quarries in Minnesota........ 148

XVII.' A, Gen. Sibley's house, Mendota, Minn.; B, Entrance of Library

Building, Carletori College, Northfield, Minn................. 150

XVIII. Great Northern Railway stone-arch bridge, Minneapolis, Minn.-..... 170

XIX. A, Slate outcrops at Thomson, Carlton County; B, Kettle River

quarry at Sandstone, Minn.................................. 206

XX. Great Northern Railway station, Minneapolis, Minn............... 208

XXI. Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn........ 209

FIGURE 1. Sketch map showing relations of rocks south of Sauk Rapids Bridge,

sec. 2, St. Cloud Township, Stearns County, Minn.............. -54

2. Sketch showing relation of red granite and gray granite at the center of the west side of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Minn....... 55

3. Sketch showing relations of rocks in outcrop 222 rods north and 78 

rods west of the southeast corner of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, 

Minn......................................................... 56
12 ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIGURE 4. Sketch showing relations of rocks in outcrop at the center of the

north side of sec. 21, St. Cloud Township, Minn................ 56

5. Strike of diabase dikes in the St. Cloud region................... 58

6. Strike of aplite dikes in the St. Cloud region..................... 59

7. Inclusion of garnetiferous mica schist in gray granite 173 rods north 

and 236 rods west of the southeast corner of sec. 29, St. Cloud 

Township, Minn............................................. 60

8. Strike of major and secondary joints in granites of St. Cloud region,

Minn. ....................................................... 62

9. Fragments of gray granite inclosed in red granite; United Granite

Co. quarry, sec. 17, Le Sauk Township, Stearns County, Minn.. 76 

10'. Sketch showing structure of rock in outcrops of red granite, S. £ SE. jsec. 21, Le Sauk Township, Minn..............;'............... 79

11. Sketch showing structure of rock in gray granite outcrop near St. 

Augusta, NW. J SE. \ sec. 19, Lynden Township, Stearns County, 

Minn........................................................ 80

12. Diagram of rock relations at Black Diamond quarry.............. 87

13. South wall of Simmers & Campbell quarry showing inclined joint

on one half quarry wall, and nearly vertical j oint on the other half. 104

14. Characteristic red granite dike in gray granite 47 rods north of southeast corner of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Minn................ 110

15. Sketch showing structure of rock at Granite Ledge, Minn.......... 130

16. Sketch showing structure of rock at Reynolds quarry, Warman,

Kanabec County, Minn.....................................'.. 142

17. Sketch showing structure of rock at Warman Creek Granite Co.'s

quarry, Warman, Kanabec County, Minn...................... 143

18. Sketch showing structure of rock at Hinsdale quarry, St. Louis

County, Minn................................................ 147

19. Vertical section .of the Widell Co. quarry, Mankato, Minn........ 154

20. Vertical section of the T. B. Coughlan quarry, Mankato, Minn.... 157

21. Vertical section of the Mendota quarry........................... 160

22. Vertical section of the Breen Stone Co. quarry, Kasota, Minn....... 176

23. Vertical section of« C. Bielenberg's quarry, St. Paul, Minn........ 185

24. Vertical section of George Lieb's quarry, Faribault, Minn......... 187

25. Vertical section of the McGee limestone quarry, Stillwater, Minn.. 193

26. Vertical section of the United States Government quarry, Lamoille,

Minn....................................................... 197

27. Vertical section of the Gentzkow & Mogreen quarry, Minneiska,

Minn........................................................ 198
THE STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES 

OF MINNESOTA.

By OLIVER BOWLES.

INTRODUCTION.

The building and ornamental stones of Minnesota, though far less 

valuable than the iron ores, rank second in value in the mineral 

output of the State. The growth of the industry has been gradual 

and has been subject to many fluctuations, due to decreasing demand 

for certain products and to increasing demand for others. Certain 

localities where quarrying once flourished have found other industries 

.more remunerative and abandoned pits at such places bear witness 

to the former existence of the industry; other places, more favored 

geographically or possessing stone better adapted to meet the prevailing demands, have become centers for marketing.

In this bulletin the history of the industry is summarized, the 

rocks of Minnesota and their constituent minerals are described, and 

an outline of the geologic history is given. A brief account of the 

properties essential to the usefulness of stones is followed by a general 

discussion of the crystalline rocks of Minnesota. Detailed descriptions of the quarries, of their products, mode of operation, equipment, 

ownership, and means of transportation, form the main body of the 

report. As a guide for prospective operators undeveloped outcrops 

as well as quarries are described.

The writer takes this opportunity to acknowledge his obligation 

to Prof. F. F. Grout, of the University of Minnesota, for many valuable 

suggestions and for aid in the field work, mapping, collection of data, 

and criticism of manuscript; and to Mr. E. K. Soper for field work in 

some of the southeastern counties. Thanks are due to Mr. George 

S. Nishihara for preparing sketches and diagrams, and to Mr. E. F. 

Burchard, of the, United States Geological Survey, for supplying 

statistics which it would have been impossible for the writer to obtain elsewhere. Mr. H. C. Whitaker, formerly editor of The Stone 

Trade, supplied valuable figures, showing the present demand for 

different types of stone. Mr. J. J. Cleveland, of St. Cloud, assistant 

engineer, determined the location of certain points the position of 

which it was necessary to fix for mapping. The tests of crushing 

strain and transverse strength were made by the experimental 

engineering department of the University of Minnesota under the 

direction of Prof. W.. H. Kavanaugh. Acknowledgments are due to

13
14 STEUCTUEAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Mr. Alfred W. Gauger for chemical analyses of various limestones 

and for some of the tests of specific gravity and porosity. The 

quarrymen throughout the State have cooperated in the work most 

cordially. Thanks are due particularly to Messrs. L. C. Brown, 

W. J. Holes, A. M. Simmers, and C. L. Atwood, of St. Cloud, and 

Mr. M. M. Williams, of Little Falls. Frequent reference has been 

made to the work of the late N. H. Winchell * on the building stones 

of the State.

Since the study of the stone resources of Minnesota was completed 

an ..agreement has been entered into between the United States 

Geological Survey, the Bureau of Mines, and the Bureau of Standards 

for a cooperative study of the stone resources and industry of the 

United States. Other bulletins like this, to be published by the 

United States Geological Survey, will therefore be prepared by that 

Survey in cooperation with these bureaus and with the geological 

surveys of the States that may be interested. In general the agreement provides that the United States Geological Survey shall gather 

data concerning the classification, extent, and geology of undeveloped' 

and quarried deposits and the statistics of quarry output; that the 

Bureau of Mines shall gather quarrying, mining, and technologic 

data, with special reference to safety, efficiency of operations, and 

prevention of waste; and that the Bureau of Standards shall make all 

physical and chemical tests necessary to determine the value of the 

stone for structural use and for making concrete.

Since this cooperative arrangement became effective the author of 

this bulletin has represented the Bureau of Mines as quarry technologist.

DEVELOPMENT OF STONE QUARRYING IN MINNESOTA.

Rocks useful for structural or ornamental purposes outcrop in 

many parts of Minnesota. Limestones were the first to be utilized, 

partly on account of their easy workability as compared with granites 

and similar rocks and partly because they were situated in more

populous regions.

LIMESTONES.

s

The first limestone quarry in Minnesota was opened in 1820 to 

build part of old Fort Snelling. The second quarry, so far as is 

known, is the one in Mendota from which limestone for Gen. Sibley's 

house was taken in 1835. (See PI. XVII, A, and pp. 159, 160.) The 

Carli quarry, in Stillwater, now operated by the city of Stillwater, was 

opened in 1847 and another large quarry in 1854. The first quarry 

hi Winona was opened hi 1854 and was followed a few years later 

by several others. Three quarries were reported in Mankato at an 

early date, the first in 1853. The first quarry in Mantorville began

i Final report on the geology of Minnesota: Minnesota Geol. Survey, vol. 1, pp. 112-203,1884.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

GRANITE QUARRIES 

Active (a) 

Inactive (i)

	STEARNS COUNTY

1. C. D, Schwab (i)

2.' Monarch Granite Co. (a)

3. Black Diamond Granite Co. (i) .

4. Black Diamond Granite Co.'(a)

5. Granite City Granite Co. (a)

6. National Quarry Co. (a)

7. Simmers & Campbell (a)

8. Melrose 'Granite Co. (i)

9. Melrose Granite .Co. (a)

10. Melrose Granite Co. (a)

1 1. Melrose Granite Co. (i)

12. Melrose Granite Co. (a),

13. St. Cloud Granite Works (a)

14. Frick & Berwick Granite Co. (a

15. S. A. Jones (i)

16. Pioneer Granite Co. (a)

17. Holes Bros, (i)'

18. Melrose Granite Co. (a)

19. Empire Quarry Co. (a)

20. Empire Quarry Co. (a)

21. C. L. Atwood (i)'

22. Holes Bros, (i)

23. Holes Bros, (a)

24. Robinson Bros, (a)

25. J. B. Robinson (i)

26. John Doerner (a)

27. Morgan Flaherty & Son (i)

28. Northwestern Granite Co. (a)

29. Granite City Granite Co. (i)

30. Black Diamond Granite Co. (i)

31. Robert Graham (i)

32. L E. Noreen (a)

33. L. E. Noreen (a)

34. Streitz Bros, (a)

35. St. Cloud Granite Works (a)

36. Robert Graham (a)

37. Melrose Granite Co. (a)

38. United Granite Co. (a)

39. Rockville Granite Co. (a)

40. Clark & McCormack (a)

41. Homer Tenney (i)

SHERBURNE COUNTY

42. August Erickson (i)

43. August Erickson (a)

44. John Kellas (a)

45. Reformatory (a)

46. Reformatory (i)

47. East St. Cloud Granite Co. (a)

48. Hilder Granite Co. (a)

49. Old Rock Island (i)

BENTON COUNTY

50. Fischer's quarry (a)

51. Sauk Rapids Granite Co. (a)

52. Sauk Rapids Granite Co. (a)

53. Sauk Rapids Granite Co. (a)

54. Sauk Rapids Granite Co. (a)

55. Coates quarry (a)

56. Swanson & Hagstedt (a)

MAP OF THE ST. CLOUD REGION, MINNESOTA, SHOWING ROCK OUTCROPS AND QUARRIES

Scale- ''i62,; 50<

3 MILES .

 1917

LEQEND

Red granite Gray granite "Rockville" granite Diorite Gabbro .
DEVELOPMENT OF STONE QUAKEYING. 15

operations in 1856, and two others between 1865 and 1870. The rock 

from these quarries was hauled to neighboring towns before railways 

were constru *od. By 1856 the quarry industry in the State had 

become acti J.1

Excavations were begun on Barn Bluff, Red Wing, in 1865 and at 

the Kasota quarries in 1868. Between 1870 and 1900 stone was 

quarried more or less extensively at Caledonia, La Crescent, Brownsville, Whalen, Rushford, Fountain, and a number of other southern 

towns, and also in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

CRYSTALLINE BOCKS.

The quarrying of crystalline rocks in Minnesota began about 1867. 

The first granite quarry recorded was opened near the center of 

Sauk Rapids village. It was first owned by F. A. Fogg.2 A quarry 

opened by Breen & Young in East St. Cloud in 1868 supplied stone 

for the corners, steps, and trimmings of the United States customhouse and post office at St. Paul. Other quarries near Sauk Rapids 

were opened a little later. Several quarries in both the red and the 

gray granites in the neighborhood of St. Cloud were opened between 

1870 and 1885. Between 1880 and 1890 the industry prospered. 

Between 1890 and 1900 the output fluctuated considerably but on 

the whole grew slowly. From 1900 to the present time the growth 

of the granite-quarrying industry has been strong and steady, and 

the organization of at least three new companies in the St. Cloud 

region in 1913 gives promise of further expansion. (See PI. I.) 

Detail maps (Pis. II and III) show the active quarries in St. Cloud 

and Haven townships. During the last 10 to 15 years certain outlying districts, the rocks of which appear to be related to those at 

St. Cloud, have been exploited to some extent. Several quarries 

have been worked in Morrison County, though none of them are 

now active. In Kanabec County, at Warman, a beautiful gray 

granite was first worked in 1907 and is still being quarried. The 

granites farther north have been but little used. About 1890 a 

quarry was opened at Hinsdale siding, but it ceased operation about 

two years later. A little red granite was quarried many years ago 

at Beaver Bay, on Lake Superior.

In the upper Minnesota River valley crystalline rocks, including 

diorites, granites, and gneisses, occur at several places between New 

Ulm and Ortonville, and have been excavated at Morton, North Redwood, Granite Falls, Montevideo, and Ortonville. At Ortonville 

active quarrying was begun in 1898 and was continued for several 

years. The beautiful deep-red stone quarried there is particularly 

attractive. Later the rock was used only for crushing, and work in 

these quarries is entirely suspended.

i Many of the dates given are taken from AVinchell, N. H., Final report on the geology of Minnesota, 

vol. 1, pp. 142-203,1884. 

»Idem, vol. 2, p. 433,1888.
16 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Quarrying was begun at North Redwood in 1898 and has been 

carried on successfully ever since. At Morton the Saulpaugh Co. 

employed about 300 men from 1884 to 1887. Subsequently John 

Anderson operated on the same bluff, and in 1898 the present Anderson Granite Co. was formed.

Between North Redwood and Ortonville a number of small excavations were made, but the rock is of inferior quality and none of 

these quarries are now being worked. (See pp. 69-72.)

The gabbros of Minnesota have been quarried extensively only in 

the neighborhood of Duluth. About 1896 active quarrying was 

carried on at a number of points in the bluff west of the city. The 

large quarry now operated by the Duluth Crushed Stone Co. was 

opened in 1903. A quarry in diabase has been operated for a number 

of years at Two Harbors. The diabase area at Taylors Falls was 

excavated to furnish crushed stone for the big dam of the General 

Electric Power Co. but has not been further developed. In fact the 

gabbro is but little quarried except to obtain riprap or crushed stone.

SANDSTONES.

Sandstone was quarried at Sandstone, Pine County, in 1885, and 

was hauled to Hinckley by teams. Some quartzite was quarried 

near Courtland. in 1859 and near Luverne and Pipestone a few years 

later. The Fond du Lac quarries supplied "brownstone" for many 

structures built between 1870 and 1900.

USES OF STONE.

As may be inferred from the number and distribution of quarries, 

the rapidly growing population of Minnesota used stone extensively 

in early days for structural use. Nearly all the stone quarried was 

employed for building bridges, culverts, foundations of houses and 

barns, for erecting dwellings, churches, and public institutions, and 

for making lime. Comparatively little ornamental stone was quarried 

before 1890. The conditions to-day, however, are very different 

from those of 30 to 40 years ago, when building stone constituted 

almost the entire product. A large and ever-increasing share of the 

quarry output is crushed stone, part of which is used for concrete 

and part to supply the present widespread demand for better roads 

and streets. Curbstone and paving blocks are also in great demand.

The use of concrete for foundations, bridges, culverts, curbing, 

footings, and other structures has markedly reduced the demand for 

building stone and for lime. The use of concrete has the advantages 

of ease in transportation and economy in tune and labor and has 

consequently reduced the demand for the rougher grades of building 

stone and has greatly increased the demand for crushed stone. The 

stone men are to-day brought into keen competition with the advocates of concrete. If properly employed, concrete may be used to
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 663 PLATE II

R.28W.

LEGEND

Quarry, inactive

QUARRY OWNERS 

OR OPERATORS

1. C. D. Schwab

2. Monarch Granite Co.

3. Black Diamond Granite Co.

4. Black Diamond Granite Co.

5. Granite City Granite Co.

6. National Quarry Co.

7. Simmers & Campbell

8. Melrose Granite Co.

9. Melrose Granite Co. 

1 0. St. Cloud Granite Works

11. Melrose Granite Co.

12. Frick & Berwick Granite Co.

13. S. A. Jones

14. Holes Bros.

15. Melrose Granite Co.

16. Empire Quarry Co.

17. Empire Quarry Co.

18. Holes Bros.

19. Holes Bros.

20. C. U. Atwood

21. C. L Atwood

22. Streitz Bros.

23. St. Cloud Granite Works

24. L. E. Noreen

25. L. E. Noreen'

26. Robert Graham

27. Melrose Granite Co.

MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF GRANITE QUARRIES IN WEST-CENTRAL ST. CLOUD TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY, MINN,
DEVELOPMENT OF STONE QUARRYING. . 17

advantage for many purposes, but it lends itself more readily than 

stone to dishonest practices by unscrupulous builders. The concrete 

contractor may make profits on low bids by using lean mixtures, 

whereas the stone contractor must use all stone. Inferior concrete 

work, however, undoubtedly reacts in favor of stone. . As a consequence of the changed conditions indicated many 

quarries that were once active are now idle, and many that were 

worked for the rougher grades of structural stone now produce 

crushed rock only.

On the other hand, the increased purchasing power of the people 

has led to a demand for the better grades of structural and ornamental material. A considerable area of the State has passed beyond the 

pioneer stage, and more commodious and permanent structures are 

built. Civic pride demands the finest stone for public buildings, and 

every year more and more costly monuments and spires are added

to cemeteries and public squares.

To-day the inactive quarries of the State are chiefly those that 

formerly produced rubble and lime. The demand for riprap is still 

great, as it is used extensively for river improvement and harbor 

protection. The demand for crushed rock is also great and is becoming greater year by year. The market for high-grade structural and 

ornamental stone is constantly becoming better. Cities are becoming 

larger and more smoky; and as soot adheres but slightly to polished surfaces, polished stone is used more and more for monuments, 

pillars, columns, and panels. On account of its greater permanency 

granite is now more widely used for monuments. The industry 

has made its greatest advances in producing the better grades of 

structural stone and in increasing its output of crushed stone.

PRODUCTION.

In connection with the history of Minnesota stone quarrying, 

figures showing the production of stone are of interest. The following table, compiled from volumes of "Mineral Resources" of the 

United States Geological Survey, illustrates the progress of the industry from early years and indicates its present proportions:

Value of stone quarried in Minnesota for various years.

1880............:........................................ $255,818

1890..................................................... 1,101,008

1900...................................................... 930,938

1910..................................................... 1,997,145

1911..................................................... 1,702,525

1912..................................................... 1,845,746

1913..................................................... 1,952,686

1914..................................................... 1,513,039

1915..................................................... 1,492,341

95545° 18 Bull. 663 2
18 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The output at 10-year intervals shows remarkable fluctuations. 

In 1900 the value was less than it was 10 years before, but by 1910 it 

had more than doubled. The highest production was reached in 

1910. In value of production Minnesota in 1915 ranked seventeenth 

among the States.

In the following tables ° the stone produced in Minnesota is classified (by value) as to kind, uses, and sources (geologic formations). 

The rocks are divided into four great groups, granite, basalt (including gabbro), limestone, and sandstone (including quartzite).

Value of stone produced in Minnesota in 1915. 

Granite. .....:........................................... $841, 943

Basalt (gabbro)........................................... 80,640

Limestone..................... 1.......................... 395,763

Sandstone and quartzite................................... 173,995

1,492,341

If the value of lime burned from Minnesota stone should be added, 

the value of the limestone would be increased to $491,953.

Kinds of stone produced in Minnesota in 1915, tabulated by uses.

Building or trimming:

Rubble..............................................

Monumental:

Crushed:

Granite.

$2,560

117,017

3,714

68,558 

504, 611 

123, 940 

100

2,295 

15,540

3,608

841,943

Basalt 

(gabbro).

$4,165

350 

11,305

64,820

80,640

Limestone.

$34,738 

80,937 

22,198

140 

58,697

4,218

177,093 

2,100

664 

14, 978

395, 763

Sandstone and 

quartzite.

$430 

40,654 

5,291

38, 771 

25,241

1,990 

26,223

29,840

5,555

173,995.

Total.

J- $276,336 

35,368

J- 573,169

162, 711 

25,341 

140 

63,332

\ 329,039

2,100 

664 

24,141

1, 492, 341

Quantity, value, and uses of granite produced in Minnesota in 1915, by counties.

County.

Benton, Lac qui 

Parle, Redwood, 

and Renville .....

Average price......

Number of 

plants.

6 

5 

19

30

Building 

(rough and 

dressed).

Quantity.

Cu.ft. 

17,517 

25,108 

27,802

70,427

Value.

$23,231 

30,399 

65,947

119,577 

1.70

Monumental 

(rough and 

dressed).

Quantity.

Cu.ft. 

23,379 

14, 727 

181,285

219,391

Value.

$43,349 

32, 166 

497,654

573, 169 

2.61

Paving blocks.

Number of 

blocks.

527, 715 

585,000 

747,000

1,859,715

Value.

$40,826 

44,750 

38,364

123,940 

666.64

Crushed 

stone.

Quantity.

Short 

tons.

12,950

12,950

Value.

$15, 540

15,540 

1.20

Other 

value.

$4,119 

4,429 

1,169

9,717

Total 

value.

$111, 525 

127,284 

603,134

841,943

a Prepared by E. F. Burchard, of the United States Geological Survey. & Per thousand.
U. 3. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

R.3I W.

BULLETIN eea PLATE in

R.30W.

STATE 

REFORMATORY K '

' iffi

MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF GRANITE QUARRIES IN HAVEN TOWNSHIP, SHERBURNE COUNTY, MINIM.
ROCK MINERALS. 19

Grouped .by geologic systems, the total value of the product given 

for each division is as follows:

Value of stone produced in Minnesota,m 1915, by geologic systems.

Devonian; Mower County, ail made into lime. 

Ordovician:

Galena; Dodge County............................................ $8,320

Platteville; limestone of Hetmepin, Olmsted, Ramsey, and Bice 

counties.................................... 1................... 183,646

Shakopee; limestone of Washington County........................ 3, 720

Oneota; limestone of Blue Earth, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Le 

Sueur, Nicollet, and Winona counties............................ 200,377

Cambrian; sand and sandstone, .no production.

Keweenawan; the granites of Sherburne, Benton, and Stearns counties;

gabbro of Lake and St. Louis counties; and the sandstone of Pine County. 1,019,655 

Huronian; quartzite of Nicollet,.Pipestone, and Rock counties.......... 63,982

Laurentian; granites of Lac qui Parle, Redwood, and Renville counties.. 12,641

1,492, 341

Lime burned from Minnesota stone in 1915 was valued at $96,190, 

most of which sum must be credited to the Oneota formation and the 

remainder to the Shakopee and Devonian.

A list of the buildings in which Minnesota stone has been used is 

given on pages 211-213.

BOCK MINERALS.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES.

Rocks are made up of minerals small crystalline bodies firmly 

joined together but a detailed discussion of the minerals that compose the stones of Minnesota is not within the scope of this bulletin. 

Anyone who desires to read a comprehensive discussion of this subject can find it .in one of the many standard works on mineralogy. 1

Many minerals can be identified by their physical properties as 

observed with the naked eye or with'the eye aided by a small pocket 

lens. Others can be identified by grinding down a small fragment of 

the rock in which they occur until it is transparent and then studying 

it with a microscope. Minerals may also be identified by chemical 

tests.

The principal physical properties by which a mineral can be Identified are its color, streak, hardness, cleavage, form, and specific gravity.

The color of a mineral is the property that most readily appeals to 

the eye; and color, though somewhat variable in the same mineral, is 

useful in identification. Variations in color are usually due to the 

presence of impurities. Thus, the smoky color of some quartz grains 

is caused by minute grains of carbon or other dark inclusions, and the 

pink color of orthoclase by small particles of hematite.

i Dana, J. D., Manual of mineralogy, New York, 1912. Kraus, E. H., Descriptive mineralogy, Ann 

Arbor, Mien., 1911. Phillips, A. H., Mineralogy, New York, 1912,
20 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

By streak is meant the color of the fine powder which, for the 

harder minerals, is best obtained by rubbing the mineral on a plate 

of unglazed porcelain, or which, for the softer minerals, may be 

obtained by scratching the surface with a pocketknife. With most 

minerals streak is more constant than color.

Minerals differ greatly in hardness. A "scale of hardness" has 

been devised to express this property numerically. In this scale 1 

is applied to minerals that can be scratched easily with the finger 

nail, such as talc or clay; 2 to those that can be scratched with the 

finger nail with greater difficulty, such as gypsum; 3 to those that 

can be scratched easily with a knife, such as calcite (limestone); 4 to 

those that can be scratched with greater difficulty with a knife, such 

as fiuorite; 5 to those that can be scratched with very great difficulty 

with a knife, such as apatite; 6 to those that can be scratched with a 

file but not with a knife, and that will scratch glass, such as feldspar; 

and 7 to those that can not be scratched with a file, such as quartz. 

Minerals harder than 7 are not of common occurrence in building 

stones.

Cleavage is defined as the tendency of a mineral to break in certain 

definite directions, the breakage yielding more or less flat surfaces 

that have brightly reflecting faces. If a piece of granite is held 

between the observer and a source of light at a level below the eye, 

the bright faces that may be observed are the cleavage planes of the 

crystals of feldspar. As some minerals show such planes and others 

do not, cleavage thus becomes a.useful means of identifying certain 

minerals. Under favorable conditions, such as are afforded by protected cavities, many minerals may grow as crystals having plane 

surfaces. In rocks, however, most of the crystal faces are destroyed 

by the intergrowth of crystals, which form a crystalline mass. But 

though the crystal form may be variable or may be entirely obliterated by intergrowth, cleavage "remains constant. The rectangular 

cleavage fragments of feldspar and the cleavage angles of hornblende 

(56° and 124°) are characteristic.

The specific gravity of a mineral is its weight compared with the 

weight of an equal volume of water. Some minerals, such as calcite 

or quartz, are light, being little more than 2| times as heavy as water; 

others, such as iron ores, are heavy, being about 5 times as heavy as 

water. With practice, one' can estimate specific gravity fairly well 

with the hand. Most rocks, however, contain so many different 

minerals that they can not readily be identified by their weight.

The minerals that occur commonly in Minnesota building stones 

are briefly described below.

SILICATES.

Kaolinite. Kaolinite, kaolin, or clay is a hydrous silicate of aluminum and is the chief constituent of shales and slates. It has a 

characteristic earthy odor and a tendency to absorb water. Such
BOCK MINEEALS. 21

absorption promotes disintegration in shales and argillaceous sandstones. Kaolin is produced chiefly by the'decomposition of feldspar 

in granites and allied rocks; the clay particles, in separating out, 

cloud the feldspar, and the degree of cloudiness indicates the extent 

to which decomposition has progressed.

Feldspar. There are several kinds of feldspar, which are distinguished by differences in composition and crystallization. The principal varieties are orthoclase, microcline, and plagioclase. There are 

several kinds of plagioclase, but their distinction without a microscope is difficult and likely to be inaccurate, and no attempt will here 

'be made to indicate methods of distinguishing them.

The feldspars are important constituents of granites and certain 

other igneous rocks, and consequently form one of the chief groups 

of minerals in building stones. Though less resistant than quartz, 

they withstand weathering remarkably well. On alteration by 

weathering they form chiefly clays. The beauty and permanence of 

the structures made from the granites of Minnesota quarries are 

due largely to the attractive colors, susceptibility to polish, and 

resistance to weathering of the feldspars in the rock.

Orthoclase is a silicate of aluminum and potassium. It has a 

hardness of 6, a specific gravity of 2.5, and a perfect cleavage, which 

may be recognized by the brilliant reflection of light shown by its 

crystals when viewed at certain angles. Its color is usually some 

shade of pink but may be gray or white. Orthoclase is an essential 

constituent of most granites, commonly forming nearly half the mass 

of the rock. Much of the orthoclase in Minnesota granites is remarkably intergrown with stringers of quartz or with other feldspars (see 

p. 51), biit these stringers can be seen only with the microscope. 

Orthoclase is more resistant to weathering than plagioclase.

Microcline, though having the same composition as orthoclase, crystallizes differently. In rocks it is practically impossible to distinguish 

microcline from orthoclase without the use of a microscope. It is 

very common in the granites of Minnesota, and in some of them it is 

the most abundant feldspar.

The plagioclase of most common occurrence is a silicate of aluminum, calcium, and sodium, and is commonly called lime-soda feldspar. 

In hardness, specific gravity, and cleavage it is similar to orthoclase, 

but its color is characteristically light gray or dark gray rather than 

pink. In many medium or coarse grained rocks it may be distinguished from orthoclase by the lines or striations on its cleavage 

surfaces. It occurs in different amounts in most granites and is the 

characteristic feldspar in the darker rocks, such as the diorites, diabases, or gabbros. Plagioclases are more easily altered than orthoclase 

or microcline. By surface weathering they form chiefly clay, but 

by deep-seated hydrothermal alteration they may form sericite or 

zoisite.
22 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Mica. There are two common types of mica muscovite, or white 

mica (improperly called "isinglass"), and biotite, or black mica. 

Muscovite is a hydrous silicate of potassium and aluminum and is 

sometimes called potash mica. Biotite contains magnesium and iron 

in addition to the constituents of muscovite. Both varieties have 

very perfect cleavage in one direction, being made up of thin, easily 

separable elastic plates piled one upon another.

The hardness of mica is 2 to 3. Biotite is more common than 

muscovite and forms the dark grains or specks in .many granites. 

Muscovite appears in a few granites in the form of small silvery plates. 

Biotite alters to chlorite, quartz, iron oxide, and carbonates. Muscovite is more stable.

Hornblende. The most common member of the amphibole group 

of minerals is hornblende, a complex silicate of calcium, magnesium, 

iron, and aluminum. It is very dark green to pitch black in color, 

has a hardness of about 6, and a perfect prismatic cleavage. It has 

two cleavages, which make angles of about 56° and 124° with each 

other, but in grams exposed on rock surfaces it commonly shows only 

one. It resembles biotite, but it will not split into thin plates, and 

it is much harder so hard that while unaltered it can not be scratched 

with a knife, whereas mica can be scratched easily. Hornblende is 

the most common dark mineral in granites and diorites and is present 

in many schists and gneisses. By surface weathering it alters to 

quartz, carbonates, and iron oxides. It is regarded as a fairly stable 

mineral, one that resists atmospheric decomposition better than most 

dark minerals, and hence its presence is not undesirable in a building 

stone. Its alteration to chlorite or epidote, if pronounced, results in 

green stains. %

Augite. Though it is placed in another group the pyroxenes 

augite is similar in composition to hornblende. The two minerals 

are often confused. Some features that distinguish augite from 

hornblende are its less brilliant cleavage surfaces, the difference in its 

cleavage angles which approach 90° rather than 60°, and in some 

varieties its somewhat metallic luster. Its hardness and color 

are similar to those of hornblende. It is a characteristic constituent 

of the dark igneous rocks, such as diabase and gabbro, though occasionally it is a minor constituent of granite or diorite. Its most 

common associates are plagioclase feldspar, olivine, and magnetite. 

The alteration of augite to hornblende has been frequent^ noted. 

This type of alteration may take place at great depth and does not 

necessarily dimmish the value of the rock as a building stone. Augite 

is less stable than hornblende; it weathers somewhat readily, giving 

the same alteration products. Its presence is not desirable in structural stone that is to be exposed to the weather.
BOCK MINERALS. 23

Chlorite. Chlorite is a hydrous silicate of aluminum, iron, magnesium, and rarely manganese. It has a hardness of about 2 and 

generally a dark-green color. It is formed by hydrothermal alteration and also by weathering of the original constituents of a rock, 

commonly by the alteration of hornblende, augite, or biotite. Chlorite gives the characteristic color to "greenstones," which are dense, 

basic igneous rocks that have undergone alteration. Its presence 

in building stones generally indicates surface weathering.

Epidote. The mineral epidote is a hydrous silicate of calcium, 

aluminum, and iron. In igneous rocks it is usually an alteration 

product. Its hardness is 6 to 7, its specific gravity 3.3 to 3.5, and 

its color yellowish green. Jt forms "green lines" and stains in many 

granites, and in some is sufficiently abundant to give the whole rock 

mass a bright yellow-green color. It alters to an earthy iron-stained 

material.

Olivine. lo. chemical composition olivine is a silicate of iron and

magnesium. It has a hardness of 6.5 to 7, a specific gravity of 3.2 to 

3.6, and an olive-green color. It occurs as glassy grains in basic rocks, 

such as diabase, gabbro, or basalt. It alters readily to serpentine, 

talc, or chlorite.

Talc. Talc is a hydrous silicate of magnesium. It has a hardness 

of 1, a soapy or greasy feel, and an apple-green to white color. It 

is a product of the decomposition of hornblende, augite, or olivine. 

It is often called soapstone or soap rock. Much of what is designated 

"soap rock" by quarrymen, however, is clay or a mixture of limestone and clay and contains no talc.

Sphene. Titanite or sphene is a silicate of calcium and titanium. 

It is a hard brown mineral occurring in many granites as wedgeshaped crystals which, however, are generally too small to be recognized with the unaided eye. It is a common microscopic accessory 

mineral in "St. Cloud gray" granite. Its presence does not impair 

the quality of the stone.

Zircon. Zircon is a silicate of zirconium. It occurs as microscopic tetragonal crystals, usually hi or near biotite or hornblende. 

In the granites of central Minnesota the crystals of zircon, which occur 

in biotite, are commonly surrounded by dark rings known as "pleochroic halos." They can be seen only with the microscope.

Garnet. Common red garnet is a silicate of iron and aluminum. 

It has a hardness of about 7, poor cleavage, white streak, and red 

color. It appears as perfect crystals, generally with diamond-shaped 

faces, or as irregular granular masses of different sizes, the largest 

one-fourth to one-half inch across. Garnet is usually found in 

metamorphic rocks, such as gneisses or schists, though occasionally 

it is found in granites. It occurs in certain schist inclusions in the 

granites of central Minnesota.
24 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

CABBONATES.

Calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate (CaC03 ). It has a hardness 

of 3. In most Minnesota occurrences it is white to yellow, but in the 

marbles of some other States and of certain foreign countries it is 

red, blue, green, and other colors. Calcite crystals show perfect 

cleavages in three directions, meeting at angles of about 75°. In 

limestones, however, calcite is commonly in granular form and shows 

no cleavage. It effervesces in cold dilute hydrochloric acid. It is 

very abundant in nature, forming the chief part of many limestones 

and occurring as interstitial filling in some sandstones. It is not 

common in igneous rocks and its presence in them practically always 

indicates alteration. Calcite dissolves slowly in water containing 

carbon dioxide.

Dolomite. Dolomite is a carbonate containing calcium and magnesium (CaMg(C03 ) 2). It has the same hardness, color, and cleavage 

as calcite, from which it may be distinguished by the fact that it 

will not effervesce in cold dilute acid. It is common in most of the 

limestone beds of Minnesota.

OXIDES.

Quartz. Quartz is silicon dioxide (SiO2 ). It has a hardness of 7 

and so is the hardest of all the common minerals in rocks. It is 

generally clear and glassy but may be smoky, milky, or blue. In 

open spaces it may form beautiful hexagonal crystals, but in rocks it 

appears as rounded or irregular grains. It has no cleavage, is insoluble in all common acids, and has a specific gravity of 2.6. It 

commonly forms the glassy grains in granites, and is the chief part 

of most sandstones. It is important in building stones from the fact 

that it resists weathering better than other common minerals. It is 

abundant hi the red granites of Minnesota but is less plentiful in the

gray granites. It constitutes almost the entire mass of the sandstones of Kettle River and of the quartzites of Rock and Pipestone 

counties.

Magnetite. Magnetite is an oxide of iron (Fe304 ). It is a hard black 

mineral, makes a black streak, and is readily attracted by a weak magnet. It occurs in basic igneous rocks, commonly in grams large 

enough to be seen with the naked eye. It is less abundant, though 

almost as widespread, in the siliceous rocks. It is present in small 

grains in practically all granites, though generally recognizable only 

with the microscope. It is a stable oxide and does not readily alter 

to forms which cause stains when exposed to the weather. Some 

grains that appear to be magnetite may be ilmenite (FeO.Ti02 ), a 

mineral which is similar in appearance but which is not so readily 

attracted by the magnet.
BOCK MINERALS. 25

Hematite. The mineral hematite is an oxide of iron (Fe203). It is 

red to black in color and has a red-brown streak. It occurs as a hard 

mineral of metallic luster or as a soft earthy aggregate and is the 

chief iron ore in Minnesota. In many building stones it occurs as 

microscopic grains. The color of the red granites of Minnesota is 

largely due to fine microscopic inclusions of hematite, mostly in 

orthoclase or microcline. It also forms a large part of the cementing 

material in some sandstones. It alters slowly to limonite.

lAmonite. Limonite is a common oxide of iron, having the same 

chemical composition as hematite except that it contains also water. 

The hard varieties are brown to black in color and have a yellow-brown 

streak. Earthy varieties are yellow and soft. It results from the 

decomposition of pyrite and other minerals that contain iron, such as 

hornblende, biotite, or augite. Limonite gives a buff or yellow color 

to many limestones and sandstones. The yellow "Kasota" marble 

% and many of the buff limestones in southeastern Minnesota owe their

rich color chiefly to the fine grains of limonite that are scattered 

through them. Occasionally limonite forms unsightly stains on the 

surfaces of building stones.

SULPHIDES.

Pyrite. Pyrite is a sulphide of iron (FeSz). It is brass-yellow in 

color, has a hardness of 6 to 6.5, and occurs as little crystals or grains 

in many rocks. By weathering, pyrite oxidizes more or less rapidly 

to limonite. Some authors have stated unreservedly that rock containing pyrite will stain readily by weathering, but many structures 

made of stone containing an abundance of pyrite have stood exposed 

to the weather for 75 or 100 years without staining. If the pyrite is 

pure and in the form of nonporous crystals, it is usually resistant. If 

it is mixed with marcasite, it will rapidly oxidize and produce stains. 1

Marcasite. Marcasite has the same chemical composition as pyrite 

but differs from it in crystal form. Its physical properties are similar 

to those of pyrite, and it is usually difficult to distinguish the two minerals. Marcasite may also occur as scattered grains in building stones 

but is less common than pyrite. By weathering, it oxidizes to liinonite. It alters more readily than pyrite and must, on that account, 

be regarded as a more serious impurity in structural stone designed 

for exterior use. Minnesota building stones are remarkably free from 

both pyrite and marcasite.

. PHOSPHATES.

Apatite. Apatite is a phosphate of calcium. It occurs in building 

stones, generally as microscopic prismatic crystals that form inclusions in other minerals. Its presence has practically no influence on 

the quality of the stone.

' For a complete discussion of sulphide decomposition see Bowles, Oliver, The technology of marble 

quarrying: Bur. Mines Bull. 106, pp. 30-32,1916.
26 STEUCTUBAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

ROCKS.

CLASSIFICATION.

Rocks are classified, according to their origin, into three great 

groups igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Only rocks that 

may be used as building stone are described in this bulletin.

Igneous rocks are those which originated from a molten mass or 

magma that cooled and solidified. Differences in the conditions of 

solidification produce rocks of different textures. Magmas that cooled 

very slowly at great depth commonly- formed coarse-grained rocks, 

such as granite or gabbro; those that cooled rapidly commonly formed 

fine-grained rocks, such as basalt. The igneous rocks of economic 

importance in Minnesota are mostly granite, but include also smaller 

amounts of diorite, gabbro, basalt, and diabase.

Sedimentary rocks are some tunes referred to as "stratified," for 

they are formed of sediments that were laid down in successive strata 

or layers. Most of the materials of which they are formed have been ' 

derived from igneous rocks through disintegration. The process of 

rock decay or disintegration, though apparently very slow, is continuous and produces results of immense magnitude. Alternate frost 

and heat open innumerable fractures in rocks, chemical constituents 

of the atmosphere and of rain water penetrate these fractures and dissolve out parts of the rocks; and rain, streams, waves, or tides break 

loose the shattered fragments, grind them up, and transport them far 

from their source; Wind, too, is an agent of transportation. Millions 

of tons, even cubic miles of rock, are thus disintegrated and carried 

away to oceans or lakes where they are deposited as sediment. In 

addition to the products of rock decay, myriads of organisms that 

inhabit the ocean secrete calcium carbonate from the sea water to form 

their shells, which on the death of the organisms add to the accumulations of rock-forming material. Thus three great processes rock 

disintegration, transportation, and redeposition are now at work and 

have been at work for age§; and these processes, aided, as indicated, 

by organic agencies, have formed most of the sedimentary rocks. 

Four great types of rocks are thus formed conglomerate, sandstone, 

shale, and limestone or dolomite.

Metamorphic rocks are rocks of either igneous or sedimentary 

origin which have been profoundly altered by dynamic, chemical, or 

thermal processes. The chief agencies that produce such changes 

are pressure, heat, and chemical reaction. . Under great pressure and 

high temperature, rocks deep in the earth may become plastic and by 

earth movement may become tilted or folded into complex forms. 

Pressure may cause recrystalHzation, and thermal waters may dissolve, transport, and reprecipitate many minerals. Thus new rocks 

may be formed whose texture and composition are entirely distinct 

from those of the unaltered igneous or sedimentary rocks.
BOCKS. 27 

IGNEOUS BOCKS.

Granite. Granite is a completely crystallized rock consisting of 

distinctly visible grains and is regarded as originating at considerable 

depth below the surface. It was once liquid, but on cooling its constituent minerals slowly crystallized out, the crystals interlocking with 

one another. The chief minerals in granite are orthoclase, microcline, 

plagioclase, quartz, and mica or hornblende. These are usually 

accompanied by magnetite, apatite, zircon, pyrite, or sphene. All 

the essential constituents of granite except mica are as hard as. or 

harder than steel, BO that it is hard to cut and dress.

The color of granite depends largely on the color of the feldspar it 

contains; and, as feldspar is red, pink, or some shade of gray or 

white, granites are red, pink, or gray. If hornblende or biotite is 

abundant and is evenly scattered through it in fine grains the rock 

may be almost black. The granites of the upper Minnesota Kiver 

Valley are mostly red or pink; those of central Minnesota are red, 

gray, or black, and occur in many complex and interesting relations.. 

(See pp. 54-57.)

Granites are classified as fine grained, medium grained, or coarse 

grained. Medium-grained granites are those in which the feldspar 

crystals average about one-fourth of an inch in diameter. A granite 

in which some of the crystals of feldspar are much larger than the 

others is called a porphyritic granite. In building or ornamental 

stone uniformity of texture is desirable. Granites are named from 

the most abundant ferromagnesian mineral they contain, being called, 

for example, biotite granite or hornblende granite.

Some quarrymen desire to know the depths to which granite may 

extend and whether there is danger that a body of the rock may run 

out. In this respect granites and other deep-seated igneous rocks 

differ notably from sandstones, limestones, or other sedimentary 

rocks. The sediments were laid down originally as nearly horizontal 

beds and may be of relatively slight thickness, so that in a given area 

they may in time be quarried out., Granite, on the other hand, comes 

up from below; its depth is unknown but in general is very great 

and may be measurable even in miles. The depth to which it may 

be quarried is generally governed by the position of the ledges worked 

and the ease of extraction.

The lateral extent of granite, like its depth, is usually great. 

Where all its outcrops are of similar rock over a considerable area 

(as, for example, in Stearns County, Mum.), they are probably not 

separate individual rock masses but are parts of one great body or 

mass of granite that underlies the whole area or even the whole region. 

Most of this mass is covered with glacial drift, through which the 

granite projects here and there in knobs or ridges that rise from it 

like islands from, a sea, and all these projections are, to continue the
28 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

simile, united at the sea floor. In most areas of granite the mass of 

rock is almost unlimited, and the supply available for quarrying 

depends on many considerations, such as ease of transportation and 

stripping, and quality of stone.

Aplite. Aplite is a name given to a fine-grained light-colored 

granite that usually occurs in dikes.

Syenite. Syenite consists essentially of orthoclase feldspar and 

some dark mineral, such as hornblende or biotite. It differs from 

granite in containing no free quartz.

No true syenite is quarried in Minnesota. Winchell x calls many 

of the crystalline rocks quarried in the St. Cloud region syenite, a 

designation quite in accord with his definition, for he states that 

"Syenite differs from true granite in containing the mineral hornblende instead of mica, both being otherwise alike composed of 

quartz and feldspar"; 1 but this definition is quite different from that 

given above.

Quartz monzonite. Quartz monzonite is similar to granite except 

that the Orthoclase and plagioclase are approximately equal in 

amount. They can scarcely be distinguished from granites except 

with the microscope.

Diorite. Typical diorite consists of abundant plagioclase feldspar, 

with subordinate orthoclase or microcline, together with hornblende, 

augite or mica, and no quartz. If quartz is present the rock is called 

quartz diorite, though in ordinary field classification such rocks are 

usually called granites, as one can not readily discriminate the different feldspars. The origin and texture of diorite is similar to that 

of granite. It is usually much darker and is therefore not so desirable 

as a structural stone.

Gmnodiorite. Granodiorite is intermediate in composition between

quartz monzonite and quartz diorite; it contains less orthoclase than

quartz monzonite and more orthoclase than quartz diorite.

Gdbbro. Gabbro consists essentially of plagioclase feldspar and 

augite. Common accessory minerals are olivine, biotite, hornblende, and magnetite. It is usually dark gray or green or nearly 

black. It is a deep-seated rock, like granite, and has the same 

texture. On account of its very dark color and the fact that it 

weathers more readily than granite, it is generally not a desirable 

building or ornamental stone. It is excellent for crushing or for 

riprap. Much of the rock in the gabbro area near Duluth consists 

almost entirely of plagioclase and is called "anorthosite."

Basalt. Basalt has the same composition as gabbro but is much 

finer grained. The molten magma from which it was formed was 

poured out in great surface flows or sheets, and its rapid cooling

i Winchell, N. H., Geology of Minnesota, vol. 2, p. 431,1884.
BOCKS. 29

produced the fine-grained texture. Though more difficult to crush 

than granite or gabbro it is well adapted to road building or concrete 

construction.

Diabase. The composition of diabase is similar to that of gabbro 

and basalt, and in texture the rock is intermediate between them. 

Typical diabase is rather fine grained and contains needle-like or 

lathlike crystals of feldspar. It is commonly a dike rock that is, it 

has been intruded into cracks or fissures in preexisting rocks. It 

is dark green or black and is used as riprap or crushed rock.

SEDIMENTARY BOCKS.

Conglomerate. Water may sort the material it carries according 

to size and weight and deposit it in more or less uniform beds. Coarse 

pebbles and boulders are deposited near a shore, and when cemented 

together they form rock called conglomerate. The pebbles of a

conglomerate may be of various kinds and colors, but nearly all 

of them are well rounded by the action of water and the spaces 

between the large pebbles are filled with smaller pebbles, sand, clay, 

iron oxide, or calcium carbonate. Through long ages of intense pressure, aided by the deposition of cementing material, the whole mass 

has become firmly consolidated. By elevation of the sea floor and 

by erosion of the overlying material the conglomerate may appear 

at the surface of the earth. Conglomerates are not abundant in 

Minnesota. One ridge of beautiful jasper conglomerate, which lies 

across the river from New Uhn, in Nicollet County, has been quarried 

to some extent. If their pebbles are nearly uniform in hardness O and 

are firmly cemented conglomerates may form useful building stones. 

Sandstone. Pebbles and boulders are dropped near the shore but 

sand grains are carried farther out and deposited in deeper water. 

By the same processes of consolidation that form the conglomerates 

the sands are cemented into a more or less coherent mass known as 

sandstone. Nearly all sandstones are composed chiefly of quartz, 

but they contain other minerals in small and markedly different proportions; the "Fond du Lac" sandstone contains much feldspar and 

mica, whereas the St. Peter and Jordan sandstones are 95 to 99 per 

cent quartz. The economic. value of a sandstone depends largely 

on its state of aggregation. Many sandstones are poorly cemented 

and for this reason are termed friable or incoherent. The degree 

of coherence depends on the amount of cementing material and the 

nature of the cement. The cement is deposited from mineralbearing waters that percolate through the minute spaces between the 

sand grains and gradually fill them by precipitation. As a consequence the nature of the cement depends on the composition of the 

solution. The most common cements in sandstone are clay, silica,
30 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

calcium carbonate, and iron oxide. Calcareous cement is not 

desirable, for it dissolves in water containing carbon dioxide and 

allows the sand grains to fall apart. Iron oxide is not very desirable, 

as some forms of it alter and stain the rock. It also makes a weak 

cement, which is not even so durable as the calcareous. It gives a 

brown or reddish color to the rock. The best and most durable 

cement is silica in the form of quartz. In some sandstones the 

intergranular spaces are so completely filled with quartz that the 

original sand grams have lost their identity and the whole rock looks 

like massive quartz. Such a rock is termed a quartzite. This is 

probably the most enduring of all building stones, but its hardness 

makes it so difficult to cut and trim that it is not used extensively. 

The most valuable sandstone is that in which a proper balance is 

attained between workability, which governs the cost of production, 

and degree of induration, which governs strength and durability.

Shale. The finest particles transported by. streams are naturally 

carried the farthest from shore and are deposited in deeper water in 

the form of beds of clay, which, when firmly cemented and hardened, 

form a rock called shale. Shales are of no economic value for direct 

use as structural material, but certain shales of Minnesota and other 

States are used for making brick, and in some States shale is used as 

an ingredient of Portland cement.

Limestone and dolomite. Pure limestone consists of the mineral 

calcite (carbonate of calcium, CaC03 ), and pure dolomite consists of 

carbonate of magnesium and calcium .(CaMg(C03 ) 2 ). The term 

limestone commonly includes both calcite and dolomite or mixtures 

of these in variable proportions. Most limestone is formed from 

shells of marine organisms, but a small portion results from the 

chemical precipitation of calcium or magnesium carbonates. The 

shells may be so broken as to produce a fine-grained mass, in which, 

however, many well-preserved shells remain. The mass of shells or 

finer material is consolidated by pressure or by the addition of 

cementing material. It may so happen that the carbonate materials 

are deposited simultaneously with sand grams or mud, forming 

sandy or clayey limestones. Furthermore, deposits of lime, sand, 

and clay may be formed in succession, resulting in alternate beds 

or lenses of limestone, sandstone, and shale. By elevation of the sea 

floor extensive beds of limestone may form land surface.

The limestones of Minnesota are practically all dolomitic, and some 

are pure dolomites. These highly dolomitic limestones can not be 

used for making cement, but they are excellent structural materials. 

Dolomite is less soluble and more enduring than calcite. The limestones, as a group, whether pure or dolomitic, are attractive and 

durable. They dissolve slowly in water containing carbon dioxide. 

When shaly they disintegrate more readily.
BOOKS. 31

METAMORPHIC ROCKS.

Gneiss. Intense unequal pressure resulting from earth movement 

or from the flow of a magma during its crystallization may give to 

granites or related rocks a banding due to the parallel arrangement of 

the constituent minerals. Such rocks are called gneisses. Many 

gneisses are more permeable and hence less resistant to weathering 

than the corresponding unchanged granites. They have also less 

transverse strength, especially in the direction parallel with the banding. This is true of some gneisses near Montevideo, Minn., though the 

Morton gneiss, both in permeability and strength, is apparently in no 

respect inferior to a granite. Most gneisses are less uniform in texture 

than granites.

Schist. Schists are finely banded metamorphic rocks, which are 

seldom quarried for structural uses. On account of their lamination 

most of them are weak and are permeable to water and therefore disintegrate rapidly. No schists are quarried in Minnesota.

Quartzite. By metamorphism a sandstone may be changed to- a 

quartzite (see p. 202), and by intense mechanical deformation clayey 

sandstone may be converted to a quartz schist.

Slate. The metamorphism of a shale results in the formation of 

numerous closely spaced cleavage planes, most of which cut across the 

bedding planes in flat-laying beds and thus are vertical or nearly so. 

The resulting rock is slate, which in thin sheets may be used for roofing. 

Near Carlton, Minn., there are great masses of slate, which, however, 

are as yet but little exploited.

Marble. The metamorphism of a limestone or dolomite produces a 

recrystallized form known as marble. Marble takes a good polish and 

is used chiefly as ornamental stone. As it is a product of metamorphism it,is usually found in mountainous regions, notably in the Appalachian belt of the Eastern States. The limestones of Minnesota 

have undergone little or no folding and have not been affected by 

igneous intrusion, so that no true marble deposits are likely to be found 

in the State. Some of the beds at Kasota, however, though practically undisturbed since their formation, are somewhat recrystallized 

and when polished are sometimes termed "marble." Certain of 

the recrystallized beds extend into the Mankato quarries, but no 

other marbles are known in the State. Serpentine rock, or "verd 

antique," which is used for decoration, is classed with marbles, as it is 

a commercial substitute for trrue marble. No serpentine marble is 

quarried in Minnesota. ,

ROCK STRUCTURES THAT AFFECT QUARRYING. 

TYPES.

The work of quarrying building stone includes the excavation of 

blocks of specified sizes and shapes. Ordinarily this work involves 

two steps the breaking loose of larger blocks and the reduction of
32 STKU-CTUBAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

these blocks to proper dimensions. The rock structures that are of 

prime interest to quarrymen in connection with the first step are the 

natural open seams that divide the rock into rhomboidal masses; the 

structures that are of interest in connection with the second step are 

those that permit the rock to be split with greater ease in certain 

directions than in others. Quarrymen recognize two kinds of open 

seams vertical or nearly vertical seams, called joints, and horizontal 

seams, which, if they occur in igneous rocks, are called sheeting planes, 

or, if they occur in undisturbed sedimentary rocks, are called bedding 

planes. As bedding planes are planes of stratification they may stand 

at any angle in folded beds. Planes of cleavage, along which the rock 

splits with greater ease, are known as ".the rift" and "the run." In 

many eastern quarries "grain" is used instead of "run."

JOINTS.

Most of the joints in the igneous rocks of Minnesota are nearly vertical. Several parallel joints constitute a "system." Joints generally occur in two prominent systems that meet at an angle of about 

90°, but at many places a third or fourth system may appear. Those 

of the most persistent and continuous series are known as major 

joints or master joints; those that continue for only short distances 

are known as minor joints. Buckley's classification 1 recognizes these 

two types only, but in many of the quarry descriptions given in this 

bulletin a third term, secondary, is applied to joints that are intermediate between major and minor. In many quarries, especially granite 

quarries, the joints occur mainly in two systems, one more prominent than the other, termed major and secondary. Other less pronounced systems are termed minor. A fourth type of joints, known 

to quarrymen as dry seams or blind seams, consists of incipient joint 

planes or closed joints, which are invisible or appear only as faint lines 

in the undisturbed rock but which readily open when the rock is 

shattered by a blast. In many places they pass obliquely through 

blocks marked out by major or secondary joints.

Joints are now regarded as due to compressive or torsional strain, 

a single force producing two sets of joints that intersect at an angle 

of about 90°, and each set makes an angle of 45° with the direction of 

strain.2 .

The angles of intersection and the spacing of the joints are of great 

importance to quarrymen. If the joints are too closely spaced (only 

a few inches apart), the blocks are too small to be useful and the rod. 

is valuable only for crushing. If they are too widely spaced (50, 75, 

or 100 feet apart), quarrying is difficult. If they meet at acute angles, 

much rock is wasted. (See also p. 62.) '

J Wisconsin Geol. Survey Bull. 4, p. 457,1898.

a pale, T. N., The granites of Connecticut: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 484, p. 37,1911.
BOCKS. 33

In sedimentary rocks jointing is generally complex. At many 

places two prominent systems cross at nearly a right angle, and 

secondary or minor systems may meet them at oblique angles. 

Most of the joints are nearly vertical. Joint systems may show 

remarkable continuity over considerable areas.

SHEETING PLANES.

Sheeting planes in igneous rocks are generally more closely spaced 

near the surface than they are far below it. Most of them are nearly 

horizontal and in general conform with the rock surface. Inclined 

sheets are common but may be related to joints rather than to 

sheets. According to Dale,1 the chief factor in producing sheets is 

oompressive strain aided by expansion under solar heat.

The presence of sheeting planes greatly facilitates the removal of 

blocks. Where they are absent or are spaced too far apart artificial 

sheets are formed by discharging blasts in horizontal holes, known 

as "lift holes."

BEDDING PLANES.

Bedding planes are parallel with the planes of stratification in 

sedimentary rocks and are generally more regular and more closely 

spaced than sheeting planes. They may be open fractures or they 

may be seams of different material, such as clay seams in limestone. 

Close bedding and jointing are undesirable in quarries where building 

stone or only riprap or crushed rock is produced. The blocks are 

too small for building stone, and blasting for the production of riprap or crushed stone is not very effective, as much of the explosive 

force is disseminated in the cracks.

RIFT AND RUN.

Many granites split with greater ease in some directions than in 

others. The direction of easiest splitting or the fracture system that 

makes the splitting possible is called the rift. In some granites a 

second direction of easy splitting or fracture system stands at right 

angles to the rift, but this system is less strongly marked. In many 

eastern quarries this system is called the "grain." Throughout 

Minnesota, however, the term "run" is generally employed by 

quarrymen lor this system, and is therefore the term used in this 

bulletin. The direction at right angles to both rift and run is called 

the "hardway" or "head grain." In this direction the rock does 

not split readily. Throughout central Minnesota the rift is horizontal and the run is generally north and south, though in a small area 

of granite in sees. 17 and 20, St. Cloud Township, Stearns County, 

it is east and west. The rift is apparently independent of the sheets;

» Dale, T. N., op. cit., p. 29. 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 3
34 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

in certain quarries where the sheets dip 30° or more the rift is 

horizontal.

Neither rift nor run is at all pronounced in Minnesota granites. 

Skilled stonecutters can detect them easily but others can not. 

The ability to recognize them is indispensable to the success of the 

quarryman, especially of cutters of paying blocks, which must be 

blocked out and trimmed according to the natural planes of splitting. 

(See PL VI, A, p. 60.)

There is great diversity of opinion regarding the cause of rift and 

run. According to Dale,1 who cites the opinions of others and adds 

the results of his own investigations, they are due principally to 

mineral orientation that is, the arrangement of the rock minerals 

in lines or planes; to incipient jointing caused by strain; and to 

microscopic faults or fractures. In an earlier publication Dale 2 

shows that a probable relation exists between rift and run and the 

fluidal cavities in minerals. He gives a number of illustrations from 

New England granite quarries which indicate that rift is independent 

, of flow structure.

That rift and run in the granites of central Minnesota have their 

origin in mineral orientation is rather definitely indicated by two 

facts:

1. The rift surface is smoother than other surfaces. A skilled 

paving-block cutter, when blindfolded, can detect the rift by the feel 

of the surface. A predominance of feldspar cleavage planes parallel 

with a surface would manifestly produce greater smoothness or 

uniformity.

2. The statement of some quarrymen that they recognize the 

direction of rift by "the direction in which the grains point" is significant. They appear to base their observations rather on the dark 

than on the light-colored minerals.

Kift and run are noticeable in sedimentary rocks. Planes of 

stratification are planes of weakness, even if they are not open, so 

that massive blocks may be readily split from certain beds along 

some particular horizontal plane. Such splitting is comparable with 

the "rift" of igneous rocks, though the planes of fracture are of different origin. Such a plane is known among limestone quarrymen 

as "capping." It is probably due to a slight .change in sedimentation to the deposition of a thin layer of material that differs from 

that deposited before or merely to a temporary cessation in deposition, either of which might form a smooth surface that would permit 

little or no interlocking of grams with the bed next laid down. The 

run is much less pronounced than the rift but is of considerable importance, especially in sandstone from which paving blocks are made.

1 Dale, T. Nt, op. cit., p. 26.

2 Dale, T. N., The chief commercial granites of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull, 354, pp. 43-47,1908.
STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 35

PROPEKTIES OF STONE.

OUTLINE OF PROPERTIES.

The adaptability of a stone to structural or ornamental use is 

governed mainly by its inherent physical, chemical, and mineral 

properties. The properties required for different uses differ greatly, 

depending on the purpose for which the stone is to be employed. 

For bridge rock great strength is required, for monuments or other 

outdoor structures appearance and resistance to weathering are of 

more consequence, and for interior decoration attractive color and 

adaptability to carving and polishing are the chief requisites. Some 

of the important properties of stone are its composition (mineral or 

chemical), hardness, texture, color, strength, porosity, and specific 

gravity or weight.

METHODS OF STUDY.

As is pointed out by Buckley and Buehler* these properties may 

be determined by three different methods by studying the stone in 

the quarry or in exposures, by examining structures made from the 

stone, and by laboratory tests. Several of the properties may be 

studied by all three methods, others by two of them. If possible, 

the results obtained by one method of investigation should be verified by comparing them with the results obtained by others.

The data recorded in this report were obtained mainly by studying 

the rocks in quarries and in natural exposures. All active and many 

abandoned quarries were visited and the surface indications at many 

undeveloped outcrops were examined.

The stone buildings and other structures in Minnesota are very 

youthful in comparison with many in the Old World, and a study of 

their endurance is of relatively less value than a study of structures 

in lands where civilization is older, but all information that could 

be gained by this method of study has been recorded. The laboratory work done involved investigations of crushing strength, transverse strength, porosity, specific gravity, and weight per cubic foot, 

as well as chemical analyses and microscopic examinations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF PROPERTIES.

Full discussions of the properties of stone are given in other 

reports,2 so that only the more salient features are here noted.

Composition. A rock consists of one or more minerals, and the 

minerals are made up of elements combined in definite proportions. 

By chemical analysis these elements and the proportion of each may

» Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., The quarrying industry of Missouri: Missouri Bur. Geology and 

Mines, 2d sen, vol. 2, p. 30,1904.

8 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., op. cit. Merrill, G. P., Stones lor building and decoration, 3d ed., 

1903. Ries, H., Building stones and clay products, 1912.' Parks, W. A., Building and ornamental stones 

of Canada, vol. 1,1912.
36 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

be determined, and by microscopic study the individual minerals 

may be identified. The value of chemical analyses of building stone 

is often overestimated. The analysis of a granite may give little 

indication of its adaptability to structural uses. Simple qualitative 

tests may, however, be very useful. For example, it is much more 

desirable to know whether the iron in a granite is present in the 

ferrous or ferric state than to know its exact amount. An analysis 

of a limestone discloses its value for certain uses. The proportion 

of magnesium it contains directly affects its value for making cement; 

the proportion of aluminum usually indicates the proportion of clay 

mixed with the calcium or magnesium carbonates; a knowledge of 

the proportion of insoluble matter is important if the limestone is to 

be used as a fertilizer; and the presence of sulphur probably indicates 

that it contains pyrite. Much useful information that was formerly 

obtained almost exclusively by chemical methods, or was not obtained at all, is now gained by the use of the petrographic microscope, study with which is quicker, cheaper, and for most purposes 

more effective than chemical investigation. By the microscope we 

may observe and identify the minerals in a rock and may note their 

state of aggregation, freshness, relative abundance, impurities, and 

texture, and may to some extent interpret the history of the rock and 

learn what influences have been at work to improve or impair it for 

structural uses. In the preparation of this bulletin about 300 thin 

sections of Minnesota stones were studied with the microscope. (See 

reports on particular quarries, pp. 68-147.)

Hardness. The hardness of a rock, or its resistance to abrasion, 

depends directly on the hardness and texture of its component minerals. Most of the constituents of granite are as hard as or harder 

than steel, and the rock is therefore difficult to tool. Granites in 

which the proportion of quartz is large are harder than those in which 

it is small, for quartz is their hardest essential constituent. 'Limestone consists of minerals that can be scratched easily with a knife 

and it is consequently worked with comparative ease. Sandstone 

may be worked with ease or difficulty according to the nature of its 

cementing material and its state of aggregation. Siliceous sandstones or quartzites are the most difficult to cut.

Texture. The term "texture," as applied to a rock, means the size, 

uniformity, and arrangement of its constituent mineral grains. In 

rubble, riprap, or crushed stone texture is of little moment, but in 

stone of ornamental grades it is of vital importance. Uniformity 

in size of grain and in distribution of minerals is demanded in monumental, and the best structural stone. Fossiliferous limestones are 

subject to differential weathering, which destroys their originally 

uniform surfaces.
PROPEBTIES OF STONE. 37

Color. Rocks are of many colors, and the choice of color for a 

building stone depends on individual taste or prevailing fashion. 

For monumental stone there is a demand for rock of practically all 

colors. For building stone, red, gray, brown, or white rocks are 

widely employed, and dark-gray or black rocks are used but little. 

The buff or yellow colors of many limestones and sandstones and 

the red or pink shades of many granites are due to the presence of 

minute grains of iron oxides. Surface stains are serious blemishes 

and are generally due to the presence of small crystals of pyrite, 

marcasite, or siderite, which oxidize by weathering, or to soluble 

iron salts in the quarry water.

Strength. Most building stones, when unweathered, are sufficiently strong for all ordinary structural uses. Bridge piers and supporting columns in large buildings must sustain great pressures, but 

even in such structures the strength of ordinary stone far exceeds the 

requirements of safety. It is, however, generally conceded that rock 

disintegrates and tends to weaken more readily when under severe 

stress, and a factor of, safety of 20 is therefore usually demanded 

that is, the stone must be able to resist a crushing stress 20 times as 

great as that to which it will be subject when placed in a wall. For 

ordinary uses a stone that will sustain a crushing strength of 5,000 

pounds to the square inch is considered satisfactory. Most fresh 

granites will sustain a pressure of 20,000 to 35,000 pounds to the 

square inch, and many limestones will sustain a pressure nearly as 

great. Sandstones differ widely in strength, but their probable 

strength can be judged from the state of aggregation of their constituent minerals. Crushing tests are not particularly useful except 

those made on stone that is to be employed for some purpose that 

demands exceptionally great strength. Tests made to show transverse strength that is, the strength required to sustain a load applied at the middle of a bar of stone that is supported at the ends 

is of more importance, for it shows the adaptability of the stone to 

use as window caps, door caps, and the like. The number of broken 

caps that may be observed in buildings indicates that sufficient care 

has not been taken in selecting stone for such uses.

Tests to show both the compressive and the transverse strength of 

a number of Minnesota rocks were made under the direction of W. H. 

Kavanaugh, of the University of Minnesota. Both kinds of tests 

were made on a number of samples from each of the quarries, in order 

to get fair average results. In making crushing tests the compression surfaces of the cubes were bedded in a thin layer of plaster of 

Paris to insure an even bearing. The transverse tests were made by 

arranging the specimen on well-rounded supports 10 inches apart and 

applying the load in the center of this span through a similarly well-
38 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

rounded bearing. In computing the modulus of rupture the wellT3 T

known formula p = rj-was used, in which p=modulus of rupture in

pounds per square inch; P=breaking load at center in pounds; 

i=span in inches; e=maximum fiber distance; I moment of inertia

XT a

of the cross section at the break, computed from the formula /= , in

X ^

which I is the width of and Ti the depth of the specimen.

The compression tests were made on sawn cubes of approximately 

2^-inch edge, and the transverse tests on blocks 2£ by 2^ by 12 inches, 

the supports being 10 inches apart.

Porosity. Porosity affects the durability of a stone by permitting 

the infiltration of water which may contain solvents and which may 

freeze in the pores. Many tests have been, made to determine the 

percentage of pore space in rocks. Early writers have stated that the 

danger due to frost is directly proportional to the percentage of pore 

space, but Buckley 1 has pointed out that the important factor to consider is the facility with which the stone gives up water; that as rocks 

with small pores give it up less readily, rocks with fine pores suffer 

most seriously from the action of frost. Parks 2 determined the permeability of many rocks and found that it bore no relation to percentage of porosity or to the effect of frost. It is apparent, however, that 

the solvent effect would be greater in rocks of greater permeability.

Specific gravity and weight per cubic foot. The specific gravity of 

a stone is its weight compared with the weight of an equal volume of 

water. It may be expressed as apparent specific gravity or true 

specific gravity. The apparent specific gravity of a rock is obtained 

when its pore spaces are filled with ah- throughout the determination. 

The true specific gravity is obtained when pore space is eliminated, 

either by filling the pores with water or by determining specific 

gravity from the rock powder. The latter method was employed in 

all the determinations here recorded.

The specific gravity of common rocks ranges from 2.2 to 2.7, and the 

weight per cubic foot ranges from 150 to 190 pounds, depending on the 

weight and relative abundance of the constituent minerals and upon 

the porosity. The weight per cubic foot is useful in calculating the 

weight which a superstructure imposes upon its base.

PHYSICAL TESTS.

The following table shows the results of recent physical tests of the 

several Minnesota building stones. The results of earlier tests have 

been published by Winchell.3

1 Buckley, E. R., The building and ornamental stones of Wisconsin, p. 22,1898.

2 Parks, W. A., Report on the building and ornamental stones of Canada, vol. 1, p. 62,1912. 

«Winchell, N. H., op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 196-203.
1

PROPERTIES OP STONE. 39 

Results of recent physical tests of Minnesota building stones.

Rock.

Granite (red).... 

Granite (pink) . . 

Granite (gneiss).

Granite (pale 

pink). 

Quartz diorite 

(gray). 

Granite (red)...

Do..........

Do..........

Granite (gray) . .

Marble (pink).. 

Marble (yellow). 

Limestone 

(bridge ledge).

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Locality.

Ortonville... ...

North Redwood. 

Morton.........

St. Cloud.......

.....do.......... 

.....do..........

.....do..........

East St. Cloud..

.....do..........

Ottawa. ........

St. Lawrence....

St. Charles......

.....do..........

Quarry.

Consolidated 

Granite Co. 

North Redwood 

Granite Co. 

Anderson Granite 

Co. 

Clark & McCofRobert Graham...

Melrose Granite 

Co. 

J. B. Robinson....

Pioneer Granite 

Co. 

August Erickson . . Warman Creek 

Granite Co.

Fowler & Pay... . 

0. Carlson. .......

Frontenac Stone 

Co.

AbeLeatherman..

Fred Wolter......

.....do............

Crushing 

strength.

First 

crack.

Lbs. per 

sq. in. 

12,772

12,308 

8,600 

10,574 

15,080 

9,733

9,395

11,426 

9,996

4,469

8,882

6,874

10, 429

Final collapse.

Lbs. per 

sq. in. 

23,722

21,236 

20,340 

17,294 

21,000 

19,101

i5,7i2

16,996 

17,246

5,439

11,390

8,017

20,277 

12, 295 

12, 799

Transverse 

breaking 

strength; 

modulus 

of 

rupture.

Lbs. per 

sq. in. 

3,098.2

4,526 

3,042 

2,048 

2,979 

2,291

2,596

3,159 

1,129

2,167

1,367

6,583

True 

specific 

gravity.

2.690

2.761

2.643

2.823 

2.580 

2.902

2.626

2.836 

2.788 

2.788 

2.814 

2.885 

2.608

Pore 

space.

Per 

cent.

0.6

.37

.32

6.78 

7.74 

6.78

9.31

9.75 

3.04 

3.59 

9.99 

9.96 

8.29

Weight.

Lbs. per 

cu. ft.

167.1

171.9

164.6

164.5 

148.8 

169.1

148.8

160.0 

169.0 

168.0 

158.3 

162.3 

149.5

CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING STONE.

The chief considerations in selecting stone are durability, appearance, and cost.

Durability. Stone that is to be used for exterior work, particularly in a climate like that of Minnesota, should be able to withstand 

weathering. Its durability will depend chiefly on its mineral composition and texture. Limestones dissolve slowly in water that contains carbon dioxide, porous rocks disintegrate by freezing, and granites may be fractured by unequal expansion of their constituent minerals. These processes are, however, very slow and uncertain. It is 

difficult to judge the weathering qualities of a stone by examining 

its constituents and texture. Many careful laboratory tests have been 

made and the results have been recorded in the literature. Such 

tests are important, and the results are worthy of much attention.

A very practical method of determining the resistance of a rock to 

weathering a method which may be used in conjunction with laboratory tests is to observe the rock where it has been long subjected 

to the elements and to study the visible effects of weathering. This
40 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

study may consist of careful scrutiny of structures built many years 

ago or of the stone as it occurs in the quarry.

For certain uses, as for flagging or steps, resistance to weathering 

is of course necessary, but resistance to wear is of even more importance.

Stone in buildings may be subjected to intense heat by a conflagration. The ability of different rocks to resist the effects of high 

temperature has been studied by observation of burned buildings 

and by laboratory tests. W. E. McCourt * has shown that limestones, 

up to the point of calculation, withstand the effects of fire better 

than any other stones. Next in order are sandstones, next finegrained crystalline rocks, and last the coarser crystalline rocks. As 

a rule, the finer grained and more 'compact the stone and the simpler 

its mineral composition the better will it resist the damaging effects 

of extreme heat.

Appearance. Color and texture are the controlling factors of appearance. Individual tastes differ greatly as to colors or textures, 

but there are certain general principles bearing on appearance to 

which practically all will subscribe. White or very light colors are 

undesirable for structures in manufacturing or railroad centers, 

where soot and smoke blacken building stone. The blackening may 

to some extent be prevented by polishing the stone, as soot adheres 

less readily to a polished than to a rough surface, but the cost of 

polishing is high.

A very desirable feature of color is uniformity, and this may be 

hard to obtain. Different beds may have different shades of color, 

and for architectural unity it may be necessary to obtain all the 

stone from a single bed. Lack of uniformity may be due to unequal 

distribution of different-colored minerals, such as are seen in areas of 

pegmatite in granites or in the varied banding of gneisses.

Generally speaking, permanence of color is requisite to attractiveness. Unequal oxidation may cause some parts of a rock surface to 

become darker than others, and bleaching may cause some parts to 

become lighter. The presence of alkali salts may result in the formation of unsightly efflorescent coatings. Crystals of pyrite, marcasite, 

or siderite may by oxidation cause rusty stains, such as may be observed in many structures in Minneapolis on blocks of limestone 

obtained from local Platteville beds. For selecting stone free from 

such blemishes careful microscopic examination is recommended. '

Under certain conditions, however, change of color may not detract 

from the appearance of a structure. Limestones and sandstones 

may become darker through lapse of tune, by chemical changes f or 

example, the oxidation of iron carbonate. If all the stone in a 

structure changes uniformly the resulting color may be as attractive

iNew Jersey Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1906.
PHYSIOGRAPHY. 41

as the original. On some stones richer and more pleasing tones of 

color develop after prolonged ^exposure.

Uniformity of texture is desirable in stone designed for certain 

structures, such as monuments, carved objects, and exterior building 

blocks, but variations in texture may add to the attractiveness of 

large columns or panels. Thus a coarsely banded gneiss may be 

very attractive in a large column but would not look well in a polished monument, especially in a small one.

Cost. The factors that govern the cost of stone are quarry conditions, workability, and situation with respect to. the means of 

transportation.

One important element in quarrying is the thickness of soil or 

waste rock that covers the beds to be quarried. Drainage is also 

important, as pumping increases the expense of quarrying. The 

angle of intersection and the proximity of joints and sheeting planes 

have much to do with the ease of removal of the rock and the shape 

of the blocks obtained. Acute angles of intersection result in undesirable angular fragments, and wide spacing makes quarrying more 

difficult. The presence of defects increases the cost, for the expense 

of handling rejected blocks must be added to the price of the finished 

product. Skill in quarrying tends to reduce the cost of stone. The 

situation of the quarry opening with respect to the attitude of inclined sheets, the use of modern machinery, the position and depth 

of drill holes, and the size of the charge employed, are all factors in 

the cost of production. The utilization of waste material is one of 

the important economic problems in stone quarrying.

The workability of stone depends partly on the hardness and 

texture of its constituent minerals and partly on the rift and run. 

The ease with which a stone can be tooled, sawed, or polished depends chiefly on its hardness and texture. The ease with which it 

can be split or trimmed into blocks with even surfaces depends on 

the natural directions of splitting, and the cost depends both on the 

skill of the cutter and his knowledge of the inherent peculiarities of 

the stone.

A block of granite 2 feet square and 3 feet long weighs about a ton. 

The .cost of transportation may be the chief item of expense. Stone 

may be transported by team and wagon, by railroad, or by water, 

transportation by water being the cheapest.

PHYSIOGRAPHY.

Taken as a whole the surface of Minnesota is a moderately undulating plain, marked at intervals by belts, of uneven topography, 

where hills of rock or glacial drift are interspersed with undrained 

depressions, and by some extensive lake beds, the most notable of 

which are in the Ked River valley, a basin that was once occupied 

by the glacial Lake Agassiz.
42 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES Of MINNESOTA. 

Southern Minnesota is for the most part a plain of moderate 

elevation. An area in the southeastern part of the State, known as 

"Coteau des Prairies," rises about 500 feet above the remainder of 

southern Minnesota and extends westward into the Dakotas. The 

highest part of southern Minnesota, exclusive of the coteau, or divide, 

just described, lies in the southeastern part of the State, in Mower 

County, where the rocks are bowed into a flat dome, the apex of which 

reaches an elevation of 1,400 feet above the sea. This dome has an 

exceedingly gentle slope, but it constitutes a very important feature 

of the topography of the southern part of the State. Where streams 

have cut channels on the eastern slope of this upland as they flowed 

to Mississippi River they have formed deep gorges with precipitous 

walls. Along the Minnesota River valley rounded rock masses outcrop at many places. In the southeastern part of the State the 

glacial drift is very thin or absent, and rock outcrops are more 

common. The harder rocks find topographic expression in flattopped mounds, although most of the surface is covered by a veneer 

of dustlike clay or loess whose thickness ranges from 1 to 12 feet or 

more and averages about 5 feet. This loess tends to smooth over 

any small irregularities of the surface. It reaches its maximum 

thickness in stream valleys and depressions, and it is thin or absent 

on higher knolls and rolling prairies.

Northern Minnesota has a more varied topography. Its northwestern part, which was once covered by glacial Lake Agassiz, is as 

flat as a floor except for a series of low gravel ridges that represent 

former beaches of the lake. Its north-central and northeastern 

parts are more undulating and contain many hilly belts or glacial 

moraines. In the southern part of Otter Tail County three morainic 

belts converge to form what are known as the Leaf Hills, which rise 

250 to 300 feet above the general elevation of the surrounding land. 

In the extreme northeastern part of the State the topography is 

rather rough and the highest point in the State is found. Here 

several low "mountain ranges" of pre-Cambrian rock, trending 

approximately N. 70° E., rise about 1,800 feet above the sea.

The principal drainage system is that of Mississippi River and its 

intricate net of tributaries, but in the northwestern part of Minnesota Red River of the North is the main drainage line, and in the 

northeastern part a considerable area is drained to Lake Superior.

GEOLOGY OF THE BUILDING STONES.

The rocks of all the great geologic periods from the earliest Archean 

granites and schists to Recent alluvium are represented in Minnesota. 

The columnar section given in Plate IV shows the principal formations, in order of age, with the oldest formations at the bottom.
U. B. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. BULLETIN 663 PLATE IV

EKA.

Cenozoic.

Mesozoic.

Paleozoic.

Proterozoic.

SYSTEM AND 

SERIES.

Quaternary.

Recent.

Pleistocene.

Cretaceous. 

Devonian.

Ordovician.

Cambrian.

Algonkian (?).

Algonkian.

j Archean.

Keeweenawan.

Huronian.

Upper Huronian (Animikie group).

Lower middleHuronian.

Laurentian.

Keewatin.

FORMATION.

Benton shale. 

Dakota sandstone. 

Maquoketa shale.

Galena limestone. 

Decorah shale. 

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Oneota dolomite. 

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence formation. 

Franconia sandstone.

Dresbach sandstone and 

underlying shales and 

sandstones.

Red clastic series of southeastern Minnesota and 

probably contemporaneous sandstones to the 

north.

Conglomerate and san 

stone.

Eruptives.

Acidic and basic intrusives.

Virginia and other slates.

Biwabik and Gunfliut formations.

Pokegama quartzite.

Giant s R ange and other intrusive granites, granite 

porphyry, and dolerites.

Slate, gray wacke, and conglomerate.

Residual clay.

Granites, gneisses, and 

porphyries.

Soudan formation.

Schists and porphyries 

and Ely and other greenstones.

SECTION.

 ^T-i "^» .~.~» ;.«>*."° "TV.w

 z." Gf r. ,. jf- o ~

^ o2^?^^^

^SlS&si

i i i i i

i i i i i

.-!.L.--j_.'_i-L-j-Jr-L!-=r: 

 i i i r '...I::, T

. 1 ! 1 1

7T7-.. - :::::::

. . V"I^."^m ,'.

V.-::-.'-Liiit.v.'

'. O' Q' O °o 'o'o'O.'

 » 0 . .0 . .0 , o . . .

<£?:'o '.O'.'o; p". 'c>'.b

.O'o'Q'.b.'O'o'o

~-^A *l^/.-^fE~j^^^'i

..... ...

o o o o ° o c> o" o o'

V'V\i/y \-M

O <P o b o <p o o

o . 0-_o _ y , 0 o

H-?. 0 O' o o o'o

 -0. O Q'O o o ,

^P. 9 O "oO o Vc

O o o o 'o £P o' 

O O 6 O ci.'o o

 ' ' '.: /.' ;:. .:':>. v

;.'. ' ;;'.-." ,",' ;

':/.'.' '.; /':>'.

' "' ." *..

/ \ * * ^ \ I/ t \ ^ \ i \

X x K *. X x 

^ X X X X < 

H < X X XX 

X X X X vt

iT -x" x X X. x x

x~^r x x x x

x x x x x *

APPROXIMATE 

MAXIMUM 

THICKNESS 

(FEET).

600±

550

100 

~ 100

230 

200

100 

200

200

200 

100

450

2,250

500

Unknown.

Unknown.

3,000±

800±

200

Ciuknown.

5,000

Unknown,

Unknown.

CHARACTER OF STRATA.

Lake and river silt.

Glacial drift and loess.

Clays and shales.

Sandstones and in a few places 

limestone.

Sandstones and sandy limestones. 

Shales andlimestones.

Shales andlimestones. 

Sandstone with a little shale.

Buff to reddish dolomite. 

White to brown sandstone.

Buff dolomite with green shale 

and sandstone.

White sandstone and green sand.

White sandstone with interbeddec 

shales and limestones.

Red sandstones and shales, shaly 

layers especially abundant uear 

the base.

Conglomerate and sandstone.

Granites, gabbros, and diabases.

Slates.

Taconite, iron ore, ferruginous 

chert and paint rock.

Quartzite, quartz slate, and conglomerate.

Gray and pink granite, granite 

porphyry dolerites, and lamprophyres.

Green to gray slates, graywackes, 

and conglomerates.

White residual clay.

Granites and porphyries in part 

altered to schists.

Banded cherts and red jaspers.

Greenstones, green schists, porphyries and iron ore.

VALUE FOR BUILDING STONK.

No building stone.

Glacial boulders; used chiefly for rough wall stone.

Of no value as building material.

Quarried in Mower, Fillmore, and Faribault counties. 

Of no value for building.

Quarried in Hennepin, Dakota, and some of the southeastern counties. 

Too friable to be of value for building.

Furnishes most of the limestones and marbles quarried in southeastern Minnesota. 

Too friable to be of value except a little quarried in Chisago and Scott counties. 

A little dolomite in Scott County. 

Too friable to be of value for building.

For the most part very friable; has been quarried only near Dresbach, in Winona 

county.

The so-called "Kettle River" sandstone (known locally [as Hinckley sandstone) of 

Pine County, and the sandstones near Duluth,. in St. Louis County (both probably contemporaneous with the red clastic series), afford valuable building material.

Of little value for building.

The granites of central Minnesota, notably those of Stearns, Benton. and Sherburne 

counties, furnish superior building and ornamental stones. The gabbros and 

diabases of Lake, St. Louis, and Chisago counties are utilized for road material 

concrete aggregate, and riprap.

Of little value for building.

The Virginia slate has no value as building material. The slates of Carlton Countv 

may be used for roofing.

Of no value as building material.

The Pokegama quartzite of St. Louis County and the possibly contemporaneous Sioux 

quartzite of Nicollet, Pipestone, and Rock counties are used chiefly for crushed stone.

The Giants Range granite of St. Louis County affords fair building material.

Of little value as building material.

Great masses of granite northwest of Lake Superio>r are mostly inaccessible The 

granites of Minnesota River valley from Big Stone ILake to New Ulm have been used 

for buildings and monuments.

Of little value as building material.

Of little value as building material

GEOLOGIC COLUMN OF MINNESOTA.
GEOLOGY OF THE BUILDING STONES. 43 

ABCHEAN.

The Keewatin was a period of great volcanic activity, during which 

lava flows, both subaqueous and subaerial, were poured out. Small 

amounts of sediments were deposited, especially near the close of the 

Keewatin. The volcanic rocks of this period are mainly basalts but 

include also some slate, jaspilite,, and dolomite. The rocks that 

underlie these lavas are not known. The basalts over much of the 

area have been profoundly metamorphosed and converted into 

so-called green schists, which now crop out in much of the northern 

part of Minnesota. The gneisses of the southwest and central part 

may be of the same or nearly the same age.

In Laurentian time siliceous granitoid and gneissic masses were 

intruded into the Keewatin rocks, mostly as great batholiths. Their 

relation to the Keewatin is complex, some outcrops indicating that 

the granite magma may have stoped and absorbed parts of the basic 

rock. The Laurentian crops out prominently in two areas, in one of 

which, northwest of Lake Superior, there are enormous masses of 

granite and gneiss, which, on account of poor transportation facilities, 

are now unavailable for use as building stone. Another Laurentian 

area is in southwest Minnesota along Minnesota River valley from 

Big Stone Lake to New Ulm. This area has been correlated less 

certainly with the Archean.

ALGONKIAN.

Contrasted with the Archean the Algonkian was a period of sedimentation, though at times in that period igneous activity was pronounced. Two series of Algonkian rocks, each of considerable thickness, are recognized in Minnesota, the lower the Huronian and the 

upper the Keweenawan.

The lower-middle Huronian sediments in Minnesota consist of 

slates and graywackes (dark-gray sandstones containing angular 

fragments of shale and other materials), with which are associated 

several kinds of igneous rock. The slates, which overlie the Archean 

unconformably, extend from northeastern Minnesota westward in a 

belt that lies in the main south of the Archean outcrop. In the region farther west they are covered by drift and Cretaceous formations.

The upper Huronian (Animikie group) rests unconformably on the 

middle Huronian. It consists of thin conglomerate and sandstone 

and, above these, of the iron formation of the Mesabi Range and the 

slates that overlie it. The upper Huronian is much less altered than 

the earlier formations but has been invaded and in central Minnesota 

somewhat metamorphosed by large intrusive igneous masses, most 

of which are probably Keweenawan. The quartzite near New Ulm, 

Pipestone and Luverne may belong to this group.
44 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The Keweenawan consists of conglomerates, sandstones, and shales, 

interbedded with flows of diabase and other igneous rocks. The 

sediments are relatively thin, and most of them, from their red color, 

poorly sorted materials, and alternation with lava flows, may be 

classed as land deposits. The middle and upper Keweenawan derived 

most of their sediments from the dominantly basic Keweenawan 

igneous rocks. They lie unconformably above the Huronian, but 

their exact relation to the Cambrian is uncertain.

Igneous activity was pronounced in early or middle Keweenawan 

times, and granites which are probably referable to this period occur 

in central Minnesota. These granite intrusions were followed by 

basic intrusion and extrusion.

The Lake Superior basin was developed about this time by subsidence of the area now occupied by the lake, the synclinal nature of 

the basin being shown by the lavas, which dip under the lake on each 

side. The large area on the north shore is of special interest on 

account of the great gabbro laccolith (Duluth gabbro) and the series 

of flows and intrusions that are so prominent along the shore cliff. 

Diabases of probably the same age extend southwestward to central 

Minnesota near Little Falls, and diabase dikes that extend as far as 

the Minnesota River valley are assigned to this epoch. Later 

Keweenawan times were marked by sedimentation.

The red sandstones found in deep-drilled wells in the region around 

Minneapolis and St. Paul are tentatively included in the Keweenawan. 

The sandstones of Sandstone and Fond du Lac are probably of late 

Keweenawan age, though possibly they may be early Cambrian.

PALEOZOIC.

Paleozoic rocks outcrop at several places in southeastern Minnesota 

over an area comprising about one-eighth of the State. Structurally 

they form a shallow synclinal basin.

CAMBEIAN.

The Cambrian rocks, consisting of shales, limestones, and sandstones of marine origin, rest unconformably on the earlier tilted rocks.

Dresbach sandstone and underlying shales and sandstones. The 

lower part of the Cambrian in Minnesota includes the Dresbach sandstone, of Upper Cambrian age, which outcrops near the town of 

Dresbach. Thicknesses of 50 to 100 feet are shown in drilled wells 

in southeastern Minnesota. At Taylors Falls the Dresbach contains 

marine fossils and lies in contact with tilted Keweenawan lavas. In 

other parts of the State it is separated from the pre-Cambrian rocks 

by older sandstones and shales.

Franconia sandstone. The Franconia sandstone, consisting of 100 

or more feet of white micaceous sandstone, with greensand at the
GEOLOGY OF THE BUILDING STONES. 45

base in some areas, overlies the Dresbach and is typically exposed at 

Franconia, in Chisago County.

St. Lawrence formation. Above the Franconia sandstone is the 

St. Lawrence formation, 100 to 200 feet thick. It consists of a somewhat sandy and porous buff magnesian limestone and layers of green 

shale and white and green sandstone. It outcrops near Judson and 

St. Lawrence siding, on Minnesota River, and at many points along 

the Mississippi bluffs from Red Wing to the Iowa line.

Jordan sandstone. Above the St. Lawrence is a white to yellow 

incoherent sandstone, 75 to 200 feet thick, consisting of medium to 

coarse well-rounded grains. It appears along the valleys of Minnesota and Mississippi rivers and a number of their tributary streams.

ORDOVICIAN.

The Ordovician rests conformably on the Cambrian. The lowest 

rocks included in the Ordovician are the Prairie du Chien group, 

which consists mainly of dolomites and is divided into the Oneota 

dolomite below and the Shakopee dolomite above.

Oneota dolomite. The Oneota dolomite, which is 75 to 200 feet 

thick, occurs in heavy uniform beds of buff color, and is somewhat 

porous in its upper part. It outcrops at Kasota and Mankato in 

the Minnesota River valley and almost continuously along the Mississippi and many of its tributaries from Red Wing to the Iowa line. 

Most of the limestone quarries of the State are in this formation.

Associated with the dolomite of the Oneota or the Shakopee is a 

bed of white calcareous sandstone, sometimes called New Richmond, 

which reaches a maximum thickness of 40 feet, though in many 

places it is much thinner. It is useless as quarry rock on account of 

its friability.

ShaJcopee dolomite. The Shakopee dolomite is similar to the 

Oneota. It ranges from 25 to 75 feet in thickness, is buff in color, 

fine grained, and somewhat sandy. Outcrops occur along Minnesota River, notably at Shakopee, and on the bluffs of Mississippi 

River between St. Paul and Hastings. It is quarried at a few places 

in Scott and Washington counties.

 St. Peter sandstone. Above these dolomites is the St. Peter sandstone. It is 80 to 200 feet thick, white to yellowish in color, and consists of very pure quartz in well-rounded grains. It is very friable 

and is useless for structural purposes. It outcrops along the Mississippi near the Twin Cities and at many points throughout the southeastern counties. At its top is 3 to 6 .feet of blue shale.

PlatteviUe limestone. The Platteville limestone, which is 12 to 30 

feet thick, contains a smaller proportion of magnesium carbonate than 

the underlying Shakopee and Oneota, and is blue rather than buff in 

color. Outcrops are prominent in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where
46 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

it was quarried extensively in earlier years for structural use, and it 

caps many hills in the southeastern counties at some distance from 

the large rivers. Numerous shaly layers, one-fourth to one inch 

thick, alternate with the beds of limestone. In the southern part of 

Minnesota these layers are several inches thick.

Decorah shale. Above the Platteville limestone is the Decorah 

shale, which has been traced through several counties southeast of 

St. Paul. It has a maximum thickness of about 100 feet and an 

average of about 50 feet. It is not useful as a building material 

except as it is employed in the manufacture of brick.

Galena, limestone. The Galena limestone, which overlies the 

Decorah shale, reaches a maximum thickness of 70 to 80 feet in Minnesota and is represented at only a few places. The most prominent 

outcrops are in Dodge, Mower, and Fillmore counties, where it supplies quarry rock of good quality. It is a somewhat sandy, buff to 

bluish magnesian limestone.

Maquoketa shale. Above the Galena limestone is the Maquoketa 

shale, a dolomitic shale and sandstone having a thickness of about 

100 feet.

DEVONIAN.

After a period of erosion 50 to 100 feet of Devonian sediments were 

deposited. These constitute the northern part of a large area that 

outcrops principally in Iowa. In Minnesota the main portion of the 

"rock is limestone, interbedded with shales at the base and grading 

into sandstone at the top. Small areas appear in Mower, Fillmore, 

and Faribault counties, where they supply limestone for structural 

purposes.

POST-DEVONIAN EEOSION.

The era of erosion following the formation of Devonian rocks must 

have been long and the weathering widespread and profound. No 

rocks between Devonian and middle Cretaceous are represented in 

Minnesota. No important diastrophic movements are indicated, 

and it is not probable that the elevation above sea level was great 

nor that the topography was rugged. Archean granites and gneisses, extending over many counties, are kaolinized to depths of 10 to 

100 feet, and are now covered and protected by Cretaceous rocks, 

which shows that the extensive weathering took place in pre-Cretaceous time.

MESOZOIC.

CRETACEOUS.

Cretaceous clays and sands (rarely some limestone) lie unconformably over Archean, Algonkian, and Paleozoic rocks, having a maximum thickness of about 500 feet. They contain marine fossils of 

Dakota or Benton age. The southwestern quarter of Minnesota is
CRYSTALLINE ROCKS. 47

almost entirely covered with such sediments, which surround the 

older prominent quartzite knobs, which probably represent islands in 

the Cretaceous sea. The Cretaceous beds are only partly consolidated and are not suitable for structural purposes.

CENOZOIC.

PLEISTOCENE EPOCH.

Just before the glacial epoch, in Pleistocene time, the larger features of the topography were much the same as now. The great ice 

sheets advancing over the State scoured some valleys, filled others, 

and on melting left 200 to 300 feet of drift over large areas, entirely 

changing the details of the topography and drainage.

Glaciation has had an important bearing on the building-stone 

problem. The moving ice ground away the superficial decayed part 

of the rock and thus simplified the problem of rock stripping in many 

quarries. Glacial drainage had a similar effect in the Minnesota 

River valley, where the great glacial River Warren, which drained 

Lake Agassiz, cleared away all debris from the "Morton" and "North 

Redwood" gneiss. Glacial drift or glacial-lake deposits have completely covered and rendered unavailable all the hard rocks of many 

counties.

CRYSTALLINE &OCKS OF MINNESOTA.

AGE AND GENERAL DISTRIBUTION.

Crystalline rocks include granites, gneisses, diorites, gabbros, and 

related rocks. In geologic age they fall into two groups, the granites 

and gneisses of Archean age, and the granites, diorites, gabbros, and 

related rocks of Keweenawan and Huronian age.

The Archean rocks occur in two widely separated localities. They 

outcrop prominently in Bigstone, Chippewa, Yellow Medicine, Renville, and Redwood counties, in the upper Minnesota River valley, 

and in the northern part of the State, notably in the vicinity of the 

Vermilion Range.

Crystalline rocks, probably of lower Keweenawan age, outcrop in 

many parts of central Minnesota, notably in Stearns, Sherburne, Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs, and Kanabec, with small outcrops of 

doubtful age in Todd and Aitkin counties.

Granites of middle Huronian age are found in the Giants Range and 

its eastward extension in St. Louis County, and gabbros and diabases 

of Keweenawan age occur hi St; Louis, Lake, and Chisago counties.

ARCHEAN ROCKS OF MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY.

In the upper Minnesota River valley, from New Ulm to Ortonville, 

are numerous outcrops of granite and gneiss, much of which is of excellent quality for structural or ornamental purposes.
48 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Thousands of years ago the glacial river Warren evidently reached 

such notable proportions as to cover almost the entire valley, in places 

about 2 miles wide. In its passage it swept away all decayed and 

weathered debris, leaving fresh rock at the surface. This extensive 

erosion, which was accomplished by the immense volume of water 

derived from melting ice sheets and from rainfall over an area that 

may almost be termed continental, has a direct bearing on the availability of good rock in the Minnesota River valley. In the narrow 

and somewhat precipitous valleys of tributary streams, such as Birch 

Cooley and Redwood River, conditions are quite different. No great 

volume of water has ever passed down here, and the ancient surface 

is not deeply eroded. The Archean rocks, protected from glaciation 

by a Cretaceous covering, are decayed almost beyond recognition, and 

their abundant outcrops offer no available rock for structural or ornamental purposes. Erosion, which prepared the rock for quarrying in 

the Minnesota River valley by clearing away all the waste material, 

failed to do similar work on tributary streams.

Much valuable stone has been obtained from masses that outcrop 

near Ortonville, North Redwood, and Morton. The "Ortonville" 

stone is a medium-grained biotite granite or granite gneiss, which has 

an attractive deep-red color and takes a good polish. (See PL IX, 0, 

p. 68.) Under the microscope it is seen to consist of orthoclase, 

microcline, quartz, and biotite mica. The feldspars are intergrown 

as in microperthite, the quartz is abundant, and the mica appears as 

scattered flakes. Near Montevideo the rock is more gneissic in texture, less uniform in grain size, and less attractive in coloring than at 

Ortonville.

Knobs and domes of biotite gneiss in the Minnesota River valley 

near North Redwood supply two types of attractive and valuable 

monumental and structural stone. One type is a beautiful greenishgray medium-grained biotite gneiss a "sap rock," or one that 

occurs near the surface and shows change of color due to surface 

alteration. The other type is a gray to pale-pink medium-grained 

granite or quartz diorite, consisting chiefly of much gray to pale-pink 

feldspar, some clear quartz, and small grains of black mica. Both 

rocks are even grained and are exceptionally attractive. The only 

imperfections observed are a few dikes of aplite (fine-grained granite). 

A great quantity of high-class monumental stone is available.

Thin sections of the green granite under the microscope show the 

following characters: Quartz is prominent. The feldspars are orthoclase and subordinate microcline. The small proportion of dark 

mineral is chiefly biotite, some of it secondary as an alteration product of hornblende, which appears in a few places as cores in the center 

of the biotite grains. A few grains of magnetite are present. The
CRYSTALLINE ROCKS. 49

rock has altered considerably to fine granular kaolinite and chlorite, 

the latter giving the green color.

The pale-pink granite is a medium-grained, even-textured biotite 

granite. The feldspars are orthoclase and plagioclase in about equal 

amount and a little microcline. Quartz is abundant. The only dark 

minerals present are a few grains of biotite and magnetite. The red 

color is due to small grains of hematite, confined chiefly to minute 

cracks between mineral grains. No other alteration seems to have 

taken place, the stone being exceptionally pure and fresh.

At Morton conditions are similar to those at North Kedwood. The 

rock occurs in a higher and larger dome, the bare rounded bluffs forming a prominent landmark in the Minnesota River valley. The 

"Morton" rock is a medium to coarse grained biotite granodiorite 

gneiss. The feldspars are red, and the dark minerals occur mostly in 

streaks and bands. In places the rock is porphyritic. Feldspars constitute the larger share of the rock, orthoclase and plagioclase being 

most abundant and microcline subordinate. Considerable quartz is 

present. The chief dark"mineral is biotite, with a small amount of 

hornblende and a few grains of magnetite.

The Archean rocks of the Minnesota Valley are marred by certain 

structures and textures which it is desirable to avoid in quarrying. 

Some of the rocks, particularly the "Ortonville," contain at irregular 

intervals oblong masses 1 inch to 2 feet in diameter consisting of quartz 

and large orthoclase crystals, some 2 or 3 inches across. In other 

places these masses assume the form of irregular, indistinctly bounded 

dikes. They evidently represent the final stage of a rock consolidate, 

when the surface was solid and the lower part of the eruptive mass 

still molten. Such masses are known as pegmatites. They do not, 

as a rule, form lines of weakness, as the large crystals are interlocked 

firmly with the surrounding finer-grained rock. For pillars or columns these areas are very attractive, as they add contrast and 

variety. For monument work, however, where even-grained texture 

is demanded, they are undesirable. Even in wall rock, as observed in 

the walls of a small jail behind the Bigstone County courthouse' in 

Ortonville, these coarse-grained patches can be regarded only as 

blemishes.

Another defect consists of black knots of two types long, irregular streaks that give the rock a gneissic texture, and oblong knots of 

different sizes, the largest observed being about 2 inches in diameter. 

They apparently consist almost entirely of black mica. They are not 

as numerous as the pegmatite masses.

Extensive outcrops of Archean rocks occur in northern Minnesota, 

but on account of their inaccessibility they have not been studied in 

the preparation of this report. 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 4
50 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 

KEWEENAWAN ROCKS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 

ROCKS SHOWN ON THE MAPS.

Keweenawan rocks of several types occur abundantly in central 

Minnesota and constitute a valuable resource. They outcrop in 

many places, particularly in the neighborhood of the city of St. 

Cloud.

The outcrops and quarries in the St. Cloud region are shown on 

Plate I (p. 14), which represents an area of about 200 square miles about 

the city of St. Cloud. In the construction of this map the surveyed 

section lines and corners were used as a base and the outcrops were 

located with the plane table. The average magnetic declination for 

the region is 8° 30' east of true north. Five types of rock "St. 

Cloud red" granite, "St. Cloud gray" granite, "Rockville" granite, 

gabbro, and diorite are marked with distinguishing symbols. Largescale groups of active quarries, one in St. Cloud Township and the 

other in Haven, are shown on Plate II (p. 16) and Plate III (p. 18). 

Many quarries outside these areas are of edjual importance but are 

too widely scattered to be included in a detail map.

GRANITES AND RELATED ROCKS.

The rocks of greatest economic value in central Minnesota are the 

granites and related rocks, which are quarried extensively in Stearns, 

Benton, and Sherburne counties. Most of the region is covered 

with drift, the rock appearing as low knobs or ridges, few of which rise 

more than 20 to 30 feet above the surrounding fields.

PROMINENT ROCK TYPES.

The granites quarried in the St. Cloud region are of three main 

types. In trade they are known as the "St. Cloud red," "St. Cloud 

gray," and "Rockville" granites.

"ST. CLOUD RED" GRANITE.

Throughout western St. Cloud Township, in Stearns County, the 

red granite is the most abundant. In sees. 8, 17, 18, 19, and 20 the 

exposures are almost entirely of red granite, and in sees. 29, 30, and 

32 they are of red granite associated more or less intimately with gray 

granite. Red granite crops out sparingly on the east side of Mississippi 

River, the largest exposure being in sec. 17, Haven Township, Sherburne County. Other outcrops, some of considerable size, appear 

in western Benton County.

The red granite is medium to coarse grained, the feldspar crystals 

averaging about one-fourth of an inch in diameter. The chief 

minerals are feldspar and quartz, with minor amounts of hornblende, 

biotite, and magnetite. The feldspars (75 per cent) are mostly red 

or pink with subordinate gray. Orthoclase and microcline are more
CRYSTALLINE BOCKS. 51

abundant than plagioclase. They are usually intergrown with plagioclase and quartz, forming micrographic granites or microperthites. 

The quartz (15 to 20 per cent) occurs in coarse glassy grains. Hornblende and biotite together form 5 to 10 per cent of the rock. Magnetite appears in minute scattered grains. An average of the analyses 

of three typical "St. Cloud red" granites, analyzed by G. H. Hammond,1 W. W. Willard,2 and F. F. Grout,3 gives the following result:

Average of analyses of three typical "St. Cloud red" granites.

^Q2 ......................................................... 71.17

A1203 ........................................................ 13. 30

Fej,08 ........................................................ 3.52

MgO. ..................................... °.................. .30

CaO.......................................................... 1.56

NaaO......................................................... 3.85

K20.......................................................... 4.33

H20...................................................:...... .64

C02 .......................................................... .21

Ti02 ......................................................... .23

P.O...............................:............,............. .23

99.34

The carbon dioxide (C02 ) shown by these analyses is noteworthy. 

It probably indicates the presence of calcite due to alteration of the 

feldspars, and it would appear therefore that surface-weathered 

specimens had been analyzed. Calcite has not been noted in thin 

sections of the "St. Cloud red" granite ordinarily quarried.

"ST. CLOUD GRAY" GRANITE.

The largest exposures of gray granite and those least associated 

with other rock types in Stearns County are in sees. 21 and 28, St. 

Cloud Township. Numerous exposures occur in sees. 29, 30, 32, 

and 33 of the same township, but are more or less invaded or intimately associated with red granite, although a number of them are of 

good quality. Gray granite of commercial quality is more abundant 

than red granite in Sherburne County, particularly in sees. 6 and 7, 

Haven Township, in or near East St. Cloud. Scattered outcrops 

appear in western Benton County.

The gray granite (monzonite) is somewhat finer grained than the 

red, the feldspars averaging about one-eighth to three-sixteenths of 

an inch in diameter. The only minerals distinguishable in the hand 

specimen are gray feldspars and black hornblende or mica and here 

and there a grain of quartz. The microscope reveals, in descending

1 Specimen obtained 1,750 paces north and 500 paces west of the southeast corner of sec. 32, T. 124 N., 

R. 28 W.

2 Specimen obtained 1,250 paces north and 1,000 paces west of the southeast corner of sec. 21, T. 125 N., 

R. 28 W.

8 Analysis made in 1883, specimen obtained at "Hartman's quarry," 1,670 paces north and 385 paces 

west of the southeast corner of sec. 29, T. 124 N., R. 28 W.
52 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

order of abundance, orthoclase, plagioclase, hornblende, quartz, 

microcline, biotite, magnetite, sphene, apatite, and zircon. In many 

specimens quartz is more abundant than hornblende, but it is never 

very prominent. The feldspars are rarely intergrown, as in the red 

granites. The most notable difference is in the quartz, which is 

never abundant and appears always to have been the last mineral to 

crystallize, filling the cracks and crevices between the other crystals. 

Hornblende shows intergrowth with biotite or alteration to biotite, 

and in some rocks exhibits cores of augite. Sphene is almost invariably present, another respect in which the gray granite differs 

markedly from the red, in which sphene is absent or appears only as 

very small and almost colorless grains.

An analysis of the most typical "St. Cloud gray" granite by F. F. 

Grout 1 shows the following composition:

Analysis of typical "St. Cloud gray" granite.

SiOa .... ................ ..I......................".........

A1203 - -- - .................................................

Fe203 ... -------- ..........................................

FeO... ....................................................

MgO:. ....................................................

CaO. ......................................................

Na20. .....................................................

K,0......................................................

H20 (above 100° C.) ...... , ................................

H2O (below 100° C.) .......................................

C02 ..... .................................................

Ti02 ................ ......................................

Zr02 . .....................................................

PA......................................................

S.. .......................................................

MnO.. ....................................................

BaO................. .....................................

.... 64.40

.... 14.93

. . . . 1. 63

. . . . 3. 13

.... 3.05

. . . . 4. 18

. . : . 3. 31

. . . . 3. 95

... .15

... .07

... . . . 18

. . . . .57

. . . . .07

... .57

... .12

... .09

... .05

100.45

The smaller proportion of quartz in the gray granite as compared 

with the red is shown in the analysis by the lower percentage of 

silica; the larger proportion of sphene accounts for the increase in 

titanium dioxide. The "St. Cloud Red" and "St. Cloud gray" 

granites are shown in Plate V, A and 0.

"ROCKVILLE" GRANITE.

The third important granite is that which is quarried most abundantly at Rockville and hence is called the "Rockville" granite. 

Other outcrops of "Rockville" granite are in sees. 24 and 26, St. 

Joseph Township, and sees. 19 and 20, St." Augusta Township, Stearns 

County.

i Specimen obtained 1,500 paces north and 100 paces west of the southeast corner of sec. 28, T. 124 N., 

E. 28 W. .
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A. ST. CLOUD GRAY" GRANITE

B. "KASOTA PINK" MARBLE

C. "ST. CLOUD RED" GRANITE

D. "HINSDALE" GRANITE
CRYSTALLINE BOOKS. 53

The "Rockville" granite (see PI. XIII, B, p. 118) is much coarser 

grained than the "St. Cloud red" granite, the feldspars being onehalf to three-fourths of an inch, across. It is pinkish-gray and, as 

observed in hand specimens, consists of pale-pink feldspars, quartz, 

and black mica. By microscopic determination the chief feldspar 

is orthoclase, but considerable microcline and a little plagioclase 

also appear. Quartz is abundant in large glassy grains. Small grains 

of magnetite, apatite, and sphene are accessory.

A chemical analysis by F. F. Grout shows the following composition:

Analysis .of' ' Rockvilk " granite.

Si02 ......................................................... 69. 63

A1203 ......'.................................................. 13.85

Fe203 -........................................................ .54

FeO.......................................................... 4.01

MgO......................................................... .83

CaO.......................................................... 2.58

Na20......................................................... 2.32

K20......................................................... 4.33

H20 (above .100° C.)....................................... .. .23

H20 (below 100° C.).......................................... .10

Ti02 ......................................................... .33

PA......................................................... .28

99.03

Like the "St. Cloud gray" granite the "Rockville" contains 

sphene, but in its abundance of quartz and microcline and its coarse 

crystallization it resembles the "St. Cloud red" granite. (See PI. 

V, 0, p. 52.)

PORPHYRITIC GRANITE.

Porphyritic granite has been noted in two localities in Stearns 

County. In sec. 33, St. Cloud Township, about 8 rods south of 

John Doerner's quarry, it intrudes gray granite as a dike about 15 

feet across, which spreads out into a larger mass. The contact is 

sharp; and near the gray rock, where cooling was rapid, a finegrained granite porphyry resulted, while at a distance it is a coarse 

porphyritic granite. In thin section the granite porphyry consists 

of phenocrysts of quartz, orthoclase, and biotite in a fine-grained 

groundmass of the same minerals. In the porphyritic granite, at 

a distance from the contact, the phenocrysts are orthoclase and 

quartz, with an occasional microcline crystal, and the groundmass 

is of medium-grained quartz, feldspars, hornblende, and biotite.

A second outcrop of porphyritic granite in the NW. £ sec. 2, St. 

Cloud Township, near the west end of Sauk Rapids Bridge, shows 

interesting relationships and probably represents the latest igneous 

intrusion in the St. Cloud region. For 30 yards from the south of 

the exposure granite porphyry appears. It consists of a fine-grained
54 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

groundmass of quartz, orthoclase, and plagioclase, with subordinate 

hornblende, biotite, and magnetite, in which are embedded crystals 

of quartz and orthoclase. North of this for 40 yards is a fine-grained 

gray granite, consisting of gray feldspar and both biotite and hornblende. The dark minerals are not uniformly distributed and quartz 

is not abundant. The chief feldspars are orthoelase and microcline, 

with subordinate plagioclase. The rock resembles the typical "St. 

Cloud gray" granite, both in mineral content and texture. The

presence -of sphene, which is so characteristic of the latter, completes the 

similarity. The gray rock is cut by 

a diabase dike 4 inches wide, with 

trend -N. 75° W., and by several red 

aplite dikes. Joints are about 2 feet 

apart and strike N. 10° W. North 

of this for 64 yards is granite porphyry, bounded on the north by a 

3^-foot diabase dike with trend N. 

75° E. Joints in the porphyry strike 

N. 5° E. and N. 20° W. Near the 

dike the texture of the porphyritic 

rock shows a notable change, the 

matrix becoming a very fine grained 

typical rhyolite porphyry. Not 

much change is seen hi the size of 

the phenocrysts. Stringers of the 

porphyry cross the diabase; three 

from one-fourth to one-eighth of an 

inch wide and clearly connected with 

the porphyry were observed. The 

diabase dike is bordered on the north 

side by the gray granite, which extends 5 yards farther north. From 

these relationships it is evident that 

the gray granite is the oldest of the 

three rocks, being intruded by diabase dikes, and the granite porphyry the youngest, for it intrudes the 

diabase dikes. (See fig. 1.)

AGE OF TEE GRANITES.

In the absence of known contacts with rocks of determined age 

the geologic age of the granite can not be accurately stated. Diabase 

dikes, probably related to the great gabbro intrusion in the Lake 

Superior region, cut the granite in many places. As the gabbro is 

Keweenawan, it is inferred that the granite is early Keweenawan or

FIQUEE 1. Sketch map showing relations of 

rocks south, of Sauk Rapids Bridge, sec. 2, 

St. Cloud Township, Stearns County, Minn.
CRYSTALLINE ROCKS. 55

older. No contacts of the granite with more ancient rocks have 

been observed. Numerous rock inclusions in the granite have been 

studied, and the results throw a little light on the problem, though 

they, are not conclusive. ,A garnetiferous schist inclusion found in 

the gray granite of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Stearns County 

(pp. 60,111), is very similar in mineral composition to schists occurring 

near Little Falls, about 30 miles north. The latter are described as 

upper Huronian, and thus the petrographic evidence suggests that 

the granite is post-Huronian that is, early Keweenawan.

At some places in the St. Cloud region large areas of red granite 

and gray granite occur without contact with each other, but at other 

places the two types are in intimate contact that affords a means of 

judging their relative ages. J^fany outcrops show clearly that the 

red granite is younger than the gray.

V^N \/ ^-V s / X ' ^ v>..V)/v '

3 FEET

FIGURE 2. Sketch showing relation of red granite and gray granite at the center of the west side of sec. 29,

St. Cloud Township, Minn.

At the center of the west side of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, the 

red granite is clearly younger, as it forms dikes and stringers in the 

gray granite. (See fig. 2 and PI. VII, 2?.) Another place where the relations of the rocks are clearly shown is at an exposure whose center is 

222 rods north and 78 rods west of the southeast corner of sec. 29, St. 

Cloud Township. The rock in the eastern part of this exposure is a 

medium-grained red granite, and that in the western part is a gray granite. Near the contact the texture of the red granite becomes finer. 

Numerous fine red dikes pass from the red area into the gray. At one 

point an inclusion of biotite schist occurs in the gray rock, and both 

the schist and gray granite are cut by a red granite dike. (See fig. 3.) 

The inclusion may be a fragment of the upper Huronian schist, such 

as occurs near Little Falls.
56 STRUCTTJBAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

FIGURE 3. Sketch showing relations of rocks in outcrop 222 rods north and 78 rods west of the southeast 

corner of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Minn.

In the Monarch Granite Co.'s quarry, in sec. 8, St. Cloud Township, 

an interval evidently elapsed between the times of the solidification

of the two magmas. After the 

gray granite magma became firm 

enough to be shattered it was intruded by dikes of white aplite 

(fine-grained granite). As the 

red granite is not cut by the 

white aplite it was evidently injected later. Considerable time 

was no doubt required for the 

solidification of the gray granite 

magma and for the injection and 

solidification of the aplite dikes. 

At the west end of an exposure 

whose center lies about 300 rods 

north and 96 rods west of the 

southeast corner of sec. 32, St. 

Cloud Township, the red and the gray granite are in contact. As 

observed in an abandoned quarry the line of contact is gradational 

over a space of several inches and the two rocks are evidently nearly 

contemporaneous. Dikes of the red, however, occur in the gray at 

several places, and the converse is nowhere seen, the relation indicating the later intrusion of the 

red granite.

Near the center of the north 

line of sec. 

21, St. Cloud 

Township, an 

outcrop divides into two 

ri.dges, the 

eastern end of 

each being of 

red granite and 

the remainder 

of gray granite.

In the southern ridge a 10-foot dike of red granite in the gray, traced 

to its source, is found to connect'definitely with the larger mass of red 

granite. It trends N. 80° W. through the gray rock and disappears 

beneath the drift at the eastern side of the outcrop. A number of

- \ /. - 

FIQUKK 4. Sketch showing relations of rocks in outcrop at the center of 

the north side of sec. 21, St. Cloud Township, Minn.
CRYSTALLINE ROCKS. 57

smaller red dikes are present. The large dike and most of the small 

dikes follow the direction of major jointing in the gray rock (N. 80° W.). 

A 6-foot diabase dike, striking N. 50° E., and a 5-foot dike striking 

N. 40° E., cut both red and gray rock. (See fig. 4.)

In an outcrop at the center of the north line of sec. 32, St. Cloud 

Township, several red granite dikes injected into gray granite follow 

the direction of the major joints in the gray rock, indicating that 

jointing systems were developed before the injection of red magma.

In most places, however, the contacts are gradational, the one 

rock merging into the other as though nearly contemporaneous. The 

same relationship of red to gray granite exists in Morrison County.

ROCK DEFECTS.

Occurrence and character. The defects observed in the "St. Cloud" 

granites at different places are more fully discussed on pages 75-136. 

This is done not with any intent to give undue prominence to these 

imperfections but in order to explain their origin and the nature 

of their occurrence and if possible to formulate rules that may afd 

the quarryman in obtaining rock free from blemish. The occurrence 

of defects does not prevent the production of excellent stone, as is 

proved by the nation-wide reputation of "St. Cloud" granites, but 

it does increase the expense of quarrying.

The interpretation of defects is a matter of considerable difficulty, 

for the evidence in many places is meager and much of it is not 

understood. Nevertheless, a few general principles may serve in 

some measure to guide prospective quarrymen.

The chief defects which the quarryman should endeavor to avoid 

are mixtures of red and gray granite, trap dikes, aplites, hair lines, 

black knots, irregular and close jointings, and surf ace alterations.

Mixtures of red granite and gray granite. Considerable areas of red 

and of gray are found, each of them comparatively free of the other, 

but in many places the types are greatly mixed, and one can never be 

sure that he will not find inclosed masses of gray rock in a red quarry 

and dikes and intruded masses of red granite in a gray quarry. If the 

stripped outcrop is of sufficient size to permit fairly extensive observation the presence or absence of dikes or masses of foreign material at 

the surface will fairly indicate what must be expected at depth. In 

this connection one fact is worthy of note: Near the surface of each of 

at least eight different red quarries, some of them several miles apart, 

a mass of gray granite 15,20, or even 50 feet across, but nowhere more 

than 10 to 20 feet deep, was observed. Most of these masses contain 

more quartz than the larger areas of gray granite and in other
58 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

respects also are of somewhat different type. They may be masses 

of the typical gray granite, modified by diffusion of material from 

the more siliceous red granite. They are usually lacking in uniformity 

and useless as quarry rock.

It is undesirable to attempt quarrying near known contacts of 

the red with the gray, for in many places the gray granite is cut by 

numerous dikes of the red, and the red is inclined to show uneven 

texture, pegmatitic areas, and inclosed masses of gray granite. 

Also the shattered nature of the rock near the contact results at 

many places in the presence of fine quartz veins filling cracks. 

Study of the map (PI. I) will indicate in a general way the type

of rock to be expected 

in «, given area. For 

example, sec. 29, St. 

Cloud Township, contains numerous outcrops of both red and 

gray granite but no 

considerable area of 

the one without more 

E or less of the other. 

Such irregular distribution is unpromising; 

mixed types prevail, 

dikes and inclusions 

are common, and the 

texture lacks uniformity.

 Diabase or trap 

dilces. Diabase dikes 

are common throughout the region. They range in width from a small fraction of an inch 

to 4, 6, or even 8 feet. It is noteworthy1 that the dikes observed in 

.the St. Cloud region (see fig. 5) point in general toward the Duluth 

region the center of Keweenawan igneous activity.

The contact effect of the diabase on the granite is slight, altering 

it to a depth of 1 to 2 inches only from the contact, but th& dikes are 

disadvantageous because of the waste of time and labor required to 

remove them, because of the waste of the granite penetrated by the 

smaller dikes, and because of the presence of incipient fractures 

which commonly accompany the formation of the larger dike-filled 

fissures. It has been observed at several places that the rock near 

dike contacts is somewhat unsound, but several good quarries close

FIGURE 5. Strike of diabase dikes in the St. Cloud region.

Grout, F. F., unpublished manuscript on the granites of Stearns County, Minn.
CRYSTALLINE ROCKS. 59

to dikes have been noted. Where unsound rock borders on dikes 

it is evident that the shattering which formed the open fractures 

undoubtedly formed at the same time numerous fine cracks which 

seriously mar the strength and appearance of the rock near by. 

Some of the minor fractures are also filled with diabase and are 

known among quarrymen as "hair lines," though not all hair lines 

are of this origin. Some of those that are closely associated with the 

dikes contain the same minerals as the diabase; others contain only 

alteration products of these minerals, such as epidote and chlorite, 

but preserve the diabasic texture. However, some quarries close to 

dikes show no hair lines. Their presence can best be determined by 

a careful scrutiny of the stripped surface, preferably on a rainy day.

Aplites. Dikes of 

aplite (fine-grained 

granite) are common, 

especially in the East 

St. Cloud gray granite 

quarries, and their 

presence results in an 

undesirable amount of 

waste rock. In the 

red granite they are w 

less common. Anote- 

' worthy characteristic 

is the prevailing red 

color of the aplites 

that occur in red granite, and the gray color 

of those in gray granite; apparently they 

are later intrusions of 

the magma that 

formed the rock in which they occur. Lack of system that is, great 

divergence in trend among the aplites (see fig. 6), is an additional fact 

which sustains this hypothesis. At many places they, are so irregular 

that no attempt was made, to record then1 direction. 

' Hair lines. The term "hair lines" is applied to all fine lines of discoloration, whether black or green. Some hair lines are dikes; some 

of them are minute quartz veins, which appear black if the quartz is 

dark or "smoky." Such veins are most common near the contacts 

of two rock types where movement or shattering has taken place.

Hair lines of green color are very common. These are epidote 

veinlets, many of them following joints, in which case they are not 

serious. .Others follow no definite direction but wander irregularly 

throughout the rock mass and mar much of the stone. Green lines

FIGURE 6. Strike of aplite dikes in the St. Cloud region.
60 STBUCTUBAL AND OBNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

X- , - ; , 

.(-'Gray granite /'-V 

-^'^'^li^g

- / i' i / ' \ . x ^ZfZf^ffoccur in many places in parallel or interlacing groups, probably because rock shattering follows zones rather than single lines, and epidote has filled the minute fractures. As a rule they run east and 

west and are more common near the surface than deep down in 

quarries. Plate VI, B, shows the hair lines as they appear on the rock 

surface.

Black knots. "Black knots," when in the gray granite, constitute 

its most serious blemish. Some of them are segregations gathering 

together in spots of the dark minerals during the process of cooling 

and solidification. Others are inclosed fragments caught up by the 

molten gray rock and held within it until the whole mass solidifies. 

Most of these fragments are somewhat angular in shape and consist 

of material different from the rock in which they are inclosed. The

most common are inclusions of 

gray granite in the red, the converse having never been observed. Such inclusions are 

serious blemishes in the red 

granite and are naturally of 

more frequent occurrence near 

contacts of the gray and the 

red rocks.

Inclusions of foreign material 

picked up by the molten rock 

have been noted in several 

places. One, which occurs in a 

granite outcrop about 200 rods 

north and 224 rods west of the 

southeast section corner of sec. 

29, St. Cloud Township, is an irregular fragment (see fig. 7) a foot 

long and 5 inches thick, of a finely laminated biotite schist, containing many large and small garnets, some of which are half an 

inch across. Under the microscope dynamic action is apparent in 

the granular nature of the quartz and the presence of many 

parallel cracks. The schist consists of biotite, hornblende, hypersthene, and garnet, and a few grams of plagioclase and magnetite. 

It resembles the garnetiferous schists which occur in the Mississippi 

River valley, about 30 miles to the north. An inclusion of fine-grained 

diabase containing much magnetite was also observed.

Garnetiferous norite (a variety of gabbro) inclusions have also 

been noted. An inclusion of biotite schist in gray granite is shown 

in figure 2 (p. 55).

Both the origin and distribution of segregations are difficult to explain. No general conclusion has been reached regarding their occurrence, and their presence or absence in any locality is a matter of 

mere speculation.

N'T'

FIGURE 7. Inclusion of garnetiferous mica schist in 

gray granite 173 rods north and 236 rods west of the 

southeast corner of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Minn.
U. P. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A. GRAY GRANITE SPLIT ALONG THE RIFT, ROBERT GRAHAM'S 

QUARRY, ST. CLOUD TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY, MINN.

B. HAI
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 663 PLATE VII

A. EVEN SURFACE MEASURING 12 BY 15 FEET OBTAINED BY A SINGLE BLAST IN A 

3-FOOT REAMED DRILL HOLE, ANDERSON GRANITE CO.'S QUARRY, MORTON, MINN.

li. DIKES OF RED GRANITE CUTTING GRAY GRANITE IN SEC. 29, ST. CLOUD 

TOWNSHIP, MINN.
CRYSTALLINE BOCKS. 61

As knots of the inclusion type occur more commonly near contacts, 

by avoiding known contacts one may hope to find fewer knots. On 

the other hand, knots of the segregation type, so far as may be inferred 

from evidence in Minnesota quarries, are liable to occur anywhere. 

Hence an interpretation of the origin of knots is a matter of some 

importance. A specific example will illustrate the method of interpretation.

In the "Mora" granite knots of the two types occur. The one 

consists of ortboclase, plagioclase, quartz, and biotite, the same minerals that occur in the surrounding rock, though the proportion is 

different, biotite being in excess. These minerals show the same 

peculiarities as corresponding minerals in the main rock mass; for 

example, the biotite contains apatite and zircon inclusions (the zircon 

having pleochroic halos), a condition characteristic of the "Mora" 

granite. Such knots are segregations. The other type of knot consists of quartz and biotite, with no feldspar. The mica flakes show 

parallel orientation and do not exhibit apatite or zircon inclusions. 

The minerals have different characteristics from corresponding minerals in the surrounding rock mass, and the knots are probably 

inclusions of biotite schist. The shape of many knots is indicative 

of their origin, angular knots being inclusions, and ellipsoidal or 

spherical knots being more probably segregations.

It is advisable for prospective quarrymen to strip the outcrop for 

a considerable area, if it is not already bare, and then to examine it 

very carefully, preferably on a rainy day, before spending any money 

on development work or equipment. A careful scrutiny of the outcrop surface will reveal the probable proportion of knots, hair lines, 

streaks, clikes, and veins, as well as the direction and spacing of joints 

in the underlying rock.

Joints. Joints in the "St. Cloud" granite are spaced sufficiently 

far apart at most places to permit the quarrying of large blocks. 

Many quarrymen regret the wide spacing of joints, as it increases 

the difficulty of quarrying. If, however, joints were closely spaced 

the rock would probably be decayed to a considerable depth and the 

cost of its necessary removal would probably more than offset the 

increased facility of quarrying. In one quarry in East St. Cloud 

two joints occur 3 feet apart and the rock between them is so stained 

and decayed as to make it useless to a considerable depth, this being 

but one illustration of the general rule that close jointing permits 

water percolation in a greater number of places and thus hastens 

rock decay..

Compass readings were taken of the direction of joints in all the 

quarries and outcrops of the region. All the results obtained for 

major and secondary joints are combined in the accompanying dia-
62 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

gram (fig. 8), in which joint directions are represented as radii of 

concentric circles.

It is noteworthy that most of the major joints strike north or a 

little west of north, and most of those remaining, a little south of 

west. On the other hand, most of the secondary joints strike a little 

south of west. A feature of economic importance is the tendency of 

joint systems to run at approximately right angles. This is best 

appreciated by holding the diagram at some distance from the eye, 

the light and dark quadrants then appearing to better advantage. 

This is a matter of first importance to quarrymen, as joints intersecting at acute angles result in angular blocks and consequent undesirable waste of both 

labor and stone.

Sheeting planes. 

Sheeting planes in granites lie parallel to the 

ground surface and are 

consistently closer together near the surface 

than at depths. In 

E many New England 

granite quarries sheeting planes are more 

closely spaced than 

joints. A remarkable 

feature of the St. Cloud 

region, however, is the 

scarcity, or even the entire absence, of sheets

FIGUBE 8. Strike of major and secondary joints in granites of the Ul both red and gray

St. Cloud region, Minn. Outer circle, major joints; inner circle, granite SOme QUanieS

secondary joints. ° '. ., , ,

60 feet in depth showing no sheeting planes. Where present they are almost invariably 

more widely spaced than joints. Quarrymen who have worked first 

in New England and later in St. Cloud describe the rock of the latter 

region as "standing on end." The scarcity or absence of sheets makes 

quarrying difficult, as it is necessary to force artificial sheets by means

of "lift holes."*»

Surface alteration. Bare outcrops rising several feet above the 

surrounding level are not desirable places on which to open quarry pits 

when only monumental stone is desired. It has been found, especially in the case of red granite, that bare exposures result in deep 

weathering. In certain quarries, however, it was observed that the 

depth of surface weathering is influenced by the proximity of sheeting 

planes. Where no sheets occur the rock is usually weathered to a
CRYSTALLINE BOCKS. 63

greater depth than where they are present. If a sheeting plane lies 

4 to 8 feet below the rock surface, especially if it is inclined, the rock 

above is usually greatly decomposed and that below is practically 

unaltered. The open seam permits the surface water to drain away, 

and the lower rock, being protected from frost and heat, is unfractured and offers maximum resistance to surface decomposition. 

It is unfortunate in this connection that sheeting planes are so far 

apart. In many quarries of red granite opened in exposed outcrops 

stained "sap rock" is found to a depth of 10 to 20 feet; and in other 

places, where a covering of soil has served as protection, only the upper 

foot or 2 feet shows stain. Even where stains due to weathering 

are invisible the rock to.a depth of 15 to 20 feet beneath bare exposures may be bleached, the feldspars having lost a large part of 

their attractive and desirable red color. Such rock, though suitable 

for building blocks, is unsalable as monumental stone. A mantle of 

2 or 3 feet of soil seems sufficient to prevent such bleaching.

If it is desired to produce both structural building blocks and monumental stone, quarries on exposed bluffs may work to advantage. 

Blocks that are unstained, though faded, make excellent structural 

material, and their removal is usually easy. Thus the stripping of 

faded material is conducted with profit and good monumental stone 

is reached in time. The bleaching and staining of exposed bluffs 

have been observed in so many places that the rule may be given as 

almost universal.

The gray granite, however, apparently has a more stable color, 

which is not so readily affected by the elements. Bare exposures 

are rarely affected to a depth of more than 3 feet.

NATURE OF THE PRODUCT.

On account of the attractive appearance and susceptibility to 

polish of the red and the gray granites, both are well adapted for 

ornamental structures such as monuments, spires, and columns. A 

large part of their output is monumental.

The. rock is equally well adapted for building purposes, though it 

has not been used as extensively in this way on account of the lack 

of equipment Cf many of the companies for handling large contracts. 

However, many attractive buildings are made entirely or partly 

from "St. Cloud" stone.

One of the important minor'uses of the stone is for the production 

of paving blocks, of which several millions have been employed in 

city street construction. They are made exclusively from the gray 

granite. Crushed rock for roads and concrete is produced in several 

places, and rubble is supplied for rough masonry and foundation work. 

Much waste rock was supplied in past years for railroad ballast and 

filling, but of late years the demand for it has been less. .
64 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

GABBROS AND DIORITES.

Certain gabbro areas occur in St. Wendall and Le Sank townships 

in Stearns County. They have been quarried but little and are not 

of great economic importance. Their structural relations are, however, noteworthy. They are cut by siliceous intrusives, which in 

places are similar to the typical "St. Cloud red" granite and may be 

a part of the red granite intrusion. If they are part of this mass, the 

gabbro intrusion antedates that of the red granite. Evidently this 

gabbro is not related in age to the diabase dikes which cut the granites 

of St. Cloud Township. The presence of red granite dikes in the 

gabbro, and the absence of diabase dikes in the vicinity, indicate 

that basic intrusives in the St. Cloud region are of two periods.

In Watab Township, Benton County, extensive and prominent 

outcrops of dark diorite have been quarried in a few places.

TECHNOLOGY. 

QUARRY METHODS.

Stripping. The gravel, sand, or clay which overlies a rock deposit 

may be removed hi several ways. It is doubtful if any .granite 

quarries in Minnesota are extensive enough to justify the use of a 

steam shovel. On level or moderately inclined surfaces stripping 

may be done with teams and scrapers. On less accessible surfaces 

the soil is loaded into boxes and removed with the quarry derrick. 

It is imperative that the overburden be removed to a sufficient distance to insure that it will not impede present or future operations, and it may be necessary to load it on small cars for farther 

removal.

Plan of operation. The positions of all joints, hair lines, knots, 

or other imperfections should be carefully noted and the most favorable location selected for the quarry opening. The walls of the 

excavation should be made to conform in direction with the more 

prominent structures, such as joints, hair lines, or rift. By taking 

such precautions the number of angular blocks and of blocks marred 

by diagonal hair lines may be reduced to a minimum.

The ordinary method of procedure is first to blast-out a hole to 

get a quarry face or bench. Drill holes are then placed some distance back from the face and masses of rock broken loose by powder 

shots. If a sheeting plane provides a floor opening, quarrying is 

easier and less wasteful. If sheeting planes are absent -artificial 

ones must be produced by blasts in horizontal "lift holes." The 

larger masses are reduced to convenient sizes by wedging in drill 

holes.

The shape of the opening is governed by quarry conditions. If 

stripping is heavy it may be advisable to excavate a small area to
CRYSTALLINE BOCKS. 65

considerable depth. In some deposits too the quality of the rock 

improves with depth. In most quarries the cost of removing stripping, and inferior surface rock is so high that wide and shallow quarries are not justified. On the other hand, the high cost of hoisting 

will probably discourage quarrying to depths greater than 80 or 90 

feet. The quarryman should endeavor to attain a proper balance 

between stripping cost and hoisting cost and at the same tune obtain 

a maximum supply of high-grade rock.

Drilling In most Minnesota quarries drills are steam driven. In 

some quarries, few but increasing, compressed air is used. The first 

cost of compressed-air equipment is higher than that of steam, but 

it is generally considered to be more convenient and economical.

Blasting. The Knox system of'blasting is commonly employed 

in the granite quarries of Minnesota. It involves the use of a reamer 

or flanged tool which, when driven into the drill hole, cuts grooves 

about one-fourth of an inch in depth on opposite sides of the hole. 

Care is taken to cut the grooves exactly in line with the desired direction of splitting. A plug of cotton or other material is placed in the 

hole some distance above the powder charge and the hole is tamped 

above the plug. The air space above the charge permits the explosive 

force of the powder to be distributed over a comparatively wide 

surface and the grooves promote straight splitting. The explosion 

is more effective by. the Knox system than otherwise, and smaller 

charges may be used, resulting in a smaller proportion of waste by 

shattering.

The effectiveness of the method is well illustrated in a "Morton" 

gneiss quarry, in which a plane even rock surface 15 by 12 feet was 

obtained by means of a single reamed drill hole only 3 feet deep.

v O «/ X

(See PI. VII, A). Many years ago in the same quarry the Saulpaugh 

Co., in order to make an even break of the same magnitude, projected five unreamed drill holes 8 feet deep. Single holes are usually 

fired by fuse. If more than one hole is required for a single fracture 

an electric firing machine is used to give a simultaneous discharge. 

Wedging. The large blocks separated from the quarry ledge by 

blasting are reduced in size by the "plug and feather" method. 

Shallow holes are drilled in rows a few inches to several feet apart, 

the distance depending on the ease with which the rock splits. In 

crystalline rocks the necessary holes are made by hand drills in the 

smaller quarries and by compressed-air plug drills in those better 

equipped. In each of the holes is placed two half-round steel plugs 

with an iron wedge between them. By driving in the wedges a 

fracture is formed. If the holes are so placed that splitting may be 

done in directions of rift and run straight and even breaks are obtained with greater ease than if these directions are disregarded. 

Wedging may also be employed to remove the larger irregularities 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 5
66 STBUCTUEAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

from the blocks, the final trimming being accomplished with a hand 

hammer and tool.

Hoisting. The common type of derrick consists of a vertical mast, 

commonly of wood, held in place by steel cables. The swinging 

boom is commonly of wood also. Steel derricks are used in a few 

quarries. Hoisting is accomplished by horse, steam, or electricity. 

Additional yard derricks are used at some quarries for loading.

Finishing. Cutting and polishing shops are located close to a 

few quarries, but most of them are at St. Cloud or near-by towns. 

The cutting, polishing, and carving of granite into monuments is an 

important industry, which employs several hundred men. A complete list of the finishing plants is given on page 218.

Blocks of the sizes desired for monuments are first placed beneath 

a surfacing machine, which removes the larger irregularities from the 

surface. Most machines are operated by compressed air. A bar 

which holds a tool having blunt projections strikes the rock surface 

rapid blows and chips off fragments of rock.

Eight or ten surfaced blocks are placed on a timber bed with their 

upper surfaces on an even plane. The entire group of blocks is 

surrounded by a wooden box, the bottom of which is a little lower than 

the rock surface. All cracks in the box and between the blocks 'are 

filled with plaster of Paris. Coarse steel shot is placed on the 

rock and a stream of water directed upon the. surf ace. A revolving 

head driven by machinery is guided over the surface and grinds it 

down. Different sizes of shot are employed, and finally the surface 

is thoroughly cleaned and then polished with "putty powder," which 

is usually tin oxide. An experienced polisher can completely polish 

a bed of 60 to 100 square feet in a 10-hour day.

Carving and lettering are done with hand tools driven by a hammer 

or operated by compressed air.

Some shops are equipped with turning lathes for turning down 

and .polishing granite columns.

Two very large lathes are operated in the Rockville Granite Co.'s 

shops in Rockville. As the column rotates small steel cutting disks 

set at angles of about 45° to the axis of the lathe trim down the 

column to desired evenness and uniformity. (See PI. VIII, A.) 

For polishing, the column (See PI. VIII, B) is rotated and the abrasive held against it. - Chilled steel shot is used as a coarse abrasive, 

then corundum and emery powder, and finally tin oxide. The pads 

consist of wooden blocks curved to fit the column and lined with felt 

or other soft texture.

Rock transportation. All the granite quarries of Stearns County 

are 2^ to 5 miles from St. Cloud, where most of the shops are situated. A number of the quarries in Benton and Sherburne counties 

are also some distance from the finishing plants. On this account
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 663 PLATE VIII

A. GRANITE COLUMN QUARRIED BY THE PIONEER GRANITE CO., IN THE LATHE OF THE 

ROCKVILLE GRANITE CO., ROCKVILLE, MINN.

B. SIMILAR COLUMN IN THE POLISHING LATHE.
CRYSTALLINE BOCKS; 67

transportation of rock from quarry to shop is an item of considerable 

expense. Railway sidings (see Pis. II and III) reach most of the 

quarries, but some haul their rock with teams and wagons.

WASTE.

It is remarkable that so little of the waste rock in the region is 

used for crushing. G. J. Hilder & Son, the State reformatory, and 

the Sauk Rapids Granite Co. have the only crushers. The Hilders 

manufacture paving blocks, and the small chips resulting are easy 

to crush. Discarded blocks from monumental stone workings are 

large and unwieldy and require so much labor to reduce them to 

convenient size that the operation is generally regarded as unprofitable. Some of the waste material is sold for rubble, but most of 

it is unused. The disposal of waste material is a problem still awaiting solution in the St. Cloud region. The expense of excavating and 

handling inferior rock is great, and the heaps of discarded blocks in 

many places cover up rook which might otherwise be quarried to 

advantage. Many of the blocks marred only by small black knots 

or inconspicuous hair lines could be utilized for building if the quarries and shops were provided with suitable equipment for dressing 

and handling them and sufficient capital to handle building contracts. 

The enlargement of operations to include production of both monumental and building stone from the same quarries may at least 

partly solve the problem.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

Both the red and the gray granites are beautiful in appearance 

and are in great demand. They are well known throughout the 

country and to some extent in Canada and Mexico. Approximately 

95 per cent of the total output of monumental stone is sold beyond 

the borders of Minnesota, a condition which reflects credit on the 

industry and points to prosperity and continued expansion. Most 

of the companies, however, are small and have moderate facilities, 

few being qualified to bid on large contracts. The organization of 

larger companies would result in a more rapid development of the 

industry.

Market price of "St. Cloud" granite in 1913.

Gray base stock, per cubic toot............................ $0.80

Gray die or polish stock, per cubic foot.................... 1. 25

Bed base stock, per cubic foot............................ 1.00

Red die or polish stock, per cubic foot.................... 1.25

Paving blocks, per thousand f. o. b........................ 76.50

Rubble, per cubic yard.................................. 0.60-0.70
68 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

GRANITES.

GRANITES AND GNEISSES OF ARC HE AN AGE IN THE MINNESOTA

RIVER VALLEY.

BIG STONE COUNTY.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER OF THE ROCKS.

o

Available rock in Big Stone County is found only in the Minnesota 

River valley from Ortonville southeastward to the neighborhood of 

Odessa and Correll. Near Ortonville there are numerous outcrops, 

some of which rise 30 or 40 feet above the general level of the valley. Two large quarries have been operated here one by the Consolidated Granite Co. and the other by the Aberdeen Granite Co. 

Other smaller quarries are the Union, now owned by the Consolidated Granite Co.; a quarry owned by F. L. Cliff; the St. Paul 

quarry, which has not been operated for a number of years; and the 

Light quarry, now owned by the Aberdeen Granite Co.

No stone is at present quarried in Big Stone County. Robert 

Hunter operates a polishing shop in Ortonville, employing two cutters, but all the stock used is shipped from a quarry in South Dakota, 

not far from Milbank.

The "Ortonville" stone is a biotite granite or granite gneiss. At 

Ortonville, as at North Redwood, the gneissic texture is not nearly so 

pronounced as at Montevideo and other points on the lower Minnesota River valley. The rock is deep red in color, takes an excellent 

polish, and is one of the most attractive stones in the State. (See 

PI. IX, C). For a microscopic description of the rock see page 48.

The "Ortonville" stone has certain defects which must be avoided 

as far as possible in quarry operations. The chief of these are pegmatite masses, black knots, and close jointing.

The pegmatite masses consist of coarsely crystallized feldspars and 

quartz which appear in streaks or knots. They give the rock an 

uneven texture which destroys, its attractiveness for many purposes.

The black knots are masses of dark minerals, either hornblende, 

black mica, or a mixture of the two, which mar the surface like blots 

' on a sheet of paper.

The joints in many places are only a few inches apart, and are commonly irregular and meet at sharp angles, but in the better material 

they are 3 to 8 feet apart and intersect approximately at right angles. 

The close spacing of the joints accounts for most of the waste material 

lying in heaps beside the quarry pits.

In quarrying it has proved possible to avoid the defective material, 

and much rock of good quality in large blocks .has been quarried near 

Ortonville. Four large columns of "Ortonville" stone occupy prominent positions in the State Capitol Building at St. Paul.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 663 PLATE IX

PtV&_ %-^'i^^-^^ i-* 77^1^7^ ,- 1' w^i- \ 3&**'r-;4&&&&

*«**> -'W4 ^"-*'-:' '^^ ^'<f ^/.''7Jkv5.--'.-?"'\^^vtj ^?%^ f *fr,.V' !«*. *LJ^jiKj!

f^;

^4. "NORTON" GRANITE GNEISS

B. "SAUK RAPIDS LIGHT-GRAY" GRANITE

C "ORTONVILLE" GRANITE
GRANITES AND GNEISSES OP ARCHEAN AGE. 69

Under crushing tests " Ortonville" granite cracked under a pressure 

of 12,772 pounds per square inch and collapsed under 23,722 pounds. 

Under transverse stress its modulus of rupture proved to bo 3,098.2 

pounds per square inch.

CONSOLIDATED GEANITE CO. QUARRY.

The Consolidated Granite Co.'s quarry is about 1$ miles from 

Ortonville, in sec. 22, T. 121 N., R. 46 W. Work began in 1898, and 

for some years one ledge supplied very large blocks of excellent 

quality for monument manufacture. Sufficient stone was quarried 

at one time to keep busy a polishing shop in Ortonville that operated 

three polishing machines and employed twelve cutters. Later it 

became more difficult to obtain blocks of such quality, and the 

industry was directed toward the production of crushed stone, great 

quantities of which were used for road material. For this purpose 

a large and well-equipped crushing plant was erected at a cost of 

about $30,000. It has not operated since 1911. A small amount of 

rubble was also produced.

Quarry conditions are fair. The rock rises hi a bluff about 30 feet 

above the general drainage level and outcrops over an area of about 

2 acres, with other outcrops in the vicinity. The top of the bluff 

is bare of soil, requiring only the removal of about 4 feet of partly 

decayed rock. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway tracks 

are about three-fourths of a mile distant.

ABERDEEN GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

The Aberdeen Granite Co.'s quarry is in sees. 15 and 16, T. 121 N., 

R. 46 W., about three-fourths of a mile from Ortonville a'nd onethird of a mile from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway tracks. 

It was formerly known as the Baxter quarry. Great masses of structural rock were excavated here and shipped to distant points. The 

Hennepin County courthouse, in Minneapolis, was built of rock from 

this quarry. The rock is similar in texture, color, and defects to that 

just described. The quarry has not been worked for several years.

CHIPPEWA COUNTY.

Exposures of Archean granite and gneiss in Chippewa County are 

confined to the valley of Minnesota River. Outcrops are numerous 

for several miles along the valley near Montevideo and also near 

Granite Falls, whence they extend almost continuously to Minnesota 

Falls, at the southeastern extremity of the county. All the outcrops 

are of red granite, except at Montevideo, where a body of gray granite 

is worked.

MONTEVIDEO AREA.

Rock outcrops in the Montevideo area in two localities one of 1 

or 2 acres about half a mile south of Montevideo, in sec. 19, T. 

117 N., R. 40 W., and the other about 2 miles southeast of Monte-
70 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

video, in sees. 20 and 29. Several small openings have been made in 

past years, one of which is now being worked.

The rock south of Montevideo is a gray gneiss or banded granite 

which rises in a dome 30 or 40 feet above the general level. A 

thin section shows that it consists mainly of quartz in clear small 

grains, feldspars, both orthoclase and plagioclase, and a little biotite. 

A small portable crusher is supplying a small quantity of this rock 

for road construction.

At several places about 2 miles southeast of Montevideo, in sees. 

20 and 29, small quarries were opened about 1900. These were operated 

intermittently, supplying stone for foundations, until about 1909. 

The rock, whose surface is marked at many places by potholes, is a 

red granite gneiss, which differs from the "Ortonville" stone chiefly 

in having a more distinct gneissic banding. This detracts somewhat 

from its value, for between these gneissic bands are planes of schistosity or partings, which are commonly so closely spaced that blocks 

only a few inches in thickness may be obtained.

Near Carleton Lake a small excavation shows that blocks 3 to 6 

feet across and of fair quality may be procured, but close to the railroad the gneiss breaks into uneven angular blocks of smaller size. 

Here the dark minerals are more abundant and form dark streaks in 

the rock. Water percolation along the planes of schistosity has resulted in the partial decomposition of the dark minerals and the consequent formation of reddish stains which penetrate to considerable 

depths. The quality of the rock improves toward Carleton Lake, the 

 schistosity is less distinct, and dark minerals are less abundant.

The rock, as shown by the microscope, is a medium-grained granite 

gneiss with very little biotite. The chief feldspar is microcline, orthoclase and plagioclase being subordinate. Considerable quartz is present and is graphically intergrown with the orthoclase and microcline. 

The red color is due to small hematite grains scattered throughout the 

feldspars and bordering the quartz grains. The feldspars show a litr 

tie alteration to clay.

The rock has been used for foundations of a number of structures 

in Montevideo.

Owing to black knots of biotite, stains, quartz veins, pegmatite 

areas, and, most of all, the marked gneissic texture, none of the rock 

is of monument grade. It is serviceable for foundations and wall 

rock and for crushing.

GRANITE FALLS AREA.

About one-fourth of a mile from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 

Railway station, in sec. 34, T. 116 N., R. 39 W., is a cliff which has 

supplied stone for foundations in Granite Falls. The rock is the best 

in quality of any seen in the district around Granite Falls. It is a 

dark diorite, consisting of hornblende, plagioclase, garnet, small grains
GRANITES AND GNEISSES OF AROHEAN AGE. . 71

of magnetite, and some chlorite, which last indicates incipient weathering. It is not as schistose as the rock at Montevideo, and jointing 

planes are sufficiently spaced to give blocks 3 feet hi length. In color 

the rock is too dark to be attractive for entire structures, but it appears to be substantial for foundation purposes.

Rock crops out almost continuously along Minnesota River from 

Granite Falls to about a mile beyond Minnesota Falls as irregular 

humps and ridges, moss covered, and somewhat decayed. Half a 

mile below Minnesota Falls the rock is a quartz diorite, rather dark in 

color, containing biotite and a little quartz. It is very much altered 

by weathering.

YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY1.

The granites and gneisses of Yellow Medicine County outcrop in 

three areas in the Minnesota Valley in the vicinity of Granite Falls, 

as small patches.north of Echo and Wind Lake, and midway between 

Canby and Chatfield.

GRANITE FALLS ABBA.

A small quarry was opened by the Granite Falls Stone Co. hi 1897 

about half a mile from the Great Northern Railroad, where it approaches Granite Falls station from the west, hi sec. .32, T. 116 N., R. 

39 W., on the steep face of a 50 to 60 foot bluff overlooking the marshlands northeast of Minnesota River. The rock is a dark biotite gneiss. 

The gneissic texture is very marked, and the planes of schistosity or 

easy splitting, though in a few places 1 to 3 feet apart, are commonly 

so closely spaced that the rock is useless. In the back part of the 

quarry firm rock, suitable for ordinary foundation work, may be 

obtained. The foundation of the Yellow Medicine County courthouse hi Granite Falls was made from this rock and is apparently 

durable.

About half a mile south of Granite Falls, in sec. 4, T. 115 N., R. 39 

W., is an area of garnetiferous gabbro,1 described by W. S. Bayley, 

which is not suitable for structural purposes.

Outcrops of granite gneiss are numerous hi and about Granite Falls. 

Most of the rock dips 60° to 80° and is so deeply decomposed that the 

erosive action of the great glacial river was not sufficient to remove it 

as completely as at Morton and North Redwood. Postglacial decomposition has doubtless increased the amount of decay, and the chances 

for finding good rock in this vicinity are not encouraging. However, 

fairly fresh and solid rock may be obtained in Chippewa County, on 

the opposite side of4 the river. (See p. 70.)

Granite Falls is favorably situated for the production of crushed 

rock. The river has a fall of 14 feet and has a potential energy of 

about 1,000 horsepower, 500 of which is now used to supply light and

i U. 8. Geol. Survey Bull. 160, p. 282,1898.
72 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

power to Granite Falls and Maynard. The close proximity of rock, 

power, and railroad transportation is noteworthy.

RENVILLE COUNTY. 

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROCK.

The only rock of economic importance in Renville County outcrops 

along Minnesota River and in the lower parts of the larger tributary 

streams. Exposures along the bluffs of the river are all more or less 

decomposed. Tributary valleys, such as Beaver Creek and Birch 

Cooley, cut into the Archean, and here, also, decomposition is great.

The best rock occurs in outlying masses in the main river valley, 

where river erosion has cleared away all but the firm fresh rock. 

Prominent domes of this sort occur at North Redwood and Morton, 

the latter covering many acres and reaching an elevation which 

affords from its summit an extensive view of the river basin.

The stripping away of waste material by river erosion is marked in 

this locality. The remarkable state of preservation, even after the 

many seasons of rain and drought, of heat and frost, since glacial 

tunes indicates the ability of the rock to resist weathering.

NORTH REDWOOD GRANITE WORKS.

The North Redwood Granite Works quarry is situated about 1$ 

miles from North Redwood station, in sec. 20, T. 113 N., R. 35 W. 

Outcrops occur near the center of the broad river basin in a thickly 

wooded district. River erosion has swept away all the decayed rock, 

and silt has partly covered the low domes, permitting an extensive 

growth of vegetation, the mold of which has added to the mantle of 

earth which now hides most of the granite. These domes cover 

many acres.

Quarrying was first begun about 1887. March 1, 1912, a company 

was formed known as the North Redwood Granite Works. Quarrying operations are intermittent. The quarry supplies one shop in 

North Redwood employing one or two cutters.

Small pits are opened in several places. On the vertical wall of 

the largest, which is about 15 feet deep, horizontal sheeting planes 

are spaced about 6 feet apart. Nearly vertical joints are far apart, 

none appearing on this wall, which is 12 to 15 feet wide, and consequently blocks of very large size may be obtained. The rock has an 

indistinct gneissic texture.

There are two types of rock a medium-grained biotite gneiss of 

greenish-gray color and a pale-pink biotite granitet These rocks are 

more completely described on page 48.

On the southeast side of the granite area are many immense 

boulders, most of which resemble the bedrock in composition and 

structure, though some are porphyritic in texture, having large
GRANITES AND GNEISSES OF AKCHEAN AGE. 73

feldspar crystals. Monumental stone of good quality has been 

obtained from a number of them.

Physical tests of the pink granite show: True specific gravity, 

2.690; pore space, 0.6 per cent; weight per cubic foot, 167.1 pounds. 

Under crushing stress the first crack developed under 12,308 pounds 

per square inch, and the rock finally collapsed under 21,236 pounds. 

Under transverse stress the modulus of rupture proved to be 4,526 

pounds per square inch.

Though the rock is largely made up into high-grade monuments, 

it is also used for structural purposes, for which it is well suited. 

The Redwood Falls Public Library, High School, Granite Block, and 

the North Redwood Bank Building are examples.

ANDERSON GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

A prominent dome of biotite granodiorite gneiss in the Minnesota 

River valley near Morton has been quarried in eight or more places. 

It was worked extensively from 1884 to 1887 by the Saulpaugh Co., 

which employed about 300 men. Subsequently quarrying was carried on by John Anderson until 1908, when the Anderson Granite Co. 

was formed. The company now operates at several places on the 

bluff, in sec. 31, T~ 113 N., R. 34 W. Some rock is obtained from 

immense boulders.

The rock is distinctly gneissic (banded) but is very firm and does 

not permit ready percolation of water. In places it is porphyritic. 

(See also p. 49 and PI. IX, A, B, p. 68.) Sheeting planes are 12 to 20 

feet apart and dip 5° to 15°, always toward the margin of the area, 

showing a domal structure. This probably has a direct bearing on 

the excellent preservation of the rock, as the sheeting planes act as 

watersheds. Major joints are 6 to 30 feet apart, and, where observed, 

meet approximately at right angles, their directions being southwest 

and southeast. A few minor joints meet the major joints at about 

20°. Rock masses of great size may be obtained. During the 

summer of 1912 the Hans Neilson Hauge monument was made for 

Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. The base of the monument is 

5 by 4'by 3 feet, and the column consists of a single piece 18 by 3 by 2 

feet. Though the rock is variable in texture, it is attractive when 

polished. Some light-colored and some red dikes are present, but 

apparently they do not weaken the rock, and do not noticeably 

detract from its appearance. It is a very handsome stone, especially 

for large structures. Rock containing black knots and streaks consisting chiefly of biotite is avoided by quarrymen as much as possible.

At least half of the rock may be polished for monuments and the 

remainder used for bases, range rock, trimming, curbing, and bridge 

work. - The rock is well adapted for the latter purpose, for it is strong 

and can be quarried in blocks whose size is limited only by the means 

of transportation.
74 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

In addition to the Hans Nielson Hauge monument at Moorhead 

and many smaller monuments this rock has supplied material for the 

range rock and trimming for the Catholic Church, Waconia, for bank 

buildings at Gibbon, and Fairfax, and for curbing at Gibbon, Arlington, and Morton.

Physical tests obtained at the University of Minnesota showed that 

under crushing stress the first crack came at 8,600 pounds per square 

inch and the rock collapsed at 20,340 pounds. Under transverse 

stress the modulus of rupture was found to be 3,042 pounds per 

square inch.

Quarry conditions are excellent. The bluff.is high and can be 

worked everywhere in shelf quarries. The outward dipping of the 

sheeting planes not only insures perfect drainage but facilitates 

greatly the removal of blocks from the quarry.

The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad tracks are about 15 rods 

from the nearest quarry. The Saulpaugh Co. had a siding right at 

the quarry, but this has since been abandoned. The Anderson 

Granite Co. has a well-equipped shop a few rods from the railroad.

REDWOOD COUNTY.

On the opposite side of the river, in Redwood County, rock outcrops are numerous in the valley of Redwood River. A covering of 

Cretaceous rocks protected them from glaciation, and stream erosion 

has not been sufficient to clear away the decayed portion. As a 

consequence the river bluffs are decayed to great depth, and fresh 

material is not available. The rock has been used to some extent 

at Redwood as crushed stone for concrete aggregate.

NICOLLET COUNTY.

Granite was quarried many years ago in the extreme northwest 

of the county for the construction of Fort Ridgely, 1£ miles to the 

east. The rock is porphyritic and has a gneissic texture. A second 

outcrop occurs 4 miles lower down Minnesota River. It is a palered granite of uniform texture. No granite quarries are now 

operating in Nicollet County.

KEWEENAWAN GRANITES OP CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 

QUARRIES AND UNDEVELOPED OUTCROPS.

In the detailed discussion of the rocks of central Minnesota the 

quarries and the undeveloped outcrops are considered separately. 

The line between developed and undeveloped outcrops is drawn 

somewhat arbitrarily. In its strictest sense any outcrop on which 

test pits or drill holes have been made is developed. For the purposes of the present discussion all the active and many of the more
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 75

prominent inactive quarries are considered "quarries," and all the 

less important abandoned excavations and test pits, especially those 

that represent only a small part of an outcrop, are considered "undeveloped" exposures.

The quality of outcrops on which no development work whatever 

has been done can be judged from surface observations only. The 

nature of the fresh underlying rock must be inferred from the appearance of the decayed and stained surface material and from conditions in near-by developed quarries. The results of such observations are not always reliable. Jointing systems, dikes, hair lines, 

and other structural features may be judged with a fair degree of 

accuracy, but surface observations are often misleading, for weathered rock is almost invariably stained or bleached. The judgments 

on such outcrops expressed in this bulletin are based on comparisons 

of surface and deep rock in many quarries.

The quarries and outcrops are described in the alphabetic order of 

the townships.

STEARNS COUNTY. 

ASHLEY TOWNSHIP (T. 126 N., R. 35 W.).

A small isolated outcrop of epidote granite lies in northwestern 

Stearns County, about 8 miles west of Sauk Center, in the SW. } 

NW. J sec. 17, Ashley Township. It is reddish gray to green in color, 

and its megascopic minerals are pale-pink feldspar with the coloring 

matter very unevenly distributed. Granular quartz and epidote 

are abundant. The epidote occurs as a replacement or alteration 

product of some original dark material which is now ^unrecognizable 

hi the hand specimen, but which in thin section proves to be augite. 

Under the microscope epidote appears in abundance. Quartz, 

orthoclase, plagioclase, and augite are the essential constituents. 

It is evident that the rock was originally an augite granite. Pegmatite areas are common, and the texture is very uneven. The 

most prominent joints strike N. 23° W. and are very close, 1 inch to 

1$ feet apart; minor joints strike S. 85° W. Epidote is so abundant 

that certain areas are green. The rock is probably useless.

Frank Minette reports a black granite, probably a gabbro, on his 

property in sec. 18.

LE SAUK TOWNSHIP (T. 125 N., R. 28 W.). 

UNITKD GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

Near the middle of the east side of sec. 17 a red granite quarry 

owned by the United Granite Co., of St. Cloud, outcrops over an area 

of about 26 rods east and west and 16 rods north and south. The 

main opening is at the eastern end and a smaller one is near the north 

side. The main excavation is about 50 by 30 feet in extent and is 

15 feet deep.
76 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The rock is a medium-grained biotite granite of pleasing color. 

The texture is not uniform, an uneven distribution of light and dark 

minerals resulting in an irregular banding. In places, also, the gram 

is not uniform, pegmatite masses or veins occurring here and there. 

Both red and gray feldspars are present. Observation with a hand 

lens shows that the red color is distributed unevenly, but from a 

distance of 2 feet or more it appears uniform. Quartz is abundant; 

some is smoky and some colorless. A few grains of pyrite are present. 

Microscopic examination shows that microcline is the most abundant feldspar, and that many of its crystals are surrounded by bands 

of secondary feldspar. Quartz is abundant in grams, whose maximum diameter is about one-fourth of an inch. The dark minerals 

are biotite and magnetite in small amounts and specks of hematite 

arranged along cracks and crystal boundaries.

Joints strike N. 5° E. and N. 80° E. They are unevenly spaced; 

in one place those striking N. 5° E. are about 2 feet apart and those

striking N. 80° E., 6 to 8 feet apart. 

In other places areas of 15 to 20 feet 

are without open joints.

A few gray knots appear, but they 

are not nearly so numerous as in the 

smaller quarry. Some reddish inclosed fragments look like finegrained masses of the same material 

as the main quarry rock. No hair 

lines or trap dikes occur. Reddish 

stains follow seams in places. At 

one point the characteristic concentric lines of flowage of a viscous 

magma were very distinct. The 

presence of pegmatite masses and bands, indistinctly defined masses 

of red granite inclosed in red, and concentric, flowage lines, all indicate 

that the rock in this area was in motion at the time of solidification. 

At the smaller excavation inclusions of gray granite are sufficiently 

abundant to impair much rock. (See fig. 9.) The gray rock is a 

hornblende-biotite granite made up of fine-grained quartz in abundance, some orthoclase, plagioclase, and hornblende, and a little 

magnetite and sphene. As sphene is almost invariably present in 

the "St. Cloud gray" granite and absent in the red, the inclusions 

appear to be fragments of the typical gray granite of St. Cloud 

caught up by the red magma, which solidified before it dissolved 

them. The excess of quartz may be due to diffusion from the surrounding red granite.

The rock quarried here was hauled to St. Cloud, where the United 

Granite Co. operates a polishing shop; the 6-mile haul is a serious

*»OI.»*_ *»*

I FOOT

FIGURED. Fragmentsofgraygraniteinclosed 

in red granite (drawn to scale), United Granite Co.'s quarry, sec. 17, Le Sank Township, 

Stearns County, Minn.
KEWEESTAWAN" GRANITES. 77

drawback in the development of the area. No stripping is needed. 

Pumping is required to remove accumulated water in the quarry pit. 

Though operated during the early part of 1912, the workings are now 

idle.

UNDEVELOPED ROCK OUTCROPS.

Rock outcrops of diverse types appear in several widely separated 

localities in Le Sauk Township. Red and gray granite, gabbro, 

norite, and diorite are represented.

In sees. 5 and 6 extensive outcrops of gabbro somewhat similar to 

that near by in sees. 12 and 13, St. Wendall Township, probably represent parts of the same intrusion. The largest outcrop observed 

extends more than a quarter of a mile westward from a point near 

the center of the SW. £ sec. 5. This rock consists essentially of abundant augite, plagioclase, and a remarkably large proportion of quartz, 

this mineral being more abundant than in the "St. Cloud gray" granite. It is an unusual species an augite granite. The rock is coarse 

grained and greatly decayed. Augite is extensively altered to biotite.

Near the eastern end of the area are two small knobs of coarsegrained pale-red biotite granite. Near these granite areas the augite 

granite is cut by two dikes of biotite granite, one an inch wide and the 

other 3 inches wide. Through the central part of the ridge no biotite 

granite was seen, but near the western end numerous red granite dikes 

3 inches to 1 foot in diameter cut the augite granite at different angles. 

The relative durability of the two rocks is well illustrated, for at one 

point the gabbro is rotted to a gravelly, incoherent mass, leaving the 

granite dikes standing 10 to 12 inches above it in a fairly fresh 

though shattered condition. The dike consists of abundant orthoclase, considerable plagioclase, and quartz, and a small amount of 

biotite and magnetite. It shows reddish stains along a series of parallel cracks and on crystal boundaries.

About 152 rods north and 160 rods west of the southeast corner of 

sec. 5, a prominent knob of granite a few square yards in outcrop 

rises about 15 feet from a level field of scattered standing timber and 

underbrush. The rock, which is pale red and porphyritic and contains pale-red feldspars one-half to three-fourths of an inch long, 

consists of orthoclase, abundant quartz, subordinate plagioclase and 

microcline, biotite in numerous small flakes, and garnets. Some has 

been quarried.

About 64 rods south of the center of sec. 6 are two small outcrops, 

one of gabbro and the other of fine-grained red augite granite. The 

latter consists essentially of abundant orthoclase, less prominent 

plagioclase, augite showing remarkable zonal alteration to hornblende 

or biotite, and quartz in scattered grams. Rusty cracks and crystal 

borders give evidence of advanced decomposition. Grains of magnetite, apatite inclusions, and one crystal of sphene were observed.
78 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Near the center of the south line of sec. 8, just east of Watab Lake, 

on the farm of D. L. Baker, is a small outcrop of gray granite. Where 

exposed, it is medium grained and even grained. Joints strike north 

and south and are 2 to 4 feet apart. It is cut by a few pegmatite 

dikes. The outcrop covers but a few square feet, but the owner 

states that for 8 rods to the east the rock surface is scraped in plowing 

the land.

About 296 rods north and 280 rods west of the southeast corner of 

sec. 10, near Mississippi River, is an outcrop of dark augite-diorite 

porphyry similar to the massive ridge on the opposite side of the river 

in Benton County. It is fine-grained and nearly black in color, but 

contains scattered phenocrysts of feldspar one-fourth to one-half of 

.an inch long. Microscopic study reveals the following minerals hi 

order of abundance: Plagioclase, hornblende, biotite, and some augite, 

with occasional phenocrysts of feldspar and quartz. Though the 

rock shows very little alteration, it is too dark to be of value for 

building stone and too variable in texture for monumental purposes. 

It may be used as crushed stone or rubble.

The diorite is literally riddled with dikes and masses of granite 

that include many fragments of the diorite. The intruded rock is a 

gray biotite granite, consisting of orthoclase, plagioclase, a very 

little microcline, abundant quartz, biotite, and subordinate hornblende, magnetite, and sphene.

The dark color and the closely spaced intrusives render the diorite 

unfit for anything but rubble or crushed rock. It has been quarried 

to some extent generally in the wintertime, for the rock bluff forms 

a prominent point on the river shore, and transportation over the 

ice is convenient.

An outcrop of red granite, on property owned by C. D. Schwab in 

the S. £ SE. I NW. J sec. 21, Le Sauk Township, is similar to that 

quarried by the Monarch Granite Coi in the SW. £ sec. 8, St. Cloud 

Township, being porphyritic with a dense matrix. It is a hornblende 

granite in which the hornblende shows considerable alteration to 

biotite. The phenocrysts are orthoclase or microperthite, and the 

groundmass is mainly of quartz and orthoclase. A specimen taken 

at the surface exhibits considerable alteration to kaolin. The red 

color is due to the presence of numerous fine inclusions of hematite. 

Though the individual grams show considerable diversity in size, 

the feldspars being prominent, on the whole the rock is fairly -uniform. It has a good red color and is free from knots, hair lines, and, 

so far as seen, from trap dikes. Some has been quarried but not at 

sufficient depth to show the quality of the unweathered product. 

Two outcrops occur about 32 rods apart. One is small and rises but 

little above the surrounding country. Another, about 30 rods to 

the west, rises as a ridge 15 feet high, 10 rods long, and 3 rods wide.
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 79

Joints are closely spaced and intersect at right angles. Three systems were noted; one N. 4° E., another N. 40° E., and another N. 45° 

W. (See fig. 10.)

The joints are closely spaced and, one system being oblique to the 

other, dissect the rock into angular blocks. The rock is free of 

blemishes and is .of good color.

Just north of this, in the N. £ SE. | NW. i sec. 21, on the property 

of Michael Jabs, are two outcrops of gray granite. The eastern and 

larger outcrop, which covers an area of about 100 square yards, is 

medium grained.and of even texture. It is cut by a few dikes of 

red granite, which trend toward the area of red granite last described and are probably related to it. Some, of this rock was quarried many years ago for bridge work. The joints are not so close as

FIGURE 10. Sketch showing structure of rock in outcrop of red granite, 8. ij SE. J sec. 21, Le Sauk Town

ship, Minn.

in the red rock. Two distinct systems appear, north-south and 

N. 87° W. These are spaced 3 to 10 feet apart.

The rock is a medium-grained biotite granite, the pale-gray feldspars and black mica giving it a mottled appearance. The quartz 

grains are brown in color and are prominent a noteworthy fact, for 

the typical "St. Cloud gray" granite contains but a small amount 

of quartz and that in minute clear grains. It differs also from the 

typical "St. Cloud gray" granite in being of a lighter gray and in 

having more abundant biotite. The rock is somewhat weathered 

near the surface, and what appeal's to be secondary epidote is prominent in the upper one-fourth of an inch. With the microscope, 

most of the feldspar was determined as plagioclase, identifying the 

rock a quartz diorite rather than a granite.

The nearest railway station is Sauk Rapids, about 5 miles distant.
80 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

A granite outcrop in the SW. i SE. £ sec. 21, on Watab River, 

about one-fourth of a mile upstream from the road at Sartel, rises 

3 or 4 feet above the water for about 5 rods on the south bank of the 

river immediately below the second dam and then disappears beneath the drift. The granite consists of red feldspar, white or 

transparent quartz, black mica, and hornblende in small grains that 

give the rock a spotted appearance. It is not very uniform in texture, being pegmatitic in places, and also is cut by dikes of red 

granite. In places, also, the distribution of minerals is variable, the 

hornblende being more abundant. Feldspars are paler in some

masses, and so it lacks 

the pleasing deep red 

color that is so desirable 

in monumental granite. 

With the microscope, 

both orthoclase and microcline were observed. 

The feldspars are, for the 

most part, confused perthitic intergrowths. 

Quartz is abundant but 

is not evenly distributed. 

The chief dark mineral is 

hornblende, though magnetite and biotite are also 

present. Jointingor 

sheeting planes could not 

be observed on account 

of the smaUness of the 

outcrop. The material 

observed is not of monument grade.

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP (T. 122 N., 

R. 27 W.).

Not far from St. AuFIGURE 11. Sketch showing structure of rock ingray graniteout- gusta, On the farm of J. H. 

crop near St. Augusta, NW. i SE. i sec. 19. Lynden Town- ?_ ,, . , ATTTCT i a~i7* ship, Minn. Moeller, in the NW. i SE.

I sec. 19, Lynden Township, granite outcrops over an area about 12 rods long in a northeasterly direction and 2 to 4 rods wide. The rock probably continues, 

near the surface beneath a ridge, which curves to the east for about 

400 yards. This is an isolated exposure, the nearest outcrops being 

at Luxemburg, 6 miles to the west, and at the Northwestern Granite 

Co.'s quarry, 7 miles to the north.
U. a. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CLARK & McCORMACK'S QUARRY AND SHOPS, ROCKVI
CARVING IN ROCKVILLE GRANITE OVER MAIN ENTRANCE OF CAT
KEWEENAWAF GRANITES. 81

The rock is an even-grained gray granite but differs from the 

typical "St. Cloud gray" chiefly in the color of its feldspars, which 

are a clear greenish gray, much lighter in color than those of the 

typical "St. Cloud" stone. They afford a more distinct contrast 

between dark and light minerals. Both hornblende and biotite are 

present and form approximately a fourth of the rock mass. Quartz 

is not abundant. The black and greenish-white mottling is very 

attractive. In thin section, orthoclase appears to be the most 

abundant feldspar, with plagioclase nearly equal in amount. Microcline is subordinate. Quartz is present in small scattered grains, 

and sphene, magnetite, and apatite are accessory constituents.

Some granite has been quarried, and in the 5 feet of vertical 

exposure no sheeting planes appear. Joints strike N. 61° W. and 

S. 41° W. (See fig. 11.) Very few black knots are visible. The 

rock is uniform and attractive and is apparently suitable for highgrade monumental work. It has been used only for a barn foundation. The Great Northern Railway passes about half a mile distant.

. MELROSE TOWNSHIP (T. 126 N., K. 33 W.).

A small outcrop of coarse red granite, reported to be inferior in 

quality, on Sauk River at Melrose is now covered by a mill and can 

not easily be examined.

ROCKVILLE TOWNSHIP (T. 123 N., R. 29 W.)- 

CLARK & McCORMACK QUARRY.

At Rockville, 10 miles from St. Cloud, two granite quarries are 

operated by Clark & McCormack and by the Rockville Granite Co. 

The Clark & McCormack quarry, the largest in the State for the production of structural granite, was opened in 1907. During 1912 it 

employed an average of about 85 men and had a daily output of 

about 300 to 400 cubic feet of finished stone. The rock is transported 

from the quarry by handcars on tracks to shops equipped with eight 

surfacing machines. (See PI. X.)

The "Rockville" stone is uniform and exceptionally coarse grained, 

the angular feldspar crystals being one-half to three-fourths of an inch 

in diameter. It consists of pale-pink feldspar, quartz, and black mica, 

the combined effect on a hammered surface being pinkish gray. 

(See PI. XIII, B, p. 118.) No pyrite or other minerals which would 

cause stain or blemish are present. Observed with the microscope the rock is a biotite granite. The chief feldspar is orthoclase. 

Considerable microcline, a little plagioclase, and abundant quartz 

also appear. Small grains of hornblende, magnetite, inclusions of 

apatite, and fairly large crystals of sphene are accessory constituents. 

An analysis of the rock is given on page 53. 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 6
82 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Physical tests made at the University of Minnesota show that 

under crushing stress the first crack came at 10,574 pounds per square 

inch and final collapse at 17,294 pounds. Under transverse breaking 

strain the modulus of rupture proved to be 2,048 pounds per square 

inch.

Gray knots in the form of lenslike masses occur but are not 

common. The rock is exceptionally pure and even grained; on 

the freshly exposed quarry wall the eye can not detect the slightest 

change in its appearance except where surface stained. Such 

uniformity of texture and color are properties greatly in demand.

The rock rises in a great dome which is exposed over at least an 

acre. On the exposed surface, careful observations of joints could 

be made. Open joints are far apart and are somewhat irregular in 

direction; the most prominent strike S. 70° E. and others N. 45° E., 

S. 55° E., andN. 10° W. This irregularity, if joints were closely spaced, 

would result in much waste rock, but here, where they are spaced 20, 

40, and even 100 feet apart, the irregularity is of little consequence. 

In fact, quarrying would be easier if they were more closely spaced. 

Sheeting planes are also few in number. Where quarrying is now 

carried on none are present, and beds have to be forced by "lift 

holes." On the northwest side of the dome, where the rock has been 

stripped, a drill hole was projected and an open seam found at a 

depth of 22 feet. Blocks of immense size are obtainable, much 

larger than can be handled by derrick. Large blocks are broken 

loose by blasting and are subdivided by plug and feather.

Weathering has produced a reddish stain in the upper 18 inches of 

the rock, and similar stains occur 18 inches to 2 feet on each side of 

the open seams. The rock becomes a little lighter in color at depth.

A noteworthy feature of the quarry is the small waste heap. 

Almost all the stone quarried is used, and the actual output in cubic 

feet is very much greater than in the St. Cloud quarries.

The most important building in which "Rockville" stone has been 

used is the new cathedral at St. Paul, still unfinished, hi which it is 

employed for the outer structure, including the lower part of the 

central dome. This noble edifice, of modern Renaissance type, will, 

when completed, cost $1,750,000. Clark & McCormack supplied the 

250,000 cubic feet of stone required at a contract price of more than 

half a million dollars. The completed edifice will be about 300 feet 

high, and its lofty position on the heights will make it one of the most 

prominent structures in the State.

In the finished structure one of the admirable qualities of the stone 

is apparent. Many granites are rather dead in appearance, exhibiting the same dull, unvaried look from all viewpoints. The "Rockville" stone is made up largely of coarsely crystallized feldspars, 

showing brilliant cleavage faces, which on the hammered surfaces
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 83

give a glittering reflection. Thus, in moving past any point, there 

is no monotony but constant change. The rock has a tone, an individuality, like many of the finest marbles.

The remarkable adaptability of the stone for carving, is seen in 

the magnificent sculpture work above the main entrance. The 

central group, entitled "Christ blessing and instructing the apostles," surmounts the pediment or gable above the large round window. It was designed by Leon Hermant, the actual carving being 

done under the guidance of John Garatti, of Venice, Italy. All the 

carving was done after the 72 stones, weighing 400 tons, had been 

placed in the arch. Some idea of the size of these figures may be 

gained from the fact that the mass of rock from which the head of 

Christ was carved weighed 9 tons. The figure of Christ is in the 

center, 116 feet above the main floor level. The carving over the main 

doorway and the Corinthian caps of the columns (see PI. XI) also 

are of more than ordinary interest.

ROCKVILLE GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

The quarry of the Rockville Granite Co. is about one-fourth of a 

mile north of the Clark & McCormack quarry, on the north side of 

the railroad track. It was opened in 1891. Much structural stone 

was obtained here in past years. The stone is the-same as that of 

the Clark & McCormack quarry. Joints are far apart, the most 

prominent running east and northeast. In connection with the 

quarry is a stone-cutting and polishing shop, equipped with the 

largest lathes for turning and polishing columns to be found in the 

Central States. (See PL VIII, p. 66.)

ABANDONED QUARRIES AND UNDEVELOPED OUTCROPS.

South of Rockville, near the mill pond, on property owned by 

Homer Tenney, is a deserted quarry that has been idle for about 20 

years. Several undeveloped rock exposures in the vicinity of 

Rockville are all of the same general type. With an unlimited supply of first-class stone, uniform, attractive, and adapted for the best 

and most artistic structural purposes, there is the possibility of a 

great development of the industry.

ST. ATTGTJSTA TOWNSHIP (T. 123 N., R. 28 W.).

Ill the NE. £ NW. | sec. 30, St. Augusta Township, on the property 

of Katherine Hanson, a small outcrop, close to the road, is 8 

by 5 rods in extent and rises about 3 feet above the surface. The 

rock is a coarse-grained biotite granite of the "Rockville" type, 

consisting chiefly of large pale-pink feldspars and abundant quartz. 

The minerals, in descending order of abundance, are microcline, 

plagioclase, orthoclase, biotite, hornblende, magnetite, and apatite.
84 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Alteration is not pronounced, even in a specimen from the surface. 

Irregular open joints strike N. 78° E. and N. 25° W. and are spaced 

8 to 12 feet apart. In the eastern part of the outcrop two joints 

close together trend N. 22° E., and parallel with them are four 

dikes, three of them about half an inch wide and the fourth a quarter 

of an inch wide. The centers of the dikes consist of large quartz 

crystals and the margins of feldspars so interlocking with the crystals 

of the surrounding rock that their borders are indistinct. A diabase dike 5 feet thick crosses the outcrop in direction N. 65° E. 

Lithologically this dike rock is one of the most interesting in Minnesota. It is a quartz diabase porphyry, containing many large 

crystals of feldspar and quartz. One gray knot about 6 inches 

across was seen. Apparently the rock is a good building stone, 

though probably not useful for monumental purposes. As it is 

several miles from a railroad, its extensive development is not 

probable.

Near the center of sec. 19, on Stephen Zenner's farm, one-third 

of a mile from the road that passes the Luxemburg church, a second 

more prominent outcrop covers an area about 22 rods north and south 

and about 6 rods wide. The rock extends westward near the surface; according to Mr. Zenner, the plow touches it in many places. 

The ridge is about 20 feet high and drops off abruptly to a marsh on 

the east side. The rock is a coarse-grained hornblende biotite granite 

of the "Rockville" type, about three-fourths of which is of feldspar 

in large crystals half an inch to an inch across. Pale-pink feldspar 

is abundant, and a subordinate amount of pale-green feldspar is 

present. Biotite and hornblende are about equally abundant, and 

quartz in small grains is plentiful. As observed under the microscope, orthoclase with subordinate microcline and smaller though 

numerous quartz crystals form the light portion of the rock. Very 

little perthitic intergrowth was observed. Scattered grams of hornblende, biotite, and magnetite form the darker part.

The most prominent joints at the southern end of the outcrop 

strike N. 22° W. and N. 60° E. and are 4 to 10 feet apart. At the 

north end of the outcrop joints of three systems, N. 70° W., N. 50° 

W., and N. 85° W., divide the rock into angular masses. Here 

also epidote veins are more numerous and when traced for a distance 

give place to numerous interlacing green hair lines. A few gray 

knots contain feldspar crystals similar to those in the surrounding 

rock and hence appear to be segregations.

The rock makes very attractive structural blocks or columns. It 

compares favorably with the "Rockville" stone, but poor railroad 

facilities will probably discourage its development. Some stone 

was quarried on the eastern side of the ridge and used locally, but 

none has been excavated for a number of years.
KEWEENAWAN GEANITES. 85 

ST. CLOUD TOWNSHIP (T. 124 N., R. 28 W.). 

ATWOOD QUARRIES.

The Agate Granite Co. operated quarry pits in the W. $ SE. £ 

sec. 20, St. Cloud Township, until 1912, when it ceased business. 

Its property is now owned by C. L. Atwood, president of the Security 

State Bank, St. Cloud. The rock in the larger excavation is a red 

hornblende granite, consisting chiefly of flesh-red feldspars, with subordinate greenish feldspars scattered throughout. Quartz is abundant in medium-sized transparent glassy grains. Hornblende crystals vary in size; in places they are larger than in any other red 

granite quarry of the region. With the microscope the chief feldspar 

was identified as orthoclase. Microcline is prominent and plagioclase subordinate. The feldspars are intergrown as in perthite, and 

all are altered to some extent. Hornblende shows considerable 

alteration to biotite.

Segregations composed largely of hornblende form black knots 

and gneissic bands. A sample taken from one of these bands shows 

fine-grained black hornblende and biotite with lenslike areas of feldspar. The bands contain magnetite, biotite, hornblende, and pyrite. 

The hornblende is fibrous and borders the light minerals or is intergrown with them.

Narrow veins of clear or smoky quartz were observed in a few 

places. Large masses of rock are, however, quite free of these streaks 

and knots. Joints are somewhat irregular. Two well-defined systems strike S. 45° E. and S. 5° E. and are intersected by minor systems. They are sufficiently spaced to allow excavation of large 

blocks. Sheeting planes are better developed in this quarry than in 

most Minnesota occurrences; near the top of the quarry they are 2 

to 4 feet apart and the spacing increases at depth. They dip slightly 

to the north. Their presence makes quarrying comparatively easy.

At the southwest side of the quarry near the top is a mass of gray 

granite which appears to be almost contemporaneous with the red, 

but which is much finer grained. Feldspars are of two kinds, pale 

pink and pale green, and quartz is abundant in small grains. As 

observed with the microscope the minerals present are microcline, 

orthoclase, quartz, plagioclase, biotite, hornblende, sphene, magnetite, and apatite, in order of. abundance. The dark minerals are 

unevenly distributed, and as a whole the minerals are intimately 

intergrown and show less clear and definite boundaries than those of 

the typical "St. Cloud gray" granite. A 2-foot diabase dike crosses 

the pit in direction N. 55° E.

The rock is attractive in color and the quarry is in good condition 

for further development, being equipped with a large derrick and 

modern hoisting and pneumatic machinery.
86 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

At 100 yards to the north, almost on the section line south of sec. 

20, another pit, from which considerable rock has been removed, 

exhibits surface alteration by weathering to a depth of 6 to 8 feet. 

The pit is now partly filled with water. The granite is cut by a 

diabase dike 2£ feet wide which trends N. 65° E.

About one-third of a mile north of these pits the rock rises in a 

prominent dome about 20 feet above the general level. An abandoned excavation at the north side of the outcrop is about 200 feet 

long and 75 feet wide. Open joints are somewhat irregular, the most 

prominent systems being E., N. 15° W. and N. 60° E. They are 

spaced 2 to 10 feet apart. On the top of the dome south of the 

quarry a series of parallel quartz veins appears. They are oneeighth to three-fourths of an inch across and run northeast, their 

direction being different from that of the joints. The presence of 

sheeting planes 2 to 6 feet apart greatly facilitates excavation. The 

rock is an even-grained red granite of good quality.

Transportation is by team and wagon to St. Cloud, about 3£ miles 

distant.

BLACK DIAMOND QUARRIES.

The Black Diamond Granite Co. operates a red granite quarry in 

.the SE. I NW. J sec. 18, St. Cloud township. The quarry was 

opened in 1909. The red granite is of two types, coarse grained and 

fine grained, the fine grained occurring near the contact of a mass of 

dark-gray granite at the western side. Both are adapted for monumental use, the fine grained being the more attactive. The red rock 

consists of microcline graphically intergrown with feldspar and 

quartz and of orthoclase, plagioclase, quartz, and a very little green 

hornblende. Joints are approximately at right angles and 3 to 20 

feet apart.

The dark gray is a hornblende granite, the feldspar of which is 

chiefly orthoclase, with subordinate plagioclase and microcline. 

Hornblende with a little biotite and magnetite form the dark part of 

the rock. No sphene is present. The rock differs materially from 

the typical "St. Cloud gray" granite.

Geologic relationships are rather complex in this quarry. (See 

fig. 12.) The finer-grained texture of the red granite near the contact and the presence of red dikes in the dark granite prove that the 

latter is the older. Both rocks are cut by dikes, some of them in 

the form of minute hair lines (a), which are shown by microscopic 

examination to be of granite similar to the larger mass of dark-gray 

rock. In rough-dressed blocks they are difficult to see unless water 

is thrown on the surface, but when polished they appear as thin dark 

lines on an otherwise uniform surface and are thus undesirable. 

Water is thrown over the blocks, and those to be hauled to the shops 

for final dressing and polishing are carefully selected.
GRANITES. 87

The dark-gray rock would be valuable if it were not invaded by 

foreign material. In this quarry, however, it is so cut up by palered granite dikes that uniform blocks are not readily obtained.

Steam and pneumatic drills and steam hoists are employed. Transportation is by team and wagon to St. Cloud, about 4 miles distant. 

The St. Cloud Street Railway runs to Waite Park, only a short distance from this and several other quarries. If some suitable arrangement could be made with this company, the cost of transportation 

over 3 miles of bad road might be reduced. In this connection, it 

may be of interest to the St. Cloud quarrymen to know that stone 

from a quarry at Rockport, Maine, is transported about a mile over an 

electric railway that maintains a regular half-hour passenger service 

without causing any demoralization in the traffic.

About 32 rods northwest of this quarry, on the opposite side of the 

Rockville road, is a deserted pit in the dark-gray rock. It is a biotitehornblende granite, somewhat finer grained than the red granite.

FIGURE 12. Diagram of rock relations at Black Diamond quarry.

It is somewhat porphyritjc in places with white feldspar crystals onefourth to one-half inch across. Quartz is abundant in small grains. 

In places the white feldspar is fine grained and sufficiently abundant 

to give the rock a light-gray color. The rock is invaded by dikes of 

red granite, though not so seriously as in the larger quarry. It takes 

a good polish, presenting a rich blue-black color where free of the 

porphyritic crystals of light feldspar.

The company also operates a quarry in gray granite in the SE. % 

SE. i sec. 27. The rock is an even-grained uniform granite, about 

three-quarters of which consists of light-colored minerals, chiefly gray 

feldspar. The presence of some pale-pink feldspars gives the rock 

a reddish tinge. A few small grains of pyrite were observed. A 

number of hair lines proved to be quartz veins under the microscope.

~Joints are far apart and strike N. 10° W. and N. 80° E. The quarry 

was inactive in 1913 and the excavation full of water, so that observation of sheeting planes could not be made. One diabase dike 3 feet
88 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

wide trends N. 65° E. Some black knots were seen. The rock splits 

with ease and is well adapted for monument stock, paving blocks, or 

curbing. Transportation is by team and wagon to St. Cloud, about 4 

miles distant.

DOERNER QUARRY.

John Doerner has made two excavations hi a prominent dome of 

gray granite or quartz monzonite in the NW. J NW. i sec. 33, St. 

Cloud Township. The outcrop measures abont 48 rods east and west 

and 40 rods north and south. The eastern quarry was worked first and 

is now deserted. At this point the rock is a very dark gray, almost 

black in color, owing partly to an abundance of fine-grained hornblende and biotite and partly to the dark-gray color of the feldspars. 

It is a hornblende granite, with subordinate biotite and a little quartz. 

The gray rock is cut by a number of red dikes which appear to be a 

fine-grained dike phase of the typical l ' St. Cloud red'' granite. Under 

the microscope the chief minerals which appear in the dike rock are 

orthoclase, plagioclase, microcline, and quartz. The feldspars are 

microperthitic, as they are in most of the typical red granite. The 

dark minerals are biotite and magnetite. Lithologically the rock is 

similar to the typical "St. Cloud red" granite. Scattered grains of 

hematite give the red color. Feldspars are partly altered to kaolin 

and calcite.

Nearer the road at the western end of the outcrop is the newer 

quarry, which is now operating. The rock is a hornblende-biotite 

granite, which is reddish-gray, owing to the presence of grains of palered feldspar along with the more abundant gray type. The microscope reveals orthoclase as the chief feldspar, with subordinate 

plagioclase and microcline. Quartz is more abundant than in most 

of the "St. Cloud gray" rocks. Hornblende, biotite, magnetite, 

and sphene constitute the remainder of the* mass, the latter in many 

places surrounding magnetite grams. Minute apatite crystals inclosed in the other minerals are common. The feldspars appear 

dusty by alteration to clay.

The rock of this quarry is cut by light-colored aplite dikes and 

contains dark knots, some of which are very angular and appear to 

be included fragments rather than segregations.

In the northern undeveloped part of the outcrop red dikes are 

present. A band of dikes half an inch to an inch wide, scattered over 

a space 10 feet in width, may be traced N. 10° E. for 8 rods. It is 

crossed by larger dikes at various angles. The quarry is about 4 

miles from St. Cloud.

EMPIRE "QUARRY CO. QUARRIES.

The Empire Quarry Co. began operations in 1912 on the site of the 

quarry formerly operated by Hennessey & Cox, of St. Paul, in the 

NE. | SE. \ sec. 19, St. Cloud Township. The rock rises in a dome
KEWEENAWAF GEANITES. 89

about 25 feet above the general level of the surrounding country, and 

its upper part may be worked as a shelf quarry.

The rock is a medium-grained red hornblende granite, a little paler 

in color than that worked by the same company in an adjacent 

quarry. (See below.) Major joints strike north and south and are 

spaced 10 to 30 feet apart.

Near the top of the quarry at the south side is a mass of very tough 

gray biotite granite. The combination of fine-grained light gray 

feldspar and black mica gives it a speckled pepper and salt appearance. Clear quartz is visible with a hand lens, and is more abundant 

than in the typical "St. Cloud gray" granite.

The rock in, thin section exhibits a fine-grained uniform texture. 

It consists of orthoclase, microcline, quartz, plagioclase, biotite, 

and a few grams of magnetite. The toughness of the rock is occasioned by the interlocking of the feldspar and quartz grains. Its contact with the red shows in places a gradual transition over an interval 

of 6 niches or more. Smaller masses of gray are inclosed in the red 

near the contact.

A 1^-mch 'pegmatite dike passes through the red granite. It is 

fine grained near the margin, then- coarser, light-colored feldspars 

appear graphically intergrown with quartz; a central band about 

one-fourth of an inch across consists of clear quartz and black mica 

with no feldspar.

Stone used in the construction of the St. Paul post office was 

obtained from this pit many years ago, the quarry at that time 

being operated by John Clark, now of the firm Clark & McCormack, 

of Rockville.

On the same rock dome, about 60 rods southeast of the pit last 

described, a new excavation was opened in 1912. The rock is a 

medium-grained red hornblende granite. Most of the feldspar is 

pink with a few scattered greenish-gray grams. It is chiefly microcline, graphically intergrown with quartz and considerably altered to 

kaolin. Quartz is abundant, part being clear and part smoky. 

Joints which are rather uneven strike N. 5° W. and N. 87° E., 2 to 12 

feet apart. Sheeting planes are uneven and indistinct, the highest 

being about 8 feet from the surface. The rock is stained and decayed 

down to the first sheeting plane but not beyond it.

A peculiar pegmatite area passes northeast through the quarry. 

It is very irregular and enlarges to a mass 6 to 8 feet across. It is 

composed of pink feldspar in crystals 1 to 4 inches long, quartz, a 

small amount of pyrite, and bladed interlacing crystals of brown mica, 

some of which are 2£ inches in length. A small amount of pyrite is 

present. Under the microscope the feldspars appear as perthitic 

intergrowths. The pegmatite area does not affect the quality of the 

rock beyond its own borders.
90 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The outcrop is cut by a few small irregular diabase dikes, stained 

green where exposed at the surface. A zone of "green lines" 

epidote veinlets bearing a little pyrite passes N. 80° E. through the 

quarry.

A few lenticular inclusions of fine-grained gray granite, the largest 

18 inches long and 4 inches wide, were observed. Other masses 

appear to be fine-grained segregations-, containing both pink and 

gray feldspar.

Fortunately, the imperfections noted are confined to certain definite areas. Uniform attractive rock is obtained in large quantities. 

The color is somewhat deeper red than in the older quarry and is 

therefore better adapted to monumental purposes.

Electric power transmitted from the Mississippi at St. Cloud operates the air compressor, and hoisting is done by steam. Transportation is by a railway siding so conveniently situated that the quarry 

derricks are used for loading cars. The siding passes north on the 

section line and joins the Great Northern track from St. Cloud to 

Rockville, about a mile distant.

FLAHERTY BROS. QUARRY.

f

Flaherty Bros, operated a small quarry several years ago in the 

NW. \ NW. i sec. 33, St. Cloud Township. The rock, which appears 

to be a gray hornblende granite, is in reality a diorite. The feldspars 

are gray to very pale pinkj and consist of abundant plagioclase with 

subordinate orthoclase and microcline. Very little quartz is present. 

The hornblende is unusually fine grained. Magnetite, sphene, and 

apatite are accessory.

The gray rock, is cut by a number of pale-red aplite (fine-grained 

granite) dikes. Some of the gray granite is spotted with red crystals, 

as though the two granites were nearly contemporaneous and somewhat mixed at the contact. This conforms with the general relationship of the red granites and gray granites in the St. Cloud region. A 

few black knots but no diabase dikes were seen. The quarry is 4 

miles from St. Cloud, where the firm operates a well-equipped monument shop.

FRICK & BORWICK GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

The Frick & Berwick Granite Co. began operations in 1906 on the 

site of the old Minnesota Granite Co's. quarry in the SE. £ NE. | 

sec. 19. The rock is red hornblende granite of uniform texture and 

attractive appearance. Most of the feldspar is red, but numerous 

greenish-gray crystals are scattered throughout. Small hornblende 

crystals appear as inclusions in some of the larger feldspars. Some 

clear and some smoky quartz appears. As observed under the microscope the rock consists almost entirely of microcline and quartz, with 

subordinate orthoclase, hornblende, and biotite. The feldspars show
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 91

little alteration. The rock is deeper pink in color at the bottom of 

the quarry than near the surface. The entire absence of sheeting 

planes, though the pit is now 60 feet deep, is noteworthy. Joints 

strike N. 30° E. and N. 80° E. and are so spaced that blocks of large 

size may be obtained. Epidote occurs as a filling in some open 

seams. A mass of gray biotite granite, which occupies the south 

end of the quarry near the surface, consists, in descending order of 

abundance of orthoclase, quartz, microcline, biotite, magnetite, 

and apatite. Quartz is more plentiful than in the typical "St. Cloud 

gray" granite, though in other respects the two rocks show marked 

similarity. Masses of fine-grained gray hornblende granite occur in 

the red as inclusions. One fragment observed was 20 inches long 

and 5 inches wide, with square corners.

The rock splits more easily in direction of run than rift. Though 

this is contrary to the definition of .rift, the rif.t is so uniformly horizontal that the term is reserved among the quarrymen for the horizontal direction of splitting, irrespective of ease or difficulty of cleavage. As at the .St. Cloud Granite Works, about two-thirds of a mile 

northeast, the run is east and west. Two large derricks with steam 

hoist are employed, and drilling is done by steam and compressed air. 

Transportation is by team and wagon or railway. A loading derrick 

stands at.the siding about 100 yards from the quarry.

GRAHAM QUARRY.

A quarry is operated by Robert Graham in the NE. J S,E. J sec. 21. 

The rock is a gray, even-grained hornblende-quartz diorite. .The 

feldspars are mostly gray, though some grains are pale pink. Quartz 

is not prominent, though scattered grams of considerable size appear, 

some having a blue color. The dark minerals are fine-grained and 

very evenly distributed, giving the rock a uniform texture. With 

the microscope the most abundant feldspars were identified as plagioclase with subordinate orthoclase and microcline. Hornblende is 

prominent and biotite subordinate in amount. A section from the 

bottom of the quarry exhibits distinct cores of augite in the center of 

hornblende crystals. Grains of magnetite and sphene are common.

Physical tests show: True specific gravity, 2.761; pore space, per 

cent, 0.37; weight per cubic foot, dry, 171.9 pounds. Under crushing 

strain the first crack came at 15,080 pounds per square inch and 

final collapse at 21,000 pounds. Under transverse breaking stress 

the modulus of rupture proved to be 2,979 pounds per square inch.

Joints strike north and east and are 6 to 20 feet apart. Though 

the pit is now nearly 60 feet deep no sheeting planes have been 

reached, a circumstance that makes quarrying difficult. The rock is 

very uniform and free from blemish. The few black knots present 

appear under the microscope to be segregations. The rock is well
92 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

adapted for making paving blocks and curbing on account of its 

pronounced rift and run. (See PI. VI, A, p. 60.) It is used for 

trimming, window sills, paving blocks, curbing, and monument 

stock. Stripping requires the removal of about 2 feet of sandy soil. 

A stone-dressing shop is situated at the quarry. Steam power is 

employed for hoisting, and steam and pneumatic drills are used in 

rock excavation. The quarry is in every respect well equipped and 

turns out large quantities of excellent stone. Transportation's by 

wagon to St. Cloud, about 2 miles distant.

GRANITE CITY GRANITE CO. QUARRIES.

The Granite City Granite Co. operates in the NE. J SE. J sec. 18, 

St. Cloud Township, a quarry (PI. XII), which was first operated by 

James Murray, the present company being organized in 1900. The 

rock is a medium to coarse grained red granite, becoming a little 

deeper red at the bottom of the quarry. Major joints strike north 

and south. In several places joints occur close together and then for 

a space of 10 to 20 feet none appear. The only sheeting plane visible 

at the present stage is about 20 feet from the top and is horizontal, 

the remaining 35 feet of quarry wall having no natural sheeting 

planes. This makes quarrying somewhat difficult, requiring blasting 

in horizontal holes (lift holes) in order to create artificial sheeting 

planes. Blocks of almost any desired size may be obtained. One 

spire supplied from this quarry is 1 foot 10 inches square and 17 feet 

2 inches long. Steam and pneumatic drills are employed and hoisting is done by steam. Transportation is by team and wagon to St. 

Cloud, about 5 miles distant, where the company operates a large 

monument shop.

The Granite City Granite Co. also operates at times a gray granite 

quarry in the SW. | SW. | sec. 28. It is about 50 yards from a gray 

quarry operated by the Black Diamond Granite Co. (See p. 87.)

HOLES BROS.' QUARRIES.

Holes Bros, are pioneers in the quarrying industry of St. Cloud. 

They first quarried at Sauk Rapids in 1875. In 1885 they began 

excavation in the west-central part of sec. 20, St. Cloud Township, 

and continued until 1912. The rock is medium grained and attractive in appearance, becoming a deeper red in the bottom of the quarry.

Unfortunately several large trap dikes pass through the quarry, 

and associated with them are numerous hair lines, or small trap dikes, 

together with certain bands of bleached or faded rock, known among 

the quarrymen as "jasper bands," which greatly mar the polished 

rock. In consequence of the dikes the expense of removing waste 

rock became so great that the quarry was abandoned. The old 

quarry pit is very large. The derrick was the tallest in the St. 

Cloud region and was a prominent landmark for many miles.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GRANITE CITY GRANITE CO.'S QUARRY, ST. CLOUD TOWNSHIP, STEA
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 93

In 1912 a new quarry was opened in the NE. | NE. J sec. 30, St. 

Cloud Township. The rock is a medium-grained red granite of attractive appearance. About three-fourths of the feldspars are red and 

one-fourth pale green. Quartz is abundant in both clear and smoky 

grains. Under the microscope the chief feldspar was identified as 

microcline showing microperthitic intergrowth with other feldspars. 

A little orthoclase and plagioclase, abundant quartz, and hornblende 

in large scattered crystals constitute the remainder of the rock.

Sheeting planes are 8 to 16 feet apart, some horizontal and others 

dipping 10°tol5°N. Joints are irregular and in part of the quarry 

the rock is badly broken up. The rift is horizontal, and the run north 

and south.

Two bands of interlacing green lines about 20 feet apart run east 

and west through the quarry. They consist mainly of epidote and 

are entirely independent of joints. Other epidote veins follow the 

joints, some of which, when traced for a distance, gradually become 

closed seams and finally die out. Green lines that follow joints impair 

only a little rock, but those that run in interlacing bands obliquely 

through the blocks cause considerable waste.

At the present stage of development hand drilling is employed 

and hoisting done by horsepower. Transportation is by team and 

wagon to St. Cloud, about 5 miles distant, where the firm operates a 

monument shop equipped with stone cutting and polishing machinery 

and lathes for turning columns and pillars. The finished rock is sold 

under the trade name of "Red Rock granite."

About 35 rods northeast of their new quarry, in the NE.. J sec. 30, 

St. Cloud Township, the firm has excavated in gray biotite granite to 

some extent. The rock consists of abundant gray feldspar, quartz in 

small glassy grains, biotite, and a little hornblende. It is even 

grained and somewhat finer in texture than the typical "St. Cloud 

gray" granite. It has a greenish tinge near the surface, due to alteration by weathering. It differs from the typical "St. Cloud gray" 

granite in containing more quartz and plagioclase and no sphene. It 

closely resembles the masses of gray rock occurring in several red 

granite quarries, notably those of the Empire Quarry Co., Agate 

Granite Co., and St. Cloud Granite Works. The quality does not 

j ustif y further developmen t.

JONES QUARRY.

The Jones quarry, formerly the Emery, which has not operated for 

about 20 years, is a short distance southwest of the Frick & Berwick 

Granite Co.'s quarry, in the SE. I NE. £ sec. 19, St. Cloud Township. 

It was purchased in 1913 by S. A. Jones, who operates a monument 

shop in East St. Cloud.

The rock is a red granite similar to others in this region. Three 

diabase dikes, each several feet in diameter, pass through the quarry
94 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

running northeast, and associated with them are numerous hair lines. 

A mass of gray granite occurs at the southwest end. The contact is 

very indistinct; many masses of red are inclosed in the gray and some 

dikes of gray occur in the red. In one spot a pegmatite mass several 

inches across contains coarsely crystallized brown mica. As the rock 

rises in a prominent dome at this point, quarrying may be conducted 

with ease. Reopening the quarry is contemplated.

MELROSE GRANITE CO. QUARRIES.

The Melrose Granite Co. owns a quarry of gray granite in the E. $ 

SE. I sec. 21, St. Cloud Township. This quarry was opened in 1910 

and much rock has been removed, considering the short time since 

quarrying began. It is hornblende granite, consisting chiefly of gray 

feldspar, prominent hornblende, and blue quartz in scattered grains. 

A few grains of pyrite are visible, and are confined mainly to the walls 

of seams. Study of a typical specimen with the microscope shows 

the minerals present in order of abundance to be orthoclase, plagioclase, microcline, quartz, hornblende, mica, magnetite, and sphene. 

It is a fresh, uniform rock.

The excavation is about 250 feet long, 75 feet wide, 6 to 10 feet deep 

at the north end and about 20 feet deep at the south, where work is 

now begun on the second sheet. At the south end of the quarry the 

rock outcrops at the surface, and at the north end the removal of 6 to 

10 feet of soil is necessary. A covering of soil protects the rock from 

decay. Where exposed at the surface, the rock is stained and partly 

decayed or shattered to a depth of 2 to 6 feet; but where protected 

by the mantle of soil it is affected to a depth of a few inches only. 

Sheeting planes are 2 to 10 feet apart, and are nearly horizontal, 

though somewhat undulating. Major joints are 4 to 6 feet apart and 

strike north and east. A few minor joints cross the major joints at 

acute angles. The rock is uniform, medium grained, and of attractive 

color. It splits easily and is well adapted for making paving blocks 

or curbing.

Three diabase dikes, each about a foot in diameter, and a few 

smaller ones were observed. Their trend is northeast and they are 

nearly vertical. The rock is altered to a reddish color for 1 to 5 

inches on each side of the larger dikes. The contact effect of diabase 

dikes on the granite is very slight. Crystals are fractured and feldspars show evidence of considerable kaolinization for 3 or 4 inches 

from the contact. Reddish stains occur for about an inch on each 

side of the major joints. Black knots are scarce.

The quarry is well equipped with machinery. An unusually large 

derrick is operated with steam hoist, and a yard derrick by electric 

power. A shed for stone dressing is situated near the quarry. 

Dressed blocks are hauled by teams to the siding near the red quarry
KEWEEFAWAN GRANITES. 95

at the west line of sec. 17, from which point they are shipped to large 

and well-equipped polishing shops at St. Cloud.

The company also quarry in red granite in,the southwest corner 

of sec. 17 and the northeast corner of sec. 20. Of the two pits in 

sec. 20, the one farthest to the north is abandoned and full of water.

In the southern excavation the rock is a hornblende granite, consisting of pink feldspar, hornblende, subordinate biotite, and abundant 

quartz, both clear and smoky. The chief feldspar is microcline, with 

subordinate orthoclase and plagioclase. It is an exceptionally deep 

red attractive rock. Distinct joints strike north and east. Sheeting 

planes are few and uneven. One trap dike 3 feet wide trends east 

and west. In the northwest part of the quarry many black and 

green lines occur, the latter in interlacing bands 4 or 5 inches wide, 

running east and west. With the microscope they seem to be epidote 

veins, filling minute fractures. A few gray knots were found on 

examination to be gray granite inclusions.

Under crushing stress the first crack came at 9,733 pounds per 

square inch, and final collapse at 19,101 pounds. Under transverse 

breaking strain the modulus of rupture proved to be 2,291 pounds.

A second quarry now in operation is in the extreme southwest 

of sec. 17. Joints in this quarry are northwest and southwest, and 

sheeting planes, two of which are 15 feet apart, dip 30° SW., the 

northwest joints, dipping to make right angles with them. The rift 

is horizontal, and therefore when the rock is split on the rift, acuteangled blocks are - formed with a consequent high percentage of 

waste. The rock is stain'ed red along the joints. The quarries are 

well equipped with steam and pneumatic drills and steam hoist. By 

means of a siding from the Great Northern Railway, all the rough 

dressed blocks are transported to the shops at St. Cloud.

The Melrose Granite Co. opened up a new quarry in 1913 in the 

NW. J SW. £ sec. 20, St. Cloud Township, a short distance east of 

the quarry operated by the Empire Granite Co. The rock is a red 

hornblende granite of good color and uniform texture. The feldspars 

are flesh red with a few scattered grams of greenish gray. The chief 

feldspar is microcline, with subordinate orthoclase and plagioclase, 

all the feldspars being perthitic. Clear, transparent quartz is prominent and hornblende is present in small amount. As this is a new 

quarry and has attained only slight depth, the feldspars in the rock 

so far excavated show considerable alteration.

Jointing is somewhat irregular. The open joints trend N. 60° E., 

N. 60° W., and N. 20° W. Blocks 3 to 8 feet across are obtainable 

between these open seams. Closed seams, however, are present and 

in places are close together. They permit water percolation with 

consequent reddish stains. Sheeting planes are also uneven, but 

so little excavation has yet been accomplished that their general
96 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

character could not be observed. Unless fewer and more regular 

joints are found with continued excavation it is probable that this 

pit will prove unprofitable. Steam and pneumatic drills and steam 

hoists are employed.

Another quarry was opened by the same company in 1913 in the 

NW. J NE. J sec. 19. The rock is a medium-grained red hornblende 

granite of excellent quality. Feldspars are mostly pink, with subordinate pale green. Quartz is abundant and hornblende in fairly 

large grams is uniformly distributed. Most of the feldspar is microcline and is much intergrown with stringers of other feldspars and 

quartz.

Major joints strike north and south, and secondary joints in several 

directions. All are well spaced for quarrying. Sheeting planes are 

more abundant than in most quarries of the region, and this f acilitates 

excavation. Two sheets 8 to 10 feet thick, now visible, dip about 

10° NW. The rock ridge rises about 20 feet above the low marshy 

ground, and at the present stage the quarry is of the shelf type. The 

northwestward dip of the sheeting planes being toward the front of 

the excavation greatly assists the removal of blocks. With the 

exception of one small diabase dike trending N. 51° E., no defects 

were observed. Steam and air drills are employed and blocks are 

handled by a derrick with a steam hoist. Transportation is by team 

and wagon to the siding near the northeast corner of sec. 19, about 

half a mile from the quarry.

MONARCH GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

South of the Great Northern tracks and west of Sauk Kiver, in the 

W. £ SW. £ sec. 8, a large quarry, opened in 1906 and formerly 

owned by J. Lilliquist, is now operated by the Monarch Granite Co., 

which was organized in 1912.

The best rock quarried is a medium-grained red hornblende 

granite of attractive appearance. The feldspar is almost all pink 

in color, showing a few grains of the greenish gray so prominent in 

some localities. Smoky quartz is abundant.

Joints are 2 to 8 feet apart and form two prominent systems, northsouth and east-west. Horizontal sheeting planes are 3 to 12 feet 

apart. An open seam dips about 30° to the bottom of the quarry 

at about 35 feet, where it becomes horizontal. This has permitted 

water percolation and resulted in extreme weathering of the granite 

for several inches on each side of the seam. The appearance of 

granite decayed to kaolin and mixed with loose grains of quartz and 

feldspar in the bottom of the quarry, with firm rock both above 

and below is remarkable, and has not been observed elsewhere in 

the region.
KEWEENAWAN GBANITES. 97

A mass of gray rock 8 to 10 feet in thickness where observed, and 

of unknown lateral extent, occurs at the northwest side of the excavation. This gray rock is medium grained and consists of gray 

feldspar, black hornblende, and mica, with scattered grains of both 

clear and smoky quartz. Orthoclase and microcline are together a 

little more abundant than the plagioclase. Quartz is prominent, and 

biotite and hornblende form the rest of the rock. It is cut by numerous aplite dikes one-fourth to one-half of an inch across. The 

dikes are somewhat porphyritic as seen under the microscope, consisting of abundant quartz and a few microcline phenocrysts in a finegrained groundmass of quartz and feldspars.

Near the contact the red rock is very porphyritic, with reddishwhite feldspars and black hornblende embedded in a dense finegrained matrix. Undoubtedly this change in texture is due to the 

molten red granite magma meeting the solid gray granite, and consequently cooling more rapidly near the comparatively cold rock. 

Dikes of red granite in the gray also indicate that the red was injected after the solidification of the gray.

Near the contact the shattered nature of the rock and its lack of 

uniformity make it undesirable. At some distance from the contact, 

however, the rock is even grained and very attractive, becoming a 

little darker red at depth. A few dark hair lines were noted, and also 

some red streaks where the feldspars were crowded together. Part of 

the rock outcrops, and the maximum stripping is about 5 feet of sand 

and gravel.

The quarry is equipped with pneumatic drills, and a large derrick 

with steam hoist. Though the Great Northern Railway passes within 

25 yards of the quarry, no siding has been built. The rock is hauled 

by teams to St. Cloud, 4 miles distant, where the company has a wellequipped stone dressing and polishing shop. Pumping is required 

to remove accumulated surface water. The finished product in the 

form of monuments, columns, and the like is advertised widely under 

the trade name "Monarch red."

NATIONAL QUARRY CO. QUARRY.

The National Quarry Co. began operations in 1913 in the NE. £ 

SE. I sec. 18. An even-grained red hornblende-bio.tite granite of good 

quality is obtained. It consists of pink feldspar, clear to smoky 

quartz, and a small proportion of hornblende and biotite. With the 

microscope the chief feldspar was determined as microcline microperthite. Quartz is abundant. Hornblende, biotite, and a few grains 

of magnetite form the dark part of the rock. Hornblende is shredded 

in appearance and somewhat altered. A few minute hair lines were 

found to be veins of smoky quartz. The rock is remarkably fresh, 

considering the limited depth of the excavation. 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 7
98 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

As the excavation is small, only one sheeting plane appears. It is 

about 10 feet from the surface. Joints strike N. 30° E. and N. 30° W. 

Blocks of large size, remarkably free of flaws, are obtainable. The 

appearance of rock of such good color near the surface is promising.

A mass of very dark gray rock appears near the west side of the 

excavation. As observed in the quarry it is somewhat similar to that 

which is found in the Black Diamond quarry, a short distance to the 

north, but is darker in color. Under the microscope, however, it is a 

type apparently unrelated to the Black Diamond dark-gray rock. It 

is an augite-hornblende-biotite granite, the three dark minerals appearing in about equal amount. The feldspars are orthoclase and 

plagioclase, and quartz is abundant. Owing to the presence of augite 

the rock would probably stain easily by weathering if employed where 

exposed to the elements. It is also too dark in color to be attractive, 

except for contrast with light-colored stone.

Hoisting was first done by horsepower, steam machinery being installed in the autumn of 1913. Transportation is by wagon to Stl 

Cloud, 4 miles distant.

NOKEBN QUARRIES.

L. E. Noreen has made several excavations in the NW. J NE. % 

sec. 28; All the old pits are practically abandoned, and two new ones 

were opened in 1913.

The rock in all the excavations is similar. It is a medium-grained 

even-textured granite of the typical gray color. Approximately 

three-fourths of the rock is gray feldspar, and the remainder is made 

up of black hornblende, with a little biotite and fine-grained quartz. 

A few minute grains of pyrite are visible. Microscopic determination 

proves the rock to be a hornblende-biotite-quartz monzonite. Orthoclase and plagioclase, which are present in nearly equal amount 

are the most abundant minerals. Quartz is more prominent than 

in most gray granites of central Minnesota. Hornblende, biotite, 

magnetite, sphene, and inclusions of apatite form the remainder. 

Feldspars are somewhat altered but not sufficiently so to impair the 

quality of the rock. A. few dark-green knots are present and appear 

to be segregations of biotite and hornblende partly altered to chlorite.

About 4 rods west of the middle point of the north section line of 

sec. 28 and immediately south of the line is an abandoned excavation approiximately 225 by 120 feet and 15 to 25 feet deep. Open 

joints are in two prominent systems, north and N. 77° E., and are 

spaced 10 to 30 feet apart. Sheeting planes are horizontal and 8 to 

12 feet apart. The rock is a little rusty near the surface. Two 

types of dikes appear on the quarry wall; small, straight, nearly 

vertical white aplites, about one-fourth of an inch wide; and curved, 

wavy, red dikes, 1 inch to 2 inches wide with very distinct borders.
KEWEENAWAN GEANITE. ' 99

Irregular patches of red granite, 6 inches to 2 feet across, also appear 

in places. Black knots from the size of a walnut to 6 inches wide 

are present but are infrequent. ' They appear to be segregations 

composed largely of hornblende. The rock is in bare outcrop, 

requiring no stripping whatever. The quarry is abandoned and the 

derrick removed.

About 32 rods farther south is a second excavation which has two 

large derricks. No rock was excavated in 1913. Joints strike 

N. 10° W., N. 10° E., and N. 50° E., and are spaced 10 to 25 feet 

apart. No sheeting planes appear on the 20-foot quarry face. Some 

black knots and fine red dikes are present. On a bare outcrop southwest of the quarry the j oints are much closer and more irregular. Several other abandoned excavations in the vicinity are of similar type.

Active operations are carried on in two small excavations, one 

south and the other southeast of the abandoned pits. The rock 

appears to be of excellent quality and free of blemish. The rift is 

horizontal and the run north and south. Close observation discloses 

many acute-angled crystals of hornblende pointing north and south 

in an indistinct parallelism which may account for the run of the 

rock.

Horsepower is employed for hoisting in both quarries. A compressor run by a gasoline engine supplies compressed air for pneumatic drills. Transportation is by wagon to St. Cloud, about 2£ 

miles distant.

NORTHWESTERN GRANITE CO. QUARRIES.

The Northwestern Granite Co. operates two quarries on opposite 

sides of the road, one in the NW. J sec. 34 and the other in the NE. \ 

sec. 33, T. 124 N., R. 28 W. The one in sec. 34, on property owned 

by Mrs. Fischer, was opened in 1890, and great quantities of rock 

have been excavated. It is an even-grained gray hornblenolebiotite granite, very free from defects. It consists of light-gray feldspar, black hornblende, and mica, and scattered grains of blue quartz. 

It is uniform in texture and color.

The overburden of soil varies from 3 to 13 feet. Sheeting planes 

lie 10 to 16 feet respectively from the surface and dip about 10° S. 

Open joints trending N. 60° E. are 6 to 20 feet apart; others trending 

N. 10° W. are farther apart, 30 to 40 feet in places. Blind seams 

occur at intervals between them. One diabase dike 3 to 4 feet in 

width runs N. 85° E. through the quarry. A few black knots occur.

The quarry in sec. 33, on property of John Kermeier, is similar to 

that in sec. 34. The most prominent joints are N. 65° E.; others are 

curved and very irregular. An overburden of 4 to 10 feet of soil has 

protected the rock from weathering. The diabase dike exposed in 

the quarry in sec. 33 forms the south wall of this quarry, but it
100 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

impairs the quality of the rock for a few inches only. A few black 

knots were noted. Rock is excavated for monument stock and 

curbing, and a small amount of it is employed as building stone.

The quarries are equipped with steam derricks, steam and pneumatic drills, and are conveniently situated for transportation, the 

main road passing between the excavations. St. Cloud is about 4 

miles distant.

ROBINSON QUARRY.

A quarry owned by J. B. Robinson in sec. 32 began operations in 

1883 and ceased in 1909. The rock rises in a great dome 25 or 30 

feet above the general level and covers several acres. It is a coarsegraii.'d hornblende granite, consisting of pale-pink feldspars, transparent quartz somewhat less abundant than in most St. Cloud red 

granite, black hornblende, and biotite.

Under the microscope the feldspars show the effect of weathering 

by dusty or cloudy surfaces. Both orthoclase and microcline are 

present and are graphically intergrown with quartz; hornblende 

with inclusions of magnetite and quartz forms but a small proportion 

of the rock.

There are two prominent jointing systems which trend N. 65° E. 

and N. 25° W. Joint planes are 8 to 20 feet apart. Very distinct 

open horizontal sheeting planes are 12 to 16 feet apart and are distinctly advantageous both in blasting and in the removal of blocks.

Owing to the domelike structure the upper part of the rock may 

be worked as a shelf or bench quarry, the present excavation being of 

this type. The effects of weathering below the upper 6 or 8 feet are 

not sufficient to impair the strength of the stone, but, as in many 

other places where rock surfaces are exposed, the rock is bleached 

to considerable depth, and lacks the deep-red color so much desired 

in "St, Cloud" granite for monumental purposes. Owing to the

open sheeting planes and the domelike nature of the outcrop the 

quarry is admirably adapted for excavation of building stone.

The color is probably darker red at depth, as in other red-granite 

quarries. In a small excavation at the base of the dome, where the. 

rock is protected by soil, the color is deeper red. It seems probable 

that if deeper quarrying were pursued the upper portion could be 

employed for building stone and the lower for monumental purposes.

Two distinct dikes and a few hair lines,were observed. The rift 

is horizontal, the run east and west, and the head grain north and 

south. The rock takes a fine polish but does not show a good contrast between polished and hammered surfaces. A polishing shop, 

operated jointly by J. B. Robinson and Robinson Bros., is situated 

near the southeast corner of sec. 29. St. Cloud station is 4 miles 

distant, and transportation is by wagon. The quarry supplied stone
KEWEENAWAK GBANITES. 101

for the St. Cloud post office and the lower part of the old Minneapolis 

post office.

Physical tests made at the University of Minnesota geologic laboratory show: True specific gravity, 2.643; pore space, per cent, 0.32; 

weight per cubic foot, dry, 164.6 pounds.

ROBINSON BROS.' QUARRY. 1

Robinson Bros, began excavation of red granite in the SE. J NE. J 

sec. 31, St. Cloud Township, in 1909. The excavation is about 30 

by 50 feet in extent and is 15 feet deep. The rock is exposed as a 

prominent ridge, and the surface rock is consequently pale, becoming 

deeper red at depth.

The rock consists chiefly of pink feldspar with a subordinate 

amount of pale green. Microcline is abundant, constituting fully 

three-fourths of the total mass, the other fourth being hornblende 

and clear grains of quartz. The rock is medium grained, of uniform 

texture, and is fairly free from blemish. The rock quarried in 1913 

shows evidence of surface alteration but will probably improve in 

quality on deeper excavation.

Joints trending east-west are prominent and are 10 to 12 feet apart. 

Few joints in other directions are visible. No sheeting planes have 

been reached. Two diabase dikes 2 feet wide and 3 feet apart trend 

N. 60° E. and dip 60° SE. Black hair lines near the dikes are probably fine dikes of diabase. In the vicinity of the dikes the rock is 

decayed and stained to a miich greater depth than in other parts of 

the excavation. A few dark knots are scattered throughout the 

quarry.

The equipment consists of an air compressor, operated by steam 

power, and a quarry derrick and yard derrick, both operated by 

horsepower.

Robinson Bros, operate a monument shop about a mile from the 

quarry at the southeast corner of sec. 29. The shop is about 4 miles 

from St. Cloud.

ST. CLOUD GRANITE WORKS QUARRIES.

The St. Cloud Granite Works operates a red granite quarry in the 

SE. | SW. | sec. 17. The excavation is about 75 feet deep.

The rock is a medium-grained hornblende-biotite granite, consisting 

of pink feldspar with a small admixture of pale-green feldspar, black 

hornblende, and subordinate biotite, together with both clear and 

smoky quartz. The chief feldspar is microcline. In places grains 

of hornblende and quartz form inclusions in the larger felcfspar 

crystals. The rock is similar to that excavated at the Empire Quarry 

Co.'s new quarry.

i In 1915 the company was reorganized as the Keystone Granite Co.
102 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Major joints strike N. 10° W. and N. 80° E. and are widely spaced. 

A few minor joints cross these obliquely. The first sheeting plane 

is about 10 feet from the surface, and the rock, except where protected 

by a covering of soil, has been altered down to this plane. On the 

other hand, where a depth of 6 feet or more of soil protects the surface 

the rock is unaltered.

One band of partly decayed rock runs N. 80° E. through the quarry, 

and is useless even to the bottom of the quarry, being stained and 

decayed by water percolation in open joints. Two diabase dikes, 

the largest of which is 3 feet across, pass N. 55° E. through the quarry. 

A few hair lines trend generally east and west. At the west end of 

the quarry a mass of gray granite is in sharp contact with the red. 

The run is east and west instead of north and south, as it is in most 

quarries. An abundance of high grade rock is produced and the 

quarry is in good condition for further development.

Steam and pneumatic drills are employed, and two large derricks 

are operated by steam power. The rock is transported by wagon 

for about 3£ miles to St. Cloud, where the company operate a very 

large shop equipped with stone dressing and polishing machines and 

lathes.

The St. Cloud Granite Works also owns a gray granite quarry in 

the SW. 1 SE. i sec. 21, St. Cloud Township. The rock is made up 

chiefly of gray feldspar crystals, some of which show distinct striations, but contains a few reddish feldspars, which give it a faint red 

tinge when observed closely. Scattered grams of blue quartz constitute a rather unusual feature of the rock. Hornblende and biotite 

constitute the darker portion.

With the microscope orthoclase was observed as the most abundant 

feldspar, though plagioclase is prominent. Sphene, magnetite, apatite, and zircon are accessory constituents. The rock has suffered 

little alteration. Black knots are numerous and appear to be segregations of hornblende and biotite. "White knots" in the form of 

large white feldspars appear in places, but otherwise the rock is even 

grained and uniform in color.

SCHWAB QUARRY.

A quarry operated a number of years ago in the W. \ SW. \ sec. 8, 

north of the Great Northern tracks and west of Sauk River, is owned 

by C. D. Schwab, president of the Farmers' State Bank of St. Cloud. 

A pit about 50 feet in diameter is now nearly full of water so that 

observations were confined to the upper portion of the excavation, the 

stripped outcrop, and the waste heap. Both red and gray rock were 

quarried.

The red rock is a hornblende granite, red feldspar forming more 

than half the mass, the remainder being chiefly quartz and horn-
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 103

blende. Orthoclase and plagioclase are both present and are very 

much intergrown, forming a microperthite. Small grains of magnetite and inclusions of apatite are common. The rock is medium 

grained, the crystals being one-half to one-fourth of an inch in 

diameter.

The gray rock consists chiefly of greenish gray feldspar, which 

forms more than half the rock; quartz, roughly estimated at 20 per 

cent, hornblende, and biotite, the biotite being more abundant than 

in the red rock. The gray is finer grained than the red, the crystals 

averaging one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch in diameter.

North-south joints are vertical and 8 to 20 feet apart. East-west 

joints are similarly spaced and dip about 20° S. The texture is fairly 

uniform, but a number of cavities and small pegmatite masses are 

found. Small quantities of pyrite (FeS2 ), pyrrhotite (FeS), and 

fluorite (CaF2 ), all of which are uncommon in the St. Cloud region, 

are mingled with the quartz, feldspar, and mica.

Throughout a considerable area the red and gray types are mixed. 

Indistinct dikes of the red occur in the gray, and masses of gray are 

inclosed in the red. Boundaries between the two are very indistinct, 

and in places a gradual transition can be traced from one to the other, 

the mixed zone ranging in width from a few inches to several feet. In 

consequence of this, masses of rock occur which are neutral in 

color and can be placed with neither type. At some distance from the 

contact red rock of good quality may be obtained. A few black hair 

lines were observed. Although the quarry is close to the railroad no 

siding has been constructed. St. Cloud is about 4 miles distant.

SIMMERS & CAMPBELL QUARRIES.

Simmers & Campbell are pioneer granite workers of the St. Cloud 

region. A. M. Simmers formerly operated a quarry in Rockville. 

Present operations are in the NW. i SW. £ sec. 17, St. Cloud Township, where three large excavations have been made. The one farthest east is 96 feet deep and is now abandoned and full of water. 

Work is now carried on in two excavations which are close together 

and will shortly be united into a single opening. The rock, a red 

granite, rises in a. dome about 40 or 50 feet above the general level.

In thin section microcline is the chief feldspar, with orthoclase and 

plagioclase subordinate. The latter, from its small extinction angle, 

appears to be oligoclase. The feldspars show characteristic microperthitic intergrowth. Quartz is abundant. A small amount of 

hornblende, biotite, and a few grains of magnetite form the darker 

portion of the rock. Though the specimen was taken from about 55 

feet below the surface, the feldspars show kaolinization, though not 

sufficiently to impair the quality of the stone.
104 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Vertical major joints strike N. 2° W. ; and a second series dipping 

85° to 88° N. strikes N. 85° W. Joints are spaced 6 to 10 feet apart. 

Sheeting planes are spaced about 20 feet apart and dip about 30° N. 

A small mass of gray granite occurs near the north side of the pit. A 

few dark knots appear and are more plentiful near the surface than at 

depth. Hair lines are numerous, though fortunately they are confined to one band of rock about 20 feet across. They contain, as 

identified with the microscope, epidote, needle-like crystals of plagioclase, and a very few crystals of olivine. Evidently they are diabase 

dikes altered almost beyond recognition and are probably offshoots 

of the larger dikes.

A dull rusty gray streak several inches in width, known locally as 

a "jasper band," passes diagonally through the quarry and appears,

FIGURE 13. South wall of Simmers & Campbell quarry showing an inclined joint on one-half of the quarry 

face and a nearly vertical joint on the other .half.

from microscopic evidence, to be a band of stained rock due to weathering by water percolating along an oblique incipient seam. A 

4-foot dike running N. 85° E. forms the south wall of the pit. A few 

pyritiferous smoky quartz veins with crushed zones of country rock 

along their borders appear in places.

The smaller excavation was opened up more recently on the north 

side of the steep rock bluff. Though now worked down somewhat 

below ground level, it presents the appearance of a shelf quarry.

An unusual occurrence of joints is shown in figure 13. The eastern 

half of the quarry wall follows an inclined joint dipping 55° N., and 

the western half a joint dipping about 88° S. The eastern plane is 

probably related to d the system of inclined sheeting planes in the 

adjacent quarry. Vertical joints range from N. 4° W. to N. 15° W. 

and are spaced 15 to 20 feet apart at the east and 2 to 6 feet apart at
REWEENAWAN GRANITES. 105

the west side of the pit. The rock in this quarry is free from dikes 

and "jasper bands" and is of good quality.

Steam and pneumatic drills and a steam hoist are employed. 

Transportation is facilitated greatly 'by a siding from the Great 

Northern Railway, which is so conveniently placed that the rock may 

be loaded directly on the cars by the quarry derrick at the larger 

excavation. A large polishing shop is situated in St. Cloud City. 

The rock is placed on the market under the trade name "North Star 

granite."

STREITZ BROS. QUARRY.

Streitz Bros, operate a gray granite quarry in the SE. f SW. | 

sec. 21. The excavation is about 150 feet long and 60 feet wide. At 

the north end the rock outcrops at the surface, but at the south end 

4 to 8 feet of soil is removed.

The rock is uniform and of attractive appearance. It is a hornblende-biotite-quartz monzonite, consisting of orthoclase and plagioclase, with subordinate microcline; hornblende, biotite, and a few 

scattered grains of magnetite, and quartz in.small amount filling intergranular spaces. Apatite inclusions are common. The feldspars are 

slightly kaolinized.

The chief joints strike north and east and are far apart, 40 or 50 

feet in places. One sheeting plane appears on the 15-foot quarry face. 

Near the south end of the excavation a number of small parallel aplite 

dikes strike N. 60°.E. Two diabase dikes about 2 feet wide tre^id 

N. 60° E. Steam is employed for pumping and running the air compressor, and hoisting is done by horsepower. Nearly all of the waste 

rock is sold for rubble. Transportation is by wagon to St. Cloud, 

about 2£ miles distant.

Southwest of the quarry, on the south line of sec. 21, a prominent 

ridge of gray granite was excavated many years ago. Aplite dikes, 

black knots, and irregular seams are numerous. North of the ridge 

the rock surface drops to the level of the fields and outcrops in several 

places. Here, as far as could be observed, it is of excellent quality, 

and promises well for future development.

UNDEVELOPED OUTCROPS.

The outcrops (see PL I) are described in the numerical order of 

the sections.

Sec. 2. In the NW. £ sec. 2, about 7 rods south of the Sauk Rapids 

Bridge, an outcrop of gray granite is cut by diabase dikes and granite 

porphyry. The rock appears along the river margin at the base of 

the steep bluff and juts out beneath the river, forming a rapid. On 

account of the heavy overburden of drift and the lack of uniformity 

in texture, this rock is probably of little economic importance.
106 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Sec. 8. A few rods south of the Great Northern Railway bridge 

across Sauk River a patch of granite rises a little above the ground 

level and then disappears beneath the river. Its area is about 6 

square rods. The rock is red granite, similar to that excavated by 

the Monarch Granite Co., 40 rods farther west. It lies at so low a 

level and is so close to the river that it would be difficult to keep it 

drained, especially in seasons of high water.

Sec. 17. About 280 rods north and 252 rods west of the southeast 

corner of sec. 17, close to Sauk River, granite rises about 15 feet 

above the water. Its western part, a little of which has been quarried, is a gray granite, somewhat porphyritic in texture, with phenocrysts of microcline. Quartz is not prominent. Biotite, which is 

the more abundant dark mineral, appears to be secondary from alteration of hornblende. The texture is not very uniform. A northsouth system of joints is spaced 3 inches to 6 feet, and a N. 88° E. 

system is spaced somewhat more widely. On account of close jointing and lack of uniformity in color and texture further excavation 

is unlikely.

About 10 rods to the northwest is a similar outcrop about 2 rods 

across.

About 11 rods farther south an outcrop of red granite approximates 

12 by 8 rods in extent. Major joints striking N. 10° W. are closely 

spaced; secondary joints, N. 80° E., are few in number A few 

oblique minor joints were noted. The rock is thus divided into 

small and irregular blocks which can not be quarried to advantage. 

It is uneven in texture and is intruded by red aplite (fine-grained 

granite) dikes.

Sec. 18. North of the railroad, near the junction of the Simmers 

& Campbell spur track, there is an outcrop about 8 rods wide of mixed

coarse red and fine gray granite, closely jointed, and consequently 

of little use for monumental purposes.

About 92 rods north and 40 rods west of the southeast corner of the 

section a prominent dome 48 by 24 rods in extent rises about 30 feet 

high. The northeastern third is a fine-grained red granite, and the 

remaining two-thirds a medium-grained gray granite. A 6-inch 

pegmatite dike, which runs irregularly through the gray, consists of quartz and coarse crystals of feldspar, together with yellowgreen epidote, probably of secondary origin. In the red granite also 

is a pegmatite dike consisting mainly of feldspar. Joints in the red 

strike N. 10° W. and N. 80°. W. In the gray a prominent system 

strikes N. 15° W., and cross joints, few in number, strike irregularly. 

In both rocks they are closely spaced. Some of the gray rock has 

been quarried.

About 40 rods to the southwest is the edge of an outcrop covering 

several acres, the largest in the section. Rocks of four distinct ages
GRANITES. 107

occur. The oldest is a typical "St. Cloud gray" granite, which is 

intruded by typical coarse-grained "St. Cloud red" granite, this in 

turn by red aplites, and all three by a diabase dike. The Great 

Northern Railway crosses the southwestern end of the granite in a 

cutting about 10 feet deep.

At the northern part of the outcrop a deserted quarry pit, known 

as the Drake quarry, was once connected with the railroad by a spur 

track. At the pit the rock is a uniform gray granite of good quality, 

consisting, in descending order of abundance, of orthoclase, plagioclase, quartz, microcline, hornblende, biotite, and magnetite. Feldspars show considerable alteration to kaolin. Joints strike N. 20° W. 

and N. 65° E. and are 6 to 20 feet apart. A 2-foot diabase dike, running parallel with the second set of joints, forms the southern wall of 

the excavation. The rock is intruded by a few granite dikes, which 

are more abundant near the surface than at the bottom of the pit. A

few black knots appear. The excavation is approximately 120 by 

60 feet in area and is 15 to 20 feet deep.

The remainder of the outcrop west of the pit is chiefly of red granite, though its northern part contains a little gray rock. The main 

mass is coarsely even-grained granite of the characteristic "St. Cloud 

red" type. Intruded into this are masses and dikes of red granular 

aplite, which, under the microscope, is seen to consist of orthoclase, 

plagioclase, microcline, quartz, hornblende, biotite, and magnetite. 

The quartz is granular in rounded grains with distinct boundaries 

like the quartz of a sandstone. Inclusions of apatite are abundant. 

There is some evidence of flow structure. The fine-grained aplite is 

cut by numerous joints with different trends, so closely spaced that 

only small diamond-shaped pieces could be obtained. Joints in the 

coarse red rock are widely spaced, and some of it has been quarried. 

The presence or absence of aplites will probably decide whether 

quarrying will be profitable or unprofitable.

About 24 rods north and 40 rods west of the southeast corner of tho 

section, south of the railroad, is an outcrop of mixed red and gray 

granite with numerous joints.

About 25 rods north and 170 rods west of the southeast corner of the 

section a small though prominent outcrop of coarse red granite rises 

about 20 feet above a level field. On account of its exposed position, 

its joints are forced open by frost, and the rock, so far as visible, has 

reached an advanced stage of decay. The character of the unaltered 

rock can not well be judged.

Sec. 19. SA conspicuous dome surrounded by cultivated fields 

rises about 92 rods east of the Pioneer Granite Co.'s quarry in the 

NW. i SW. £ sec. 19. The rock is a pale-pink granite porphyry 

consisting of feldspars a quarter to a half inch across, embedded in 

a fine-grained granite groundmass. With the microscope the
108 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

phenocrysts are seen to be of orthoclase and the groundmass an 

intergrowth of orthoclase and plagioclase (a microperthite) together 

with a very little hornblende, biotite, quartz, and magnetite. The 

rock is not attractive in appearance.

About a fourth of a mile to the north, close to the railroad, part 

of the smaller of two small outcrops of similar rock was quarried 

many years ago.

About 144 rods north and 212 rods west of the southeast corner 

of the section is an outcrop of red hornblende granite. In texture 

it lacks uniformity, the feldspars being so large as to be almost 

porphyritic in places. It has reached such an advanced stage of 

decay that the quality of the fresh rock can not be ascertained without development work. Orthoclase, plagioclase, microcluie, quartz, 

hornblende, biotite, magnetite, and apatite are the minerals present, 

hi order of their relative abundance.

A small outcrop appears close to the railroad 292 rods north and 

121 rods west of the southeast corner of the section. It is of the 

typical red type and is intruded by a few red aplites. A few green 

and black hair lines appear. Joints strike N. 83° E. and N. 15° W. 

and are 3 to 7 feet apart.

An area of red granite occurs with the center of the outcrop approximately 252 rods north and 93 rods west of the southeast corner. It 

is separated by a ravine from the prominent area to the north where 

the Melrose Granite Co. opened up a new red granite quarry in 1913. 

The rock is even grained and is free from diabase dikes and hair 

lines. The intrusion of fine-grained red granite dikes 6 to 20 feet 

across constitutes the most serious impediment to successful quarrying. 

Microscopic observation of the intrusive dikes exhibits the same min- 

-erals as occur in the coarse red granite, viz, orthoclase, microcline, 

quartz, hornblende, and a subordinate amount of plagioclase and 

biotite. The dark minerals are scattered throughout in fine grains.

Before opening up a new quarry in this area extreme care should be 

taken to ascertain the probable extent of rock free of aplite dikes. 

Undoubtedly areas of sufficient size may be found. In the area to 

the north the red dikes also occur, but the Melrose excavation reveals 

a mass of exceptionally pure and flawless rock.

Sec. 20. A long outcrop crosses the south section line at its center 

and extends about 65 rods north and 50 rods southwest of the line. The 

rock rises as a bare bluff facing the east and is wooded and driftcovered to the west. Where observed the rock is similar to that 

excavated by the Agate Granite Co. a short distance* to the east. 

No attempt has been made to investigate the quality of the rock at 

depth.

About 224 rods west of the southeast corner is a rugged dome of 

granite about 50 feet high, extending 40 rods to the north. Its
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 109

summit affords an excellent view of the rough, rocky, and wooded 

country which extends 1£ miles to the south and southeast. The 

rock is a medium-grained red hornblende granite. Unlike most of 

the "St. Cloud red" granites, in which more or less greenish feldspar 

is present, almost all of the feldspar of this rock is red. The remaining 

constituents are abundant glassy quartz and black hornblende. 

The deep-red color and uniform texture are attractive characteristics. 

Major joints striking N. 10° W. are 3 to 10 feet apart, and secondary 

joints, striking N. 65° E., are spaced 4 to 18 feet apart. Irregular 

minor joints were noted. In the eastern part of the outcrop a number of fine-grained red aplite dikes range in width from half an inch 

to 8 inches. Near the north end a small pit was made, but at this 

point the rock is pale in color. Apparently rock of fine quality is 

available in the southern part of the outcrop, but its inaccessibility 

is a serious drawback.

All Outcrop of gray granite 266 rods west of the southeast corner is 

intersected by numerous red dikes. A 2-inch diabase dike runs 

northeast.

About 144 rods north of the southwest corner is a small outcrop 

of red granite close to the- section line. The rock is of fair quality, 

though some hair lines appear. A little stripping has been done.

Two quarry pits were worked at one time on a bluff 40 rods north, 

and 213 rods west of the southeast section corner. The quarry pits 

are near the top of the bluff and are visible for a long distance to the 

east. The rock is red granite similar to that quarried at Holes 

Bros', old quarry.

Sec. 28. About 208 rods north and 321 rods west of the southeast 

corner are two small abandoned quarry pits in an outcrop of gray 

granite on property owned by Robert Graham. The exposure is 

about 50 rods in diameter. The rock is somewhat porphyritic, containing many relatively large hornblende crystals. Joints strike 

north and N. 80° W. and are 3 to 8 feet apart. Sheeting planes are 

12 feet or more apart. The rock is intersected by reddish-white 

aplites. Black knots in the form of hornblende segregations half 

an inch to an inch wide appear in places.

A smaller outcrop appears in a thickly wooded area 224 rods north 

and 86 rods west of the southeast section corner. A small excavation 

has been made near the north end. The rock is a fairly uniform gray 

granite cut by a number of aplite dikes.

About 213 rods north and 186 rods west of the southeast corner of 

the section is a ridge of medium-grained gray granite 65 rods long 

and rising about 15 feet high. Joints are irregular in direction, 

though favorably spaced. The rock is cut by irregular aplite dikes 

one-fourth to one-half inch across and by a 6-inch red granite dike. 

A 3-inch diabase dike cuts the granite ridge with a trend northeast.
110 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

In the NW. I sec. 28 are two small outcrops of coarse-grained 

gray granite. Some of the western mass has been quarried.

Sec. 29. A larger area of rock is exposed in sec. 29 than in any 

other section in the township, and transportation is not a serious 

problem; but the unfortunate intrusion of red granite in the gray and 

the later intrusion of red aplites add greatly to the uncertainty of 

quarrying. There are a great many outcrops but no working quarries. 

Twenty-four rods north of the southeast corner, the road, which 

here follows the section line, crosses an outcrop about 32 rods north 

and south at its widest point and 52 rods long. Observed in a small

quarry pit close to the 

road the rock is dark 

gray in color, medium 

grained, and of uniform texture. A few 

black knots are present. Numerous dikes 

of red granite cut 

through the gray. 

(See PI. VII, B, p. 61.) 

Some of them are fine 

grained near their borders and pegmatitic in 

the center. (See fig. 

14.) The dikes range 

from one-fourth of an 

inch to 6 inches across 

and are very irregular 

both in direction and 

distribution.

Southwest of this 

lies a second ridge, 52 

rods long and 26 rods 

wide, of a red granite, 

medium grained and apparently of good color, though observation 

could be made only of weathered surfaces.

The center of a third outcrop is 38 rods north and 128 rods west 

of the southeast corner. The rock is a gray granite similar to that 

24 rods north of the southeast corner. Major joints strike north 

and east and are 2 to 15 feet apart. A minor system strikes N. 50° 

W. The exposure is traversed by irregular dikes of red granite. 

Several small outcrops adjoining this are of similar type.

A prominent though small dome of red granite is 108 rods north and 

80 rods west of the southeast section corner. It rises about 25 feet 

above the surrounding cultivated fields. Irregular joints are numerous.

FIGURE 14. Characteristic red granite dike in gray granite 47 rods 

north of southeast corner of sec. 29, St. Cloud Township, Minn.
KEWEENAWAET GRANITES. Ill

At the center of the section an outcrop of gray granite 32 by 58 

rods in extent has been successively intruded by red granite, red 

aplite, and diabase. The eastern part of the area is red granite, 

medium grained, and apparently of good color. Joints strike N. 

25° W. and N. 80° W. and are well spaced. It is probable that 

good quarry rock could be obtained here. Farther west a gray 

granite is traversed by a mosaic of red dikes and consequently is 

quite useless as a monumental stone. Near the contact masses of 

gray rock are inclosed in the red. At one point the mass of coarse 

red granite is cut by a red aplite dike which shows concentric flow 

lines, indicating viscosity in the magma at the time of injection. It 

probably represents the final stage of red magma intrusion. The 

whole mass is cut by a 2|-foot diabase dike running northeastward.

The center of a large outcrop of gray granite is approximately 200 

rods north and 224 rods west of the southeast section corner. The 

area is about 64 by 48 rods in extent, and is domelike in. structure, 

rising to a considerable height in the center. A scrubby forest 

growth covers a large part of the area, with numerous patches of 

bare rock appearing.

The rock is an even-textured gray biotite granite, cut by numerous dikes of red granite. It is medium grained, the feldspar crystals 

being one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch across. Very little quartz 

is present. Near the north side of the area a red aplite shows curved 

flow lines. Many years ago paving stones were quarried in the southeastern part of the dome. The rock at the abandoned pit is intersected 

by red granite dikes and quartz epidote veins. In the southwest part 

of the outcrop two large deserted quarry pits show a gray granite 

composed of orthoclase, plagioclase, microcline, hornblende, biotite, 

quartz, magnetite, and sphene. Numerous dikes of red granite mar 

the rock for monumental purposes. Pegmatites are of common 

occurrence. They consist of coarse feldspars, quartz, and brown 

mica in lathlike crystals. Black knots are numerous; most of the 

smaller ones appear to be biotite segregations, but some of the larger 

are angular inclusions of garnetiferous biotite schist, caught up by 

the gray granite magma which solidified around them. (See fig. 7, 

p. 60.) The rock is suitable for paving blocks or building stone but 

not for monumental purposes.

A small outcrop 100 rods north and 300 rods west of the southeast 

corner is of mixed red granite and gray granite of inferior quality.

The section line crosses a small outcrop 116 rods north of the 

southwest corner. The southern part is gray granite intersected 

by red dikes and the northern part is red granite. Major joints 

striking N. 30° W. are very close, 1 to 3 inches apart; those of a 

secondary system, striking N. 60° E., are 4 inches to 1 foot apart. 

Two 4-inch diabase dikes trend N. 65° E. and N. 22° E.
112 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA^

From the middle of the west section line a ridge extends 128 rods 

northeast. The eastern end of the ridge is gray granite cut by red 

dikes, the two types being so mixed that uniform rock could not 

readily be obtained. A little west of this, and continuing through 

the central portion of the ridge, red granite only appears. Farther 

west the rock is of mixed red and gray, intersected by close joints. 

The best rock is in the central part of the ridge, but the occurrence 

of gray granite close at hand both to the east and west, makes the 

outlook poor for successful operation.

A steep dome of rock rises about 30 feet above a slough 272 rods 

west of the southeast section corner. Both red and gray rock occur 

and are probably too greatly mixed to be of value, though possibly 

considerable areas of each could be found fairly free of the other.

The final area to be described in sec. 29 is about 40 by 24 rods 

in extent and its center lies at a point approximately 222 rods north 

and 28 rods west of the southeast section corner. The western part 

is of gray granite cut by many red granite dikes and quartz veins and 

containing schist inclusions. The eastern part is of red granite, 

variable in texture. Two diabase dikes, one 3 feet wide, and the 

other narrower, trend N. 40° E. The wider dike narrows to a point 

toward the southwest and disappears. The diabase is later than 

both the red and the gray granite. On account of the unfortunate 

mixing of the two types, the lack of uniformity in texture, the close 

jointing, and the quartz veins the area is probably of little value for 

quarrying.

Sec. 80. About 64 rods north and 64 rods west of the southeast 

section corner an outcrop covering an acre rises about 15 feet above 

the surrounding region, which on all sides for about a third of a mile is 

covered with scrub oak and a'second growth of willow and poplar. 

The eastern part is a medium-grained red granite of attractive color.

Joints are in one system only, N. 85° E. The following spacing 

between joints was observed from south to north, near the east end of 

the outcrop: 3, 3, 2, 12, 12, and 15 feet. The rock is remarkably free 

from defects, no hair lines, dikes, or knots appearing. The western 

part of the ridge is of gray granite, the actual contact between it and 

the red being covered by a strip of drift, near which the red granite 

is very "fine grained. Surface conditions indicate that good monumental red granite may be obtained in the eastern part of the ridge. 

. About 175 rods north of the southeast section corner a small outcrop extends from the section line 8 rods to the west. It consists 

of gray granite intruded by numerous dikes of red granite.

The center of an extensive outcrop of coarse red granite falls about 

160 rods north and 64 rods west of the southeast corner. Major joints 

6 inches to 1 foot apart strike N. 40° W. Secondary joints striking 

N. 40° E. are 3 to 8 feet apart. Close jointing is a serious imperfec-
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 113

tion. Quartz veins about one-fourth of an inch across follow the open 

joints in some places. Several smaller outcrops in the same neighborhood are of similar type.

A small outcrop near the center of the SW. | sec. 30 is a very pale red 

hornblende-biotite granite, greatly decayed. It consists of orthoclase, plagioclase, a little microcline, quartz in rounded grams with a 

somewhat granular texture, hornblende, biotite, and magnetite.

About 250 rods north and 213 rods west of the southeast corner 

about one-half mile west of Holes Bros.' new quarry a large dome of 

granite covers several acres. The northern part is a light-gray finegrained granite, and the southern part a red granite of fair quality, 

though the color is pale. The color will probably improve with depth.

On the north section line, 92 rods west of the northeast comer, a 

dome of red granite about 20 feet high was quarried in several places 

many years ago by Frick & Berwick. The color is paler red. than most

of the "St. Cloud" stone, and for this reason operations ceased. It 

is probable that the exposed nature of the bluff has resulted in 

bleaching.

Sec. 82. A small outcrop of red granite occurs close to the section line 234 rods nqrth of the southeast section corner. Joints strike 

N. 10° W., N. 30° W., and N. 60° E., and are closely spaced. The 

rock is cut by numerous east-west epidote veins.

Several small outcrops to the north and others to the southwest are 

so much decayed that no definite conclusions could be reached 

regarding their quality.

The center of a prominent exposure lies about 300 rods north and 

96 rods west of the southeast corner. The ridge is about 64 rods east 

and west, 16 rods wide, and rises about 20 feet high. It is mainly of 

gray hornblende-biotite granite. Major joints strike N. 10° W.; 

others are very irregular, and all are spaced far apart. Dikes of red 

granite and aplite are common. The color is not attractive. The 

western end is a mass of red granite, which while fairly uniform and 

free from defects is rather pale in color.

From the center of the north line of sec. 21 an extensive outcrop 

runs about 56 rods southwest. Toward the east it divides into two 

ridges, the eastern end of each being a medium-grained red granite 

and the remainder gray. Major joints in the red rock average 5 or 6 

feet apart and strike N. 10° E. A few secondary joints cross at 

irregular intervals and in various directions. A 6-foot diabase dike 

striking N. 50° E. and a 5-foot diabase dike striking N. 40° E. cut 

both red and gray rock. The rock is probably of little economic 

value.

About 292 rods north and 220 rods west of the southeast corner is a 

small ridge which was excavated for a short time and then abandoned. The rock is a medium to coarse grained pale-red hornblende

95545° 18 Bull. 663 8
114 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

granite. Feldspars form the greater part of the rock and are of two 

distinct kinds, the most prominent being flesh-red and the other which 

is present in considerable amount, being pale green. Under the 

micrpscope the prominent feldspars are orthoclase and microcline 

with subordinate plagioclase. Quartz is abundant. Hornblende, 

biotite, and magnetite form a very small portion of the total volume. 

The presence of the magnetite is not detrimental, for it is a stable oxide, 

not likely to cause stains. The rock is intersected by many irregular 

open joints. Stains occur along the joint planes, and hi places penetrate the rock for several inches. The most serious imperfection is 

the presence of blind seams, known among quarrymen as "slick 

seams," which run obliquely to the main joints and are invisible hi 

the undisturbed rock mass. On blasting, however, they open up, 

forming many small angular fragments. Some hair lines and a few 

dark knots occur. In the western part of the outcrop numerous diabase dikes, half an inch to 6 inches across, trend approximately 

N. 65° E. Eighteen dikes were counted in a distance of 20 feet. 

They are confined to one band of rock, the southern part of the exposure being free of them.

About 24 rods to the south is a small outcrop, a little of which is 

excavated. A large .diabase dike passes N. 70° E. along one side of 

the pit, and near it are numerous hair lines. The rock is pale-red 

granite, but it probably improves in color with depth. Microscopic 

examination exhibits two prominent minerals, microcline and quartz 

forming nearly all of the rock, with subordinate orthoclase, biotite, 

and hornblende. The microcline is perthitic.

About 40 rods south of the northeast section corner a ridge of 

red granite runs from the section line 32 rods east. Near its eastern 

end is an area of gray granite, near which the red rock is much finer 

grained. The rock is of fair quality though rather pale. A Small 

quarry pit was made at the western end.

South of this are several small outcrops of gray granite that are 

seriously injured by the presence of several diabase dikes.

Sec. 83. There are few outcrops in sec. 33. A quarry is operated 

by the Northwestern Granite Co. near the center 6f the eastern 

section line and quarries owned by John Doerner and Morgan 

Flaherty & Son are located on rather prominent outcrops in the 

extreme northwest.

Gray granite about 100 feet across outcrops 268 rods north and 

40 rods west of the southeast corner of the section. As observed in 

a small excavation the rock is a gray hornblende-biotite granite, 

similar to that quarried by the Northwestern Granite Co. It consists of orthoclase, subordinate plagioclase, a little blue quartz, 

hornblende, biotite, and numerous grains of magnetite and sphene. 

The feldspars are slightly kaolinized and about half of them are pale
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 115

pink, giving the rock a reddish tinge. The rock is of good quality 

as far as could be observed. Some of it has been quarried.

A second outcrop is about 8 rods south of that on which John 

Doerner's quarries are situated in the NW. £ NW. I of .the section. 

It is a gray granite intruded by granite porphyry. The porphyry 

is cut up into small angular blocks by numerous joints. Major joints 

strike N. 5° E. and secondary joints N. 53° W. and N. 65° E., the 

three systems thus meeting at about 60°. The rock in this outcrop 

is probably of little economic value on account of its different textures, 

close jointing, and intrusions.

Sec. 84. An outcrop of gray granite covering 50 square rods is 

situated 240 rods north and 296 rods west of the southeast corner. 

Joints strike N. 85° W. and N. 10° E. and are spaced 3 to 10 feet 

apart. The rock appears to be of good quality.

About 14 rods farther west is a very small exposure of similar rock.

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP (T. 124 N., R. 29 W.)- 

PIONEER GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

On the site of the old Baxter quarry in the NE. f SE. I sec. 24, the 

Pioneer Granite Co. began operations in 1913. The rock is a coarsegrained red granite, paler than the typical "St. Cloud red" but 

deeper red than the "Kockville" granite. It is of the latter type. 

A few dark knots consist of both red and greenish feldspar and 

abundant hornblende and biotite. They are much finer grained 

than the main quarry rock. Feldspar forming about three-fourths 

of the rock is mainly pink with a subordinate amount of greenishwhite.

Under the microscope the minerals present in the typical granite 

are, in order of abundance, microcline, quartz, orthoclase, hornblende, biotite, and plagioclase. The feldspars show considerable 

microperthitic intergrowth. /-1 Hornblende and biotite are in large 

flakes and grains, which are much broken up and contain many inclusions of quartz and feldspar. Some of the feldspars contain inclusions of dark minerals. The knots are segregations of hornblende 

and biotite.

Three prominent jointing systems occur: N. 5° E., N. 60° E., and 

N. 60° W." Minor joints cross in different directions. The jointing 

planes are widely spaced and permit the quarrying of large blocks. 

One diabase dike about 3 inches wide was observed to trend N. 30° E. 

A few black to greenish hair lines were determined under the microscope to be veins of epidote and chlorite.

Physical tests showed that under crushing stress the first crack 

came at 9,395 pounds per square inch and final collapse at 15,712 

pounds. Under transverse breaking strain the modulus of rupture 

proved to be 2,596 pounds per square inch.
116 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The rock is excellent for building purposes, being strong, durable, 

and attractive. It takes a good polish and as joints are far apart 

long pieces for columns or spires may be obtained. Two columns, 

each 19| feet long and 22 inches in diameter, were obtained in 1913 

for the Zapp State Bank, St. Cloud. (See PL VIII, A and B, p. 66.) 

The turning and polishing were done at the Rockville Granite Co.'s 

shops in Rockville.

Stone from this quarry was used for the basement and approaches 

of the State Capitol, St Paul. During 1913 and 1914 rock was supplied for the steps of the Gateway Park Building and trimming 

for the Ford Motor Works, Minneapolis, for the basement of the 

Menominee post office, Wis., and the Olympia Building, Winnipeg.

Steam power is employed for hoisting and deep drilling. A siding 

from the Great Northern Railway greatly facilitates transportation.

UNDEVELOPED OUTCBOPS.

One outlying outcrop of considerable extent is situated in the 

NE. I NE. I sec. 26, St. Joseph Township, on land owned by John 

Undersander. It is close to the Great Northern Railway connecting St. Cloud with Rockville. The rock rises about 20 feet above 

the track and covers about an- acre. It is medium to coarse grained 

and is pale pink in color. It consists of pale-pink feldspar, hornblende, biotite in small flakes and masses, and abundant quartz 

in medium-sized clear glassy grams. The feldspars contain many 

inclusions of quartz, biotite, and hornblende, large enough to be 

seen with the naked eye. In thin section the largest feldspars are 

seen to be microcline; orthoclase and plagioclase are subordinate in 

amount. Hornblende and biotite are the prominent dark minerals, 

the latter associated with magnetite grains. Apatite crystals are 

common and of unusually large size. In uniformity of texture, size of 

grain, and color the rock is similar to the " Rockville'' stone. Though 

it has not yet been quarried its similarity to the "Rockville" stone 

and the excellent facilities for its railroad transportation suggest 

its use for structural purposes.

ST. WENDALL TOWNSHIP (T. 125 N., R. 29 W.).

There are no active quarries in St. WendaU Township, and all the 

outcrops are of gabbro or closely related types.

Near the center and in the SE. I sec. 12 and the NE. | sec. 13 several 

short ridges of medium to coarse grained olivine gabbro rise a few 

feet above the general level. The most prominent of these is near the 

southeast corner of sec. 12, on the property of C. L. Atwood, of St. 

Cloud. It reaches an elevation of about 40 feet above the surrounding 

fields and covers an area of at least an acre. In a small quarry
KEWEENAWAlsr GRANITES. 117

excavation observation of fairly fresh rock shows that the most abundant minerals are plagioclase and augite. A little green hornblende 

and considerable biotite appear to be alteration products of the 

augite. Olivine and magnetite grains are numerous, and a few 

quartz grains appear in places. The presence of quartz grains in a 

rock containing olivine bears with it a strong presumption that the 

quartz is secondary. The rock is dark green in color and takes a 

good polish.

Jointing planes are very irregular and the rock is greatly decomposed to a depth of 4 to 5 feet. The upper part of the ridge includes 

masses of decayed porphyritic and schistose rocks. Similar rock 

appears in smaller outcrops to the west.

An outcrop 48 rods east of the center of sec. 12 is a quartz norite, 

consisting of plagioclase, hypersthene, a little monoclinic pyroxene, 

quartz, and a few flakes of secondary biotite. The quartz is not 

abundant and appears to be secondary.

A small area of gabbro about 40 rods south of the center of sec. 

12 is cut by two red-granite dikes, which resemble in general character 

the typical "St. Cloud red" granite. A pegmatite area about a 

foot in diameter was observed in the same outcrop. It consists of 

large crystals of red orthoclase graphically intergrowri with quartz.

Though rocks containing so large a proportion of iron-bearing 

minerals usually alter much more-readily than granite, the area may 

have some economic value. For interior decoration the dark-green 

polished surface would be attractive for panel work in contrast with 

lighter rock. Gabbro is valuable in the form of crushed stone for 

macadam or concrete.

SATTK CENTER TOWNSHIP (T. 126 N., R. 34 W.).

Southeast of Sauk Center, near the railway, is a small exposure of 

pale-pink medium to fine grained biotite granite highly altered by 

weathering. It contains many inclusions of coarse-grained gneissic 

granite and patches of pegmatite and is traversed by close and uneven 

joints. Some of it has been quarried for foundations, but it is useless for monuments.

WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP (T. 123 N., R. 30 W.).

Though several outcrops representing different types of rocks occur 

in Wakefield Township no quarries were active in 1913. The only 

reported granite quarry in this vicinity was found\on examination 

to be an excavation in a huge boulder of granite almost buried in 

the drift.

Within the town of Cold Spring an extensive exposure of granite 

rises along the river front as a bluff about 20 to 30 feet high. It 

is a pale-pink hornblende granite, in which the minerals are unequally
H8 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

distributed, the quartz grains occurring massed together in places. 

Green epidote is common. Lack of uniformity and pale color make 

the rock unprofitable to quarry except for crushing or rubble. Much 

of it has been quarried for foundation stone.

Close to the Richmond road, about a mile west of Cold Spring, 

in the NW. I sec. 21, is a small outcrop of coarse-grained hornblende 

granite. Though only decayed rock is visible, the deep red color 

of the feldspars is attractive. A small outcrop of similar type occurs 

about a third of a mile to the west, near the railroad crossing.

Two prominent ridges of coarse red biotite granite, one in the 

SW. | sec. 20 and the other in the NW. i sec. 29, covers each at 

least an acre and rise about 40 feet about the level of the road. 

Biotite is present in small flakes and quartz in large glassy crystals. 

The most prominent constituent, however, is feldspar in large deep 

red crystals 1 to H inches across. Only surface rock, in which the 

feldspars are rusty along cracks and crystal boundaries, could be 

observed, but the probability of great improvement in color below 

the zone of surface alteration makes investigation of this area desirable. In texture and color the rock resembles the "red Waupaca" 

granite of Wisconsin.1 As observed in thin section the feldspar is 

mostly micfocline. Quartz is present in large grains. Biotite, magnetite, and a little hornblende constitute the relatively small amount 

of dark mineral. Joints are uneven and are several feet apart. At 

the south side of the outcrop in the SW. £ sec. 20 is a mass of dark 

fine-grained diorite which is older than the granite, for the latter 

intrudes it as a dike at one point.

At the western end of the outcrop in sec. 20 is a patch of very 

attractive fine-grained deep-red granite, whose contact with the 

adjacent coarse red granite is covered by drift. It occurs on property

owned by Henry Osendorf, who states that it was first uncovered 

by the plow. An excavation about 15 feet across and 10 feet deep 

has been made. As the lower part of the pit is filled with water, 

observations could be made only of the upper 2 feet of rock, which 

is covered by a mantle of 4 or 5 feet of soil.

The rock is one of the most attractive in Minnesota. It is a 

binary granite, consisting of red feldspars and smoky quartz. It is 

fine grained, crystals being one-eighth to one-sixteenth of an inch hi 

diameter, and is uniform both in color and texture. It takes, a beautiful polish (see PI. XIII, C), and is deep red, being similar both in 

color and texture to the "Montello" granite of Wisconsin.2 The 

feldspar is microcline with subordinate orthoclase. Quartz is abundant. A few small grains of biotite, hornblende, and magnetite can

1 Buckley, E. R., Building and ornamental stones of Wisconsin: Wisconsin Geol. Survey Bull. 41, p. 126, 

pi. 12,1898. 

? Buckley, E. R., op. cit., p. 96, pi. 6.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 663 PLATE XIII

A. "WARMAN CREEK GRAY" GRANITE

B "ROCKVILLE" GRANITE

C. "RICHMOND RED" GRANITE

D. "MORRISON COUNTY GRAY" GRANITE
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 119

be detected with the microscope. The rock shows some effects of 

surface weathering. ;

As far as could be observed the rock is badly broken by joints, 

though better conditions may exist at depth. The rock excavated 

was employed in building a barn foundation. If blocks of considerable size free from seams could be found they would undoubtedly 

be valuable for monumental purposes. The Great Northern Railway 

is about half a mile distant.

In the western part of sec. 19, south of the main road from Cold 

Spring to Richmond, are outcrops of dark tough diorite, which is 

medium to coarse grained and greenish gray. With the aid of the 

microscope it was determined to be an augite diorite, consisting of 

large crystals of plagioclase and hornblende, many of the latter 

containing augite cores. This condition suggests that the rock was 

probably a gabbro originally, and that the augite is gradually changing to hornblende. Some of the rock has been quarried in two places 

for barn foundations and is serviceable. Its dark color makes it undesirable for all except the most ordinary structural purposes. Its 

usefulness for road construction or concrete has not been investigated.

SHERBURNE COUNTY. 

CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROCKS.

The larger part of Sherburne County is deeply drift covered and 

has no outcrops of bedrock. The northwestern part, however, is 

more thinly covered, granites being exposed in the SW. £ sec. 17, 

the NE. £ sec. 7, and the S. £ sec. 6, Haven Township, each of which 

contains a number of active quarries. The granites are assumed to 

be of early Keweenawan age. Gray granites predominate, though 

red granites and a few intermediate varieties are present. In general the rocks of Sherburne County present a greater number of different types in a given area than those of Stearns County. The 

gray rock has a more or less distinct horizontal rift and a north and 

south run. Partly on this account and partly because the numerous 

aplite dikes would cause too great waste if monument stock were 

produced, the chief production is paving stones. The close proximity of two railway lines is a factor of great economic value.

QUARRIES.

OLD ROCK ISLAND OR 8AULPAUGH QUARRY.

The most southerly outcrop in Sherburne County is in the SW. | 

sec. 17, Haven Township. It rises in a rounded dome 4 or 5 acres 

in extent about 15 feet above the general level. Rock was first 

quarried on this outcrop in 1879 by Daniel Burns, who supplied 

stone for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway bridge over
120 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

the Mississippi on the short line between St. Paul and Minneapolis. 

In 1881 it was leased to Saulpaugh & Co., of Rock Island, 111., who 

supplied 7,000 cubic yards of stone for the Northern Pacific Railway 

bridge over the Missouri at Bismarck. Part of the stone was obtained from this quarry and part from quarries at Watab in Benton 

County.1 Since the completion of this contract, the quarry has 

remained idle.

The main mass is a coarse pinkish-gray quartz monzonite, having 

about the same texture as the "St. Cloud red" granite, though not 

so uniform. The dark minerals, biotite and hornblende, are very 

abundant. Feldspars are of two kinds, pale pink (orthoclase or 

microcline) and pale greenish gray (plagioclase) in about equal 

amounts. The quartz, some of which is smoky, is not plentiful. 

The rock shows little alteration, even under the microscope.

In the northwestern part of the outcrop a smaller mass of finergrained granite contains very few of the pale-pink feldspars. The 

dark minerals, the chief of which is biotite, are present in fine, scattered particles, whose combined effect deprives the rock of the attractive color that characterizes many of the "St. Cloud gray" granites.

A few sheeting planes occur near the surface but none at depth. 

The chief joints strike N. 65° E. and secondary joints N. 1° E. 

Joints are spaced far apart, 40 to 50 feet in places. The area is 

intersected by numerous pale-red and gray aplite dikes trending 

about N. 70° W. Toward the eastern end of the outcrop several 

bands of a medium-grained gray granite cut through the coarser 

rock. Their boundaries are indistinct. A diabase dike 4 feet thick 

crosses the outcrop in direction N. 70° E.

On account of the unattractive color and, above all, the varying 

types within a limited area the rock is not to be recommended for 

monumental purposes. It is, however, an excellent structural stone, 

being strong and durable. The nearest railway stations are Reformatory or Haven, each about 2 miles distant.

MINNESOTA STATE REFORMATORY QUARRIES.

The State Reformatory grounds are in the NE. £ sec. 7 and SE. J 

sec. 6, Haven Township, about 3 miles from the center of St. Cloud 

city. The inmates have excavated rock since 1889 and have made 

several large pits, some inside the walls and some outside.

The rock is a medium-grained gray hornblende-quartz monzonite, 

consisting of gray feldspars, black hornblende, mica, and a little 

quartz. As observed with the microscope, orthoclase and microcline together are a little in excess of the plagioclase. The remainder 

of the rock mass consists of hornblende, biotite, and a small amount

i Winchell, N. H., Final report on the Geology of Minnesota: Minnesota Geol. Survey, vol. 2, p. 432,1888.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

REFORMATORY QUARRY, EAST ST. CLOUD, M
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

MAIN BUILDING OF ST. CLOUD REFORMATO

Constructed of gray granite obtained from the reformator
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 121

of quartz, sphene, magnetite, and apatite. The rock shows but 

slight alteration by weathering.

In the larger excavation within the walls (see PI. XIV) major joints 

strike N. 88° E., secondary joints N. 22° E., and a few of minor 

importance N. 36° W. and N. 86° W. They are 3 to 14 feet apart. 

In excavations farther north, two of which are outside the walls and 

three within, major joints strike N. 88° W. and secondary joints 

N. 5° E. Sheeting planes are very indistinct and far apart, a circumstance which makes quarrying difficult. A number of black 

knots, most of which are rather small, half an inch to 2 inches across, 

appear to be segregations of dark minerals; but others are angular 

and are probably fragments of a dark rock inclosed at the time of 

consolidation. White to reddish aplite dikes, half an inch to 2 inches 

in diameter, are common. The rock is fairly uniform and shows

little change at depth, though it is said by quarrymen to be a little

harder in the bottom of the quarries.

The output is building blocks and crushed stone. At present about 

200 carloads of crushed rock are supplied annually to the State highway commission. In early years a great deal of wall rock was sold, 

the maximum yearly output being about 250 carloads. A siding 

from the Great Northern Railway enters the grounds.

About 1903 the building stone quarried was used in constructing 

new reformatory buildings and- walls! The main building (PI. 

XV) shows the adaptability of the stone to structural work. In 

1902 the construction of a wall 4 feet thick at the base, 2$ feet at the 

top, and 22£ feet high about the reformatory grounds was begun. 

(See PI. XIV.) In 1913 over three-fourths of a mile had been 

built, and it was estimated that about 8 years more would be required 

to complete it. In 1912 an octagonal water tower, 30 feet across 

the base and 115 feet high, was completed.

Just outside the reformatory wall is the deserted pit where Breen 

& Young began work in 1868. It has been inactive for many years.

EAST ST. CLOUD GEANITE CO. QUARRY.

About one-eighth of a mile north of the reformatory grounds and 

close to the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railways are three 

excavations made by the East St. Cloud Granite Co. The quarries 

were opened about 1900 and have been worked continuously ever 

since. Both red and gray granite are quarried. The red quarry is 

the second from the railroad, and lies between two gray quarries, 

whose rock. is almost identical with that from the reformatory 

quarries. The red is a medium to coarse grained hornblende granite 

similar to the typical "St. Cloud red" granite of Stearns County. 

The feldspars are chiefly red, a few crystals of greenish gray occurring
122 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

in places. Quartz is abundant in glassy grains and hornblende is 

subordinate.

Major joints strike N. 75° E. and secondary joints N. 13° W. AH 

are nearly vertical and 1 to 15 feet apart. In the gray quarry two 

sheeting planes lie 5 and 12 feet, respectively, from the surface, but 

with increasing depth the spacing increases considerably. In the red 

quarry indistinct planes appear near the surface, though none occur 

in the lower 40 feet of quarry wall. The gray granite contains a 

number of black knots which are probably segregations. Large 

masses of the gray rock form inclusions in the red. The red rock 

turns brown on weathering. About half the output is paving blocks, 

the remainder consisting of building stone, monument stock, and 

curbing. The nearest station is 'Reformatory, half a mile distant.

HILDER GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

A gray-granite quarry immediately west of the East St. Cloud 

Granite Co.'s pits was first operated by the Hilder Granite Co. under 

lease in 1886 and was bought in 1912. It has been worked continuously since first opened.

The rock is a fine-grained gray hornblende-biotite granite containing a larger proportion of dark minerals than most of the gray 

granites on the opposite side of the river in. Stearns County. Feldspars are mostly gray with a subordinate number of pale-pink 

crystals. In order of abundance they are orthoclase, plagioclase, 

and microcline. Quartz is fairly abundant in clear glassy grains. 

Hornblende and biotite are about equal in amount; both contain 

numerous inclusions of apatite and zircon, the latter surrounded by 

pleochroic halos. Sphene and magnetite grams are numerous, but 

the magnetite, being a stable oxide, is unlikely to cause stains by 

weathering.

Major joints strike N. 84° E., secondary joints N. 10° W., and a 

subordinate system N. 40° W. This would result in the production 

of undesirable angular blocks if the joints were not so very widely 

spaced 20, 30, and in some places 40 feet. At the western side of 

the excavation two parallel joints are 1\ feet apart, and the rock 

between them is greatly decomposed, showing that close jointing 

tends to hasten rock decay. Sheeting planes are horizontal and 6 to 

16 feet apart.

Black knots are common in places, but certain large masses are 

almost free of them. The rock is stained to some extent along 

joint planes. White aplite stringers half an inch to. 2 inches wide 

and one narrow red dike traverse-the rock irregularly. The red dike 

.is probably related to the coarse red granite which occurs in the 

near vicinity and which, wherever observed, is younger than the 

gray. One vertical open joint about half an inch wide contains a
KEWEENAWAN GKAMES. 123

peculiar "dike" of fairly coherent pure white sandstone. It is 

probably a remnant of a white sandstone, possibly of Cambrian age, 

which rested immediately upon the granite at one time, but which 

was later swept away by glaciation.

A few small vugs occur, in one of which a crystal of purple fluorite 

was observed.

Some odd types of rock occur in this outcrop, among them a 

reddish-gray granite with green patches about 30 rods northeast of 

Hilder's main quarry. Red granite outcrops about 300 yards to 

the west but is as yet undeveloped.

Good monument stock may be obtained from this quarry, but 

during 1912 and 1913 a contract to supply the Twin City Lines of St. 

Paul and Minneapolis with a million paving blocks compelled a concentration of labor on that line of work and a consequent decrease in 

production along other lines. During the summer of 1912 about 24 

stonecutters were employed on an average, producing about 3,000 

paving blocks a day. In 1910 a stone crusher was installed. The 

small rock chips resulting from the trimming of paving blocks are 

very easily crushed. A siding from the Great Northern Railway to 

the quarry greatly facilitates transportation. Modern steam and 

pneumatic drills and steam hoists are employed.

ERICKSON QUARRY.

A quarry in the NE. 1 SW. | sec. 6, Haven Township, was first 

opened in 1883 to supply stone for the stone-arch bridge in Minneapolis. It then remained idle for 15 years, after which it was worked 

for a year by G. J. Hilder. It was bought by August Erickson in 

1908 and has been worked continuously ever since. 

The main type is a medium-grained uniform gray hornblende granite. Its determination with the microscope places it rather with the 

quartz monzonites, for in it orthoclase and microcline together are 

about equal to plagioclase. Quartz is not very abundant and was 

evidently the last mineral to crystallize. Hornblende with subordinate biotite, sphene, and magnetite form the darker part of the rock. 

It is remarkably fresh, showing very slight alteration. A second 

type, more easily worked, is a finer-grained pinkish-gray granite 

with a sloping contact, which is exposed in the bottom of the 

quarry on the north side.

Compression tests were made on nine cubes of the gray granite. 

On the average the first crack came at 11,426 pounds per square 

inch and final collapse at 16,996 pounds.

Chief joints strike N. 6° W. and secondary joints N. 80° E., thus 

meeting approximately at right angles. Minor joints strike N. 58° 

E. and N. 42° W., also approximately at right angles. They are 

5 to 20 feet apart. Sheets are distinct and 4 to 15 feet apart. Some
124 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

are horizontal and others oblique, thus wedging out. Black knots 

are scarcer than in most gray quarries on the east side. White aplite 

dikes, however, are very numerous and run at all angles. Stripping 

requires the removal of 4 to 5 feet of soil.

The quarry is of the pit type and is about 40 feet deep. Its chief 

output is paving blocks, a very little monument stock being produced. 

It is about half a mile from the reformatory and 1£ miles from East 

St. Cloud. Transportation is by wagon.

A short distance to the southeast is Erickson's abandoned pit, in 

which the rock is similar to that just described. Jointing systems, 

however, show some variation. Chief joints strike N. 25° W. and 

secondary joints N. 61° E.

KELLAS QUARRY.

s

A little west of Erickson's quarry in the NW. J SW. | sec. 6, 

Haven Township, a quarry, opened by John Kellas in 1906, yields 

a fairly uniform dark-gray hornblende granite. Microscopic examination shows some variation in relative amount of the various minerals in different parts of the quarry. Plagioclase and quartz appear 

to be the most variable constituents. Orthoclase and microcline 

together form the greater portion of the feldspar mass in most places, 

though plagioclase is prominent. Hornblende and subordinate 

biotite form a larger share of the rock than they do in the typical 

gray granite of Stearns County. A few magnetite grains and abundant apatite inclusions are accessory constituents. The feldspars 

show a little alteration to kaolin.

Major joints strike N. 65° W. and secondary joints N. 3° W. They 

are nearly vertical and are widely spaced. Sheets are distinct, 4 to 20 

feet apart, and wedge out in places'as in Erickson's quarry. A few 

black knots occur, and white to pale-pink aplite dikes are numerous. 

Part of the quarry has no overburden, and the maximum stripping 

at the present time is about 10 feet. The chief output is paving 

blocks, though some monument stock is produced. Transportation 

is by wagon, and the nearest station is Reformatory, three-fourths 

of a mile distant.

BENTON COUNTY. 

CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROCKS.

In Benton County the only rocks available for structural or ornamental purposes are the granites and related rocks of lower Keweenawan age. Outcrops are more numerous than in Sherburne 

County. They are most abundant in Sauk Rapids and southwestern 

Watab townships, and occur also in southwestern Minden, Oilmanton, and Mayhew Lake townships near the center of the county, 

and in Granite Ledge, on Rum River, in the northeast.
KEWEENAWAN GBANITES. 125

The rocks of Benton County are less uniform and present greater 

diversity of types than those of Sherburne or Stearns * counties. 

Nevertheless, good quarry rock outcrops in many places, the most 

extensive areas being in sees. 27 and 34, Watab Township. The rock 

is principally a dark diorite, which is not particularly attractive even 

where uniform. The exposures of highest commercial value, so far 

as known, are in sees. 1, 11, 13, and 14, Sauk Rapids Township, and 

sec. 31, Minden Township.

QUARRIES.

FISCHER CO. QUARRY.

In the E. $ SW. | sec. 31, Minden Township, the Fischer Co. has 

operated a red-granite quarry since 1909. The rock is medium to 

coarse grained hornblende granite of the typical "St. Cloud red" 

type. Pink feldspar forms about three-fourths of the rock, and the 

remaining fourth is about three parts, quartz and one part hornblende. The texture is uniform and the color fairly attractive, 

though much paler than most of the red granites of Stearns .County. 

Under the microscope the feldspar is seen to be microcline. The 

hornblende is fringed with biotite in some places. Feldspars show 

considerable alteration to kaolinite. Such alteration affects the rock 

seriously for structural purposes only where excessive, as along joints 

or in "sap rock" near the surface.

Major joints strike N. 87° E., and a second system N. 60° E. The 

joints are nearly vertical and 2 to 15 feet apart. Indistinct horizontal sheeting planes are spaced 2 to 10 feet apart. Some hair lines 

are present, and two narrow diabase dikes cross the quarry in the 

direction of the chief joints, N. 87° E.

Building stone and curbing are the chief products. Large uniform 

blocks are easily obtained. The Gordon & Ferguson glove factory 

in St. Cloud was made of stone from this quarry. The nearest station 

is East St. Cloud, a mile distant.

A gray rock just east of this quarry .was opened about 1883 and 

worked on a small scale by J. O. McConnell. The quarry has been 

inactive for a number of years. The rock is similar in texture and 

color to that farther south, hi Sherburne County. It was used in 

building the Friedland German Church at St. Cloud.

COATE8 QUARRY.

The Coates quarry, in the NE. J NW. J sec. 13, Sauk Rapids Township, is on an outcrop 32 by 8 rods in extent. It was first worked 

about 1893 and thereafter was idle many years. Active operations 

were renewed in the spring of 1913.

The rock is pale pinkish gray in color but .in texture and constituent minerals is of the "St. Cloud red" granite type. It is medium
126 STE.UCTTJKAL AND OBNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

to coarse grained and consists of a very pale pink feldspar, quartz, 

and scattered crystals of hornblende. Microscopically trie feldspars 

were determined as plagioclase, orthoclase, and microcline. Quartz 

in small grains fills spaces between the other minerals. Both hornblende and biotite are present, and associated with them are scattered grains of magnetite. Sphene is common, and its presence, 

together with the character of the quartz, places the rock rather with 

the gray granites, although in the hand specimen it resembles the 

typical red.

Major joints strike N. 84° E. and secondary joints N. 10° E., and 

are 10 to 20 feet or even farther apart. The joints are all vertical. 

Indistinct sheeting planes are 5 to 6 feet apart and dip slightly to 

the north.

The rock weathers somewhat more readily than the "St. Cloud 

gray" granite and is stained reddish-brown to a depth of several 

feet. Similar stains extend half an inch to an inch from the few joints. 

No dikes appear except some narrow aplites in the undeveloped 

part of the outcrop. Where still hard and firm, the brown rock is 

utilized for. curbing, and the unaltered rock is used extensively for 

building. Stone was supplied during 1913 for the courthouse at 

Grand Forks, N. Dak.

No stripping is necessary. Pumping is required at intervals to 

remove water from the pit. The Sauk Rapids Granite Co.'s spur 

track is half a mile distant but is not used. The nearest station is 

Sauk Rapids, about 1\ miles distant.

SAUK RAPIDS GRANITE CO. QUARRIES.

The Sauk Rapids Granite Co. purchased four locations and began 

operations in 1914. Two of the quarries, in sees. 11 and 14, Sauk

Rapids Township, were formerly operated by the Western Granite Co.; 

a third is on a previously undeveloped outcrop known as the Beall 

property, in the northern part .of sec. 11, same township, and the 

fourth is on a previously undeveloped outcrop in sec. 35, Watab 

Township.

In 1884 a quarry pit was opened in the NE. \ sec. 14, Sauk Rapids 

Township, and was first known as the Arnold quarry. In 1906 it 

was sold to the Western Granite Co., of Sauk Rapids, who operated 

it until 1911, after which it was idle until 1914, when it was purchased 

by the Sauk Rapids Granite Co.

, Prominent outcrops occur over an area of about 30 acres, the rock 

rising in places 35 feet above the adjacent swamps.

Both red and gray rock occur, and the quarry is situated at a 

contact of the two. The red is a hornblende granite, though somewhat paler in color than the typical "St. Cloud red" granite. Near
KEWEENAWAIST GRANITES. 127

the contact of the gray rock the color becomes a paler pink and the 

texture finer. Though the line of contact is fairly distinct, the rocks 

are somewhat mixed, both pink and gray feldspars appearing in each 

type. The age relation of the two rocks was not determined.

The gray rock is a hornblende granite, somewhat finer grained than 

the red and containing less quartz. Major joints strike N. 209 E. 

and dip about 80° W. Several minor joints intersect them at various 

angles.

The most serious imperfection is the shattered nature of the rock. 

Two large diabase dikes 3 to 4 feet across run N. 55° E. through the 

quarry, and it seems reasonable to suppose that the shattering which 

accompanied their injection started incipient fractures in the surrounding rock. The faded color of the red granite and the mixing 

of the two types near the contact also results in considerable waste.

A few rods to the north a small pit has been made in the red rock, 

which at this point exhibits a fine deep color. A quarry away from 

both dikes and contacts would yield a better quality of stone, accompanied by much less waste. Working conditions, however, are better 

than at most quarries of the region, as the rock may be worked as a 

shelf or bench quarry to a depth of abqut 25 feet.

The present company operates this quarry for the production of 

crushed rock exclusively. The crushing plant is equipped with No. 6 

and No. 3 gyratory crushers and a 24-inch disk crusher. A siding 

2 miles long connects with the Northern Pacific Railway at Sauk 

Rapids. a

About a third of a mile northeast of this quarry, in the SE. | SE. J 

sec. 11, Sauk Rapids Township, is another, formerly owned by the 

Western Granite Co., which was also purchased hi 1914 by the Sauk 

Rapids Granite Co. Both red and gray granite occur. '

The former is a deep-red hornblende granite of uniform texture, 

one of the most attractive red granites observed in the St. Cloud 

region. The feldspars, forming about 70 per cent of the rock mass, 

are red, with the exception of a few scattered grains of greenish color. 

Quartz, forming about 20 per cent of the rock, is in large transparent 

grains, and black hornblende forms the remainder. Close to the 

contact with the gray granite the rock is somewhat lighter in color.

Under the microscope the chief feldspar is seen to be orthoclase, 

intergrown with plagioclase as a microperthite.

Major joints strike N. 5° W. and secondary joints cross them at 

right angles. They are all vertical and 3 to 15 feet apart. Three 

nearly horizontal sheets appear at intervals of 20, 18, and 7 feet. A 

few dark streaks were noted where the dark minerals were aggregated 

in lines, giving the rock an indistinct gneissic appearance. A very 

few hair lines, but no dikes, were seen. A few inclusions of gray rock 

occur in the red.
128 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

This quarry represents one of the few observed cases where good 

rock is obtained close to contacts. As a rule the color of the rock 

near contacts is unattractive, and hair lines, fractures, and inclusions 

are numerous*

The gray rock, which has been quarried less extensively, is a finegrained hornblende granite that exhibits streaks and has somewhat 

uneven texture. The quarry is equipped with two 30-ton electric 

derricks, one of-which has two speeds for the boom lift and two speeds 

for the fall. An air compressor supplies air for drilling.

Kock is quarried for monumental stone, building blocks, and curbing, and much material that would otherwise be wasted is used for 

paving stones.

A third quarry was opened up on an extensive undeveloped outcrop of red granite covering several acres in the W. \ NE. J sec. 

11, Sauk Rapids Township. It rises as a ridge of sufficient height to 

permit bench quarrying to considerable depth. Pink feldspar forms 

about two-thirds of the rock mass. It is chiefly microcline, though 

some orthoclase and plagioclase also appear. The feldspars are 

microperthitic, as in the red granite of Stearns County. Quartz is 

abundant in large glassy grains. Hornblende with subordinate biotite and magnetite constitute the remaining portion.

Joints are very irregular but are widely spaced. Major joints 

strike N. 2° W. and N. 72° E., and minor joints N. 55° W., N. 82° W., 

and N. 88° W. One area, 80 by 110 feet, is without open joints. 

Quarrying would be easier if joints were more numergus. Two narrow diabase dikes follow the major joints N. 72° E., and the rock 

close to them is intersected by numerous hair lines, which probably 

are minute dikes. The quarry is equipped with a 30-ton quarry derrick and a piling derrick, both electric driven, and with an air com-' 

pressor of 450-feet capacity to supply drills. The quarry is served

by a siding extended from the quarry last described. The rock is 

*used for monuments, building, curbing, and paving stones. . The fourth quarry, situated near the center of sec. 35, Watab, is in 

light-gray granite. The equipment consists of two steam derricks and 

steam-operated drills. The company operates a well-equipped finishing plant hi Sauk Rapids.

It may be noted that this company is producing a good deal of 

building stone and is gradually increasing its equipment so as to be 

able to handle large building contracts without difficulty. In 1914 

the railway siding was extended from the southeast corner of sec. 11, 

Sauk Rapids Township, to the third and fourth quarries described 

above.

SWANSON & HAG8TEDT QUARRY.

In the NW. \ NE. \ sec. 1, Sauk Rapids Township, A. F. Swanson 

and John Hagstedt began quarrying about 1896 and continued till 

1909, when they ceased operations,
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 129

The rock is a very pale pint or almost gray hornblende granite, 

which, like the rock from the Coates quarry (p. 125), has the texture of 

the "St. Cloud red" granite. It is quite uniform. The feldspars are 

orthoclase, microcline, and plagioclase. They are perthitic and exhibit 

considerable alteration. The hornblende shows alteration to biotite.

Major joints strike N. 80° E. and secondary joints N. 8° E. They 

are widely spaced. Sheeting planes are horizontal, distinct, and 2 

to 6 feet apart, being much closer and more distinct than in most of the 

quarries of the region. As a consequence slabs of large size may be 

(easily obtained. One block lying in the quarry was 10 feet 8 inches 

(by '6 feet 6 inches and 14 inches thick.

The rock contains a few small dark knots and a number of larger 

'green patches, probably inclusions, some of which are a foot in 

diameter.

No stripping is required. The quarry is worked to a depth of only 

8 to 10 feet as a bench quarry. Deeper excavation would require 

pumping. The rock is not to be recommended for monumental purposes but is well adapted for paving stones, building blocks, flagging, 

door sills, and steps. The quarry is about 5 miles from Sauk Rapids.

A noteworthy feature of this as well as of most other quarries in the 

St. Cloud region on the east side of the Mississippi is the absence of a 

waste heap. This is partly due to the fact that more structural stone 

and paving blocks and less monumental stone are produced, and partly 

because the Northern Pacific Railway has used the waste material 

for Jfiing on its lines.

SAUK RAPIDS QUARRY.

The Sauk Rapids quarry has not been worked for many years and 

will probably never be worked again, but in past years it was the 

center of a great industry. It is close to the business district of Sauk 

Rapids, where real estate is now too high priced to permit its reopening. It was opened by F. A. Fogg in 1867 and worked by him until 

1871, when excavation was continued by Collins, Mitchell & Searle, 

of St. Cloud. Later it was worked by Burns, Reeder & Robinson. 

Stone from this quarry was used in several structures of note: In 

Minneapolis for the towers of the suspension bridge and trimming 

of the city hall; in St. Paul for the store occupied by Nicols & Dean; 

in Milwaukee for the polished front of the Mitchell Bank; and in 

Des Moines for trimming for the Iowa State capitol. 1 It takes a 

good polish and is suitable for monumental work.

UNDEVELOPED ROCK OUTCROPS.

The undeveloped or slightly developed outcrops are described in 

the alphabetic order of townships, and in the numerical order of 

sections within each township.

i WincheU. N. H.. Final report on the geology of Minnesota: Minnesota QeoJ. Survey, vol. 2. p. 433,

1888.

95545° 18 Bull. 663 9
130 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

GEANITE LEDGE TOWNSHIP (T. 38 N., R. 28 W.).

In the northeastern township of Benton County, in the NE. | 

NW. | sec. 20, an outcrop of red granite is intersected by a diabase 

dike running N. 30° E. -South of the dike the rock is coarse grained, 

similar to the typical "St. Cloud red" granite. Joints are far apart. 

North of the dike the rock is much finer grained and is intersected 

by numerous closely spaced joints.1

On the west branch of Rum River, in the NW. \ sec. 24, and extending westward into sec. 23, a prominent outcrop of red granite 

forms a ridge across the river and causes a waterfall about 4 feet

\

 Open seam

 Closed seam

0 I Z 3 4 FT

FIGURE 15. Sketch showing structure of rock in sec. 24, Granite Ledge Township, Minn.

high. The largest exposure is 5 rods wide and 10 rods long. Surface rock only is observable, and little is known regarding the quality 

of the unweathered granite. The stone is a medium to coarse 

grained red hornblende granite. The feldspars, which average onefourth of an inch in diameter, form approximately three-fourths of 

the rock, the remainder being chiefly quartz with subordinate hornblende. At a depth of a few inches the rock is rusted to a somewhat deeper red than normal. This is somewhat misleading, as it 

might cause a superficial observer to expect a deeper red color in

i Winchell, N. H., op. cit., p. 436.
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 131

the main mass than actually exists. The normal color seems to be 

about the same as the average red granite of Stearns County. The 

texture is uniform.

Under the microscope orthoclase is observed as the chief feldspar, 

appearing in large crystals which are microperthitic, though not as 

pronouncedly so as in most of the red granites of Stearns County. 

Scattered crystals of plagioclase and microcline appear, and quartz is 

abundant in large clear grains. The hornblende shows an advanced 

stage of alteration to biotite. In surface specimens the feldspars 

are highly altered to clay.

Chief joints strike N. 10° W. and are spaced very irregularly 

from 1 to 18 feet. Subordinate joints strike N. 82° W. and are 6 

to 10 feet apart. (See fig. 15.) In the western part of the outcrop 

numerous blind seams parallel the major joints and a few cut across 

at various angles. The eastern part of the level area west of the 

river bed is apparently free of blind seams. No diabase dikes, 

knots, or pegmatites were observed. A red aplite dike about a foot 

wide runs east-west across the stream bed.

Drainage would be difficult, for the rock rises only 2 or 3 feet 

above normal level of the river. Transportation is also a serious 

matter; Foreston is about 6 miles distant, and the roads are poor. 

Hum River is now bridged, and a road is being opened southward 

on the section line between sees. 23 and 24. When this is completed 

rock could be hauled almost due south to Estesbrook siding, about 

4£ miles distant.

GILMANTON TOWNSHIP (T. 37 N., R. 29 W.).

In the SW. \ sec. 13, about three-fourths of a mile east of the 

outcrop on Elk River in Mayhew Lake Township, red granite outcrops 

near the road in an exposure not more than 8 rods across. The rock 

is a red hornblende granite similar to that in Granite Ledge Township. 

The texture is quite even. Joints are irregular but not close together. 

Blocks 10 feet across could be obtained.

MAYHfiW LAKE TOWNSHIP (v. 37 N., R. 30 W.).

An outcrop about 8 rods across, in the S. £ sec. 13, rises about 10 

feet above the water in the channel of Elk River. The rock is a somewhat porphyritic hornblende granite, consisting of feldspar crystals 

one-fourth to one-half inch across, embedded in a fine-grained groundmass of feldspar, quartz, and hornblende. The color is an attractive 

pink, but the texture lacks uniformity.

SAUK RAPIDS TOWNSHIP (T. 36 N., R. 31 W.).

Sec. 1. About 44 rods south of Swanson & Hagstedt's quarry in 

the NE. I sec. 1 is a small outcrop of very pale red granite.
132 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

An outcrop of red granite occurs 224 rods north and 180 rods west 

of the southeast corner of the section. Some has been quarried for 

local uses both from the ledge and from a large boulder a little west 

of it. Joints are spaced 5 to 30 feet apart. Major joints strike 

N. 3° E. and secondary, joints N. 88° W., the two intersecting approximately at right angles. Several outcrops to the north and the 

south are of the same type.

Another group of small granite outcrops occurs in the vicinity of a 

point 128 rods north and 216 rods west of the southeast corner.

Sec. 2. A small outcrop of red granite.occurs 106 rods north and 

128 rods west of the southeast corner of sec. 2. Major joints strike 

N. 85° E. and secondary joints N. 41° W. They are 2 to 10 feet 

apart. The rock is intersected by aplite dikes which follow the 

major joints. A small excavation has been made.

A small flat outcrop of red granite occurs a little south of the 

section line and 36 rods west of the northeast corner.

Sec. 11. Red granite, a little of which has been excavated, outcrops 92 rods north and 128 rods west of the southeast corner of 

sec. 11. Major joints strike N. 5° E., secondary joints N. 53° W:, 

and a few minor joints N. 79° W. The major and secondary joints 

are 2 to 5 feet apart.

In the S. ^ NW. J of the section are a few small field outcrops of 

red granite. Joints are 2 to 5 feet apart and strike north and south.

A small outcrop, 300 rods north and 268 rods west of the southeast corner, was quarried to a small extent years ago. The rock 

lacks uniformity, containing many complex intrusions and inclusions. The main mass is a dark-gray hornblende granite, intruded by 

a coarser pale-red granite and containing scattered crystals of red 

orthoclase. In thin section it is somewhat porphyritic with large 

crystals of orthoclase and plagioclase in a finer, though still mediumgrained groundmass of feldspar, quartz, hornblende, biotite, and 

sphene. Quartz is more abundant than in the "St. Cloud gray" 

granites and much finer grained than in the red. The hornblende 

contains very many quartz inclusions. Joints, trending N. 9° W. 

are 2 to 4 feet apart. They are not vertical, but dip either eastward 

or westward and are in places so nearly horizontal that they resemble 

sheeting planes.

Sec. 18. An exposure about 120 feet across in the SW. J SW. J 

sec. 13 consists of a fine-grained gray granite, composed of orthoclase, 

plagioclase, microcline, quartz, hornblende, biotite, magnetite, and 

sphene. The quartz is not plentiful, and appears in small grains 

occupying the crevices and irregular spaces between the other minerals. The hornblende shows distinct cores of augite. At the west 

end of the outcrop a mass of red granite of the typical "St. Cloud 

red" type consists of pink feldspar, abundant quartz, and black
KEWEEFAWAN GRANITES. 133

hornblende. The contact runs about N. 30° E. Dikes of the red 

rock cut the gray. Joints are very irregular and 2 to 8 feet apart.

Sec. 14- All the exposures in sec. 14 are in the NE. J. Most of 

the rock has already been described. (See pp. 126-127.)

An outcrop about 40 rods long has its center about 234 rods north 

and 24 rods west of the southeast section corner. Two smaller outcrops are close to its western end. Red and gray rock alternate 

repeatedly even over small areas and probably preclude the finding 

of any considerable quantity of uniform rock.

Major joints run due north and cross contacts of red and gray 

without change of direction. They are nearly vertical and 1 to 5 

feet apart. Secondary joints strike N. 80° E. Aplite dikes trending 

N. 66° E. and N. 48° W. intersect both red and gray rock. Near 

contacts the red granite sends dikes from the main mass into the 

gray in directions parallel with the aplites. Several diabase dikes 

trending N. 60° E. are confined to the gray rock. The rock is too 

defective to encourage development, although a little has been.quarried for local building.

A small exposure of red granite appears 277 rods north and 50 rods 

west of the southeast corner.

Sec. 23. An outcrop, mostly of gray granite, near the east end of 

Sauk Rapids bridge, is of fair quality though badly weathered. 

Major joints strike N. 10° W., secondary joints N. 70° E., and a few 

minor joints N. 5° E. Major and secondary joints are 1 .to 8 feet 

apart. Aplite dikes intersect the mass in direction N. 78° W. It is 

unlikely that the area could be successfully developed as the land is 

too high priced.

Sec. 24- In the NW. i SW. % sec. 24 there are three outcrops 

on property owned by A. E. Hagquist, of Sauk Rapids. The most 

northerly exposure covers about 200 square rods and consists of 

mixed red and gray granites, invaded by aplite and quartz porphyry dikes. Major joints strike N. 87° W. and secondary joints 

N. 42° W. The joints of both systems are 2 to 5 feet apart.

The next outcrop to the south is a gray hornblende-biotite granite 

of fair quality, which was first quarried by L. Mayo in 1892 and was idle 

in 1913. The rock is medium to fine grained and is fairly uniform in 

texture. The chief feldspar is orthoclase, with subordinate plagioclase and microcline. Quartz occurs scantily in small grains. The 

hornblende shows distinct alteration to biotite, and some crystals 

have cores of augite. Sphene is plentiful and is generally associated 

with grains of magnetite. A few grains of zircon were observed. 

The feldspars, especially the orthoclase, show alteration to kaolin.

A specimen of fresh material quarried at considerable depth has a 

specific gravity of 2.782, a pore space of 0.45 per cent, and weighs 

172.8 pounds per cubic foot.
134 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

Joints at right angles, N. 5° W. and N. 85° E., are quite distinct 

and are 3 to 10 feet apart. One sheeting plane is 8 feet beneath the 

surface and horizontal. Observations could not be made at greater 

depth, as the pit is full of water. Some aplite stringers, the largest 

an inch wide, intersect the granite from east to west; others are very 

irregular. Black knots are numerous. "White knots," in the form 

of large light-colored feldspar crystals, appear in places and are said 

to be of less frequent occurrence in the bottom of the pit. The stripped 

surface shows distinct glacial striations pointing northeast.

The rock is well adapted for making paving stones, base stock, or 

building blocks.

The third outcrop, which is 44 rods to the south, is of red granite.

Sec. 25. In the W. £ SE. £ sec. 25 several abandoned quarry 

pits are sunk on outcrops of a medium-grained hornblende-biotite 

granite of uniform texture. As determined with the microscope, 

plagioclase is the most abundant feldspar, and the rock is more properly a quartz diorite than a granite. Quartz, biotite, and hornblende 

are prominent; magnetite and sphene are accessory in small amount; 

and some secondary epidote is present. The rock is otherwise fresh 

and of good quality.

Joints are rather irregular. Major joints strike N. 84° E., are 

nearly vertical, and are 2 to 6 feet apart. A pale-pink granite 

intrudes the gray, and fragments of the gray are inclosed within it. 

Four diabase dikes cross the outcrop in direction N. 57° E.

Sec. 26. A small outcrop in the extreme northwestern part of the 

section near the east end of Sauk Rapids Bridge is similar to the outcrop in sec. 23.

WATAB TOWNSHIP (T. 37 N., B. 31 N.).

Sec. 26. A group of small exposures in the W. i NW. \ sec. 26, 

Watab Township, have never been quarried, and are not likely to be. 

Diabase, felsite, fine-grained quartz diorite, coarse red granite, and 

porphyritic gray granite all appear and are greatly mixed. Major 

joints strike N. 87° E. Further investigation is hardly advisable.

Sec. 27. Outcrops are numerous in sec. 27, an almost continuous 

line of them beginning near the center of the section and extending 

southward on the east side of the main wagon road to where it crosses 

the south section line. The largest outcrop is a little east of the 

center and is more than a quarter of a mile long and an eighth of a 

mile wide. Though extensive,-the rock is to be recommended only 

for rough masonry or crushing. It lacks uniformity in texture and, 

like that in sec. 26, consists of a confused mass of various types. 

Close to the railroad the rock is a felsite (a fine-grained light-colored 

igneous rock); farther west a rather coarse red granite appears, followed by quartz diorite porphyry and beyond by a shattered diabase.
KEWEENAWAN GRANITES. 135

Grains of pyrite are numerous. Other exposures in the ridge are 

similarly lacking in uniformity and are chiefly of diorite.

A point 192 rods north and 223 rods west of the southeast corner 

marks the center of the most extensive outcrop in the county. It is 

106 rods north and south,'64 rods east and west, and rises as a 

prominent hill. The rock is a fine-grained dark-gray quartz diorite 

porphyry, having a structure almost like that of a diabase. Though 

uniform both in color and texture, strong, and probably durable, it 

is too dark to be attractive either for decorative or structural work.

Sec. 84. The ridge in sec. 27 continues southwestward through the 

NW. | sec. 34. The rock is mainly dark quartz diorite.

An exposure about an eighth of a mile long occurs with its center at 

a point 288 rods north and 180 rods west of the southeast corner, 

close to the Northern Pacific Kailway track. The western part of the 

outcrop is a shattered quartz diorite and the eastern a porphyritic 

gray granite of fair quality. It is not as desirable in color or texture 

as the "St. Cloud gray" granite but would make attractive building 

blocks. Major joints strike N. 3° E., secondary joints N. 84° E., 

and minor joints N. 26° W. Major and secondary joints are 1 to 6 

feet apart and are rather irregular.

A small outcrop of red granite occurs in the NE. J of the section.

Sec. 85. In the SW. J sec. 35 are three small outcrops of the 

typical "St. Cloud red" granite of fair quality. Joints strike north 

and east, are nearly vertical, and spaced 3 to 6 feet apart.

An abandoned pit in an outcrop of mixed red and gray granite is 

about 170 rods north and 74 rods west of the southeast corner. A 

second pit is at a contact of red and gray granite. The red rock 

becomes finer grained near the contact and is evidently the younger. 

It underlies the gray, .the dip of the contact being about 70° W. and 

the strike N. 5° W. This quarry was first opened by H. D. Gurney, 

of St. Paul, in 1874, and leased to Saulpaugh & Co. in 1881, who 

quarried extensively, employing from 50 to 100 men. The stone 

was used in the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway bridge 

at Bismarck.1 The gray rock is lighter in color and coarser in texture 

than the typical "St. Cloud gray." With the microscope it appears 

to be a quartz diorite rather than a granite, plagioclase being more 

abundant than orthoclase. Quartz is in small scattered grams. 

Hornblende, biotite, magnetite, and sphene form the dark part. 

Chief joints strike N. 6° E. and N. 73° E. and are 2 to 10 feet apart. 

Minor joints strike N. 67° W. "Hair lines," composed chiefly of 

epidote, are numerous., The rock is attractive in appearance.

The eastern quarry is in red hornblende granite consisting of 

feldspar (microperthite), quartz in large grains, and hornblende. 

In texture it is similar to the "St. Cloud red" granite, the feldspars

i Winchell, N. H., op. cit., p. 435.
136 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STORES OF MINNESOTA.

being one-eighth to one-fourth inch across. It is of fair quality, 

though somewhat pale. Hair lines of epidote are numerous.

A group of outcrops in the NW. | of the section contain two small 

excavations made by Talcott, Castle & Co. in 1871. The stone 

quarried was shipped to Chicago.1 The main type is a light-gray 

biotite granite, consisting of orthoclase, plagioclase, microcline, 

quartz, biotite, and hornblende, with accessory zircon and epidote 

inclusions. It is lighter in color and coarser in texture than the 

"St. Cloud gray" granite. It is somewhat porphyritic, with white 

feldspar crystals about half an inch across. It weathers nearly 

white. Jointing systems are so diverse that many angular blocks 

result. Major joints strike N. 12° E. and secondary joints N. 75° 

W. Minor joints follow diverse directions, among which N. 86° 

E., N. 70° E., and N. 45° E. were noted. They are nearly vertical 

and are 1 to 10 feet apart. A green phase of the rock occurs. Inclusions of diorite schist or gneiss are common. The stone is variable, 

both light and dark gray occurring and grading the one into the 

other.

On one of the southern outcrops of light-colored gray granite 

the Sauk Rapids Granite Co. located a quarry in 1914.

The most northerly outcrops in this group are of dark quartz 

diorite like that in sec. 26.

Sec. 86. A line of boulders near the south section line just north 

of Swanson & Hagstedt's quarry may represent an outcrop a little 

disturbed by glaciation. A small outcrop of red granite occurs 

close to the road, near the middle of the west section line.

GRANITES OF MORRISON, KANABEC, AITKIN, CASS, MILLE LACS, 

AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES.

MORRISON COUNTY.

Rocks of several types, such as mica schists, staurolite schists, 

slate, diorite, and granite, occur in Morrison County. Of these the 

slates and schists are of little use for structural purposes. Diorite 

has been quarried to some extent near Little Falls and granite in a 

number of widely separated localities.

WILLIAMS QUARRY.

The most important outcrop of diorite is on land owned by M. M. 

Williams in the NE. \ NE. J sec. 13, T. 129 N., R. 30 W. The outcrop is a dome covering about 2 acres and rising 6 to 8 feet above 

the surrounding fields. Most of it is thinly coated with soil and part 

of it is wooded, but the rock appears at the surface in a number of 

places. Two distinct types occur; one fine grained and nearly 

black, and the other coarser and gray in color. The black rock

i Winchell, N. H., op. cit., p. 435.
GRANITES OF MditSisotf lift) OTTtEft (JOTJNT!E§.

appears, from its fine-grained contact, to be intrusive into the gray, 

but no dikes were found extending from one to the other.

The dark fine-grained rock was determined microscopically to be 

an augite diorite. It consists of numerous lathlike crystals of 

plagioclase, biotite, green hornblende, and almost colorless augite, 

the augite forming the central portion of many hornblende crystals 

which are evidently alteration products. The rock shows slight 

effects of surface weathering. In some sections very little hornblende or biotite is present, though augite is abundant.

Major joints strike N. 82° E. In part of the exposed rock the 

joints are 6 inches to 2 feet apart, and in other places they attain 

a maximum spacing of 6 feet. Sheeting planes are 2 to 4 feet apart. 

Large blocks are obtainable. In some places the rock is porphyritic, 

with large biotite crystals or crystal aggregates, and in other places 

close by is much finer grained. However, considerable masses of 

even-grained dark rock are available. Specimens have been polished 

with good results. The gray rock is less uniform in texture than 

the black.

Several excavations have been made, the largest of which is about 

30 by 20 feet and 10 feet deep. The dark rock, which has been 

quarried more than the gray, was opened up in 1888 and has been 

worked at different times since then for local uses. The bulk of 

the rock quarried was used in making foundations of mills and other 

structures in Little Falls, about 2 miles distant. The Little Falls 

and Dakota branch of the Northern Pacific Railway rims within 

half a mile of the quarry.

FISH LAKE QUARRY.

A granite outcrop which has been quarried to some extent is in 

the SE. 1 sec. 13, T. 40 N. ; R. 31 W., on the farms of Mrs. McMeyer 

and Joseph Rausch. It covers about half an acre and rises about 

6 feet above the surrounding fields. It is known locally as the 

"Fish Lake quarry," owing to its proximity to a small lake of that 

name. Quarrying began here about 1906, some of the stone being 

used locally for bridge abutments and foundations and some shipped 

away for monuments and bases. No work has been done since 1911. 

The excavation measures about 50 by 30 feet and is 8 feet deep. 

Drainage is good, no pumping being required down to the present level.

The rock is an even-grained biotite granite of very light gray color, 

which becomes almost white on the bush-hammered surface. It 

consists of light gray to almost white feldspars in grains a thirtysecond to a sixteenth of an inch across, forming over half the rock 

mass; pale-yellow transparent quartz grains, the largest of which 

are about the size of a pin's head; and flakes of black mica about 

one-sixteenth of an inch across. The minerals are very evenly dis-
138 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

tributed, and the resulting speckled "pepper and salt" effect is very 

pleasing. The rock is much finer grained and much lighter in color 

than the "St. Cloud gray" granite. By microscopic determination 

the chief feldspar is orthoclase, with some microcline and a very little 

plagioclase, all slightly kaolinized. A few small grains of hornblende, 

biotite, and magnetite, with included apatite crystals, constitute the 

remainder of the rock.

Joints are 2 to 8 feet apart, and in the quarry excavations are vertical 

and appear in one system only, striking N. 82° W. On the wall of 

the excavation there are four sheeting planes, about 2 feet apart, a 

condition that greatly facilitates quarrying. Near the south side of 

the outcrop the sheeting planes are 1 to 2 feet apart and dip about 

15° S.; and the joints, though following the same compass direction 

as in the excavation, are not vertical but dip about 75° N. at right 

angles with the sheeting planes. The rock is free of defects, containing no dikes, strea'ks, nor hair lines and only a few small black 

knots, segregations of biotite, one-fourth to one-half of an inch 

across. It is well adapted for monumental purposes.

The nearest railway station is Pierz/ on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & 

Sault Ste. Marie Railway, 1£ miles distant.

DAVIDSON & DAVIDSON QUARRY.

Quarrying began years ago on an outcrop covering several acres 

in the SW.-l sec. 24, T. 41 N., R. 31 W., on the property of Davidson 

& Davidson, of Little Falls. No work has been done since 1907. 

The quarry excavation is about 30 by 20 feet and is 12 feet deep to 

the surface of the water which fills its lower part. The quarry supplied building blocks and monument stock.

The rock is a dark-gray, medium-grained, and fairly even grained 

hornblende-biotite granite that in places shows a distinctly gneissic 

texture. It consists of light-gray feldspar and bluish-white quartz 

grains that together form a little more than-half the rock mass, the 

remainder being formed of a mixture of hornblende and biotite.

With the microscope the feldspars were determined as orthoclase 

and subordinate plagioclase. Quartz appears in numerous though 

small grains. The feldspars appear exceptionally fresh and unaltered.

Joints are at right angles, their direction at the quarry excavation 

being N. 35° E. and N. 55° W., and are favorably spaced for quarrying. No sheeting planes appear on the 12-foot quarry wall. Lenses, 

dikes, and masses of pale-red to white granite are intruded into the 

gray. A few of these appear in the old quarry excavation, but they 

are more abundant in other parts, of the rock ridge. Those in the 

.quarry wall consist chiefly of quartz, with subordinate amounts of 

white feldspar, black -mica, and scattered red garnets. In places 

fragments of gray rock are inclosed in the red, which is undoubtedly
GRANITES OF MORRlSON AND OTHER COUNTIES. 139

a later intrusion. The presence of these intrusions in many parts of 

the ridge indicates that much rock, otherwise of monument grade, 

is probably marred by injected bands. Areas of considerable size, 

however, are comparatively free from such intrusions, the old quarry 

location being one spot where dikes are less numerous. Few black 

knots were observed, and aside from the later granite injection the 

rock is free of imperfections. A slab of this stone observed in the 

wicket of the First National Bank, Little Falls, is attractive in 

appearance and takes excellent polish. Transportation is a rather 

difficult problem, for the quarry is 7 miles from Pierz, the nearest 

station on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, and 

is 10 miles from Little Falls.

WHITNEY QUARRY.

In sec. 18 and the south part of sec, 17, T. 41 N., R. 30 W., both 

red and gray granites outcrop. The gray, which is probably of the 

greater economic value, outcrops near the road and extends about a 

third of a mile northward, beyond which it gradually gives place to 

the red rock. About 7 rods north of the road an excavation known 

as the Whitney quarry, which has been idle for two years, contains 

a dark-gray biotite granite. Orthoclase is the most prominent feldspar, though plagioclase is also present in relatively large amount. 

Quartz in not very plentiful and is in small grains. Apatite, as 

exceptionally large inclusions, and scattered grains of magnetite are 

accessory minerals. The presence of sphene in fairly large grains is 

a respect in which the rock closely resembles the "St. Cloud gray" 

granite.

The hornblende crystals show in places cores oi augite and fringes 

of biotite, illustrating the progressive alteration, augite to hornblende 

to biotite. In this respect also the rock is similar to the "St. Cloud 

gray" granite, but it contains much more of the dark minerals. The 

rock is medium grained and is very uniform, both in size of grain 

and .distribution of minerals. It is similar to the rock occurring in 

sec. 24 (p. 138), but it is somewhat coarser grained and lacks the 

gneissic texture. It is even grained and uniform throughout the 

whole quarry.

At the quarry joints strike N. 53° W. and N. 10° W. and are 4 to 

12 feet apart, so that large blocks are available. The systems, however, are not continuous, for a short distance north of the excavation 

joints appear with direction N. 45° W. and N. 75° E. No sheeting 

planes appear on the 4 feet of quarry wall above water level.

In quality the rock is of exceptional purity, having few black knots 

and no hair lines or dikes, though it is cut by red granite dikes farther 

north.

About.64 rods north of the pit red granite intrusions appear and 

become more and more abundant toward the north. About 120 rods
140 STKUCTUBAL AND OB,NAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

north, of the pit a mass of red biotite granite, covering about 50 

square rods in outcrop, is attractive in appearance, having the lively 

red color so much in demand for monumental purposes. It is somewhat finer grained than the "St. Gloud red" granite. The most 

prominent mineral present is a red feldspar, in grains about oneeighth of an inch across. The feldspar is chiefly orthoclase with subordinate plagioclase, and is perthitic in texture. Its deep red color 

is due in part to surface oxidation and probably pales at depth. 

Glassy transparent quartz is almost as abundant as the feldspar and 

would probably make the rock hard to cut and dress. Black mica 

forms approximately one-sixth of the mass. A little hornblende, 

magnetite, and apatite are accessory. Reddish stains in cracks and 

crystal boundaries and the dusty appearance of the feldspars show 

the effects of surface weathering.

Joints strike N. 45° W. and N. 40° E., and are 4 to 12 or 15 feet 

apart. Three fine-grained red aplite dikes 1 to 2 inches wide trend 

N. 10° E. In places a few masses of gray granite occur as inclosed 

fragments caught up by the red magma at the time of intrusion. As 

far as could be observed, no very large area of red granite occurs, 

though stripping might uncover greater masses. Inclosed fragments 

of gray granite and unevenness of texture, which is usually found near 

contacts, are the most serious imperfections to be expected.

The entire outcrop, including both red and gray, is nearly half a 

mile in length and 8 to 24 rods in width. Much of this area may not 

properly be termed an outcrop, for a thin covering of soil supporting 

a growth of scrub underbrush covers much of it; but rock appears in 

many places, and the general conformity of the surface points beyond 

doubt to the presence' of a low ridge of rock with slight covering.

The nearest railroad station is Belle Prairie, about 7 miles westward. The roads are fair, for though the region is somewhat rolling 

no large hills are to be crossed.

KANABEC COUNTY.

DISTRIBUTION OP GRANITE.

Numerous outcrops of granite occur in Kanabec County, but are 

for the most part inaccessible. Two railroads pass through the 

county in a northeasterly direction, one near the south and the other 

toward the north. Nearly all the outcrops of granite are between 

these lines, and most of them at a considerable distance from either.

The best-known granite in Kanabec County is that quarried at 

Warman post office, 14 miles north of Mora, in sees. 5 and 6, T. 41 N., 

R. 23 W. The rock outcrops in several places over an area of about 

80 acres. Quarries were opened in 1907 by the Warman Creek 

Granite Co., and the Pike-Horning Granite Co. The two quarries are 

about one-fourth of a mile apart.
GRANITES OF MORRISON AND OTHER COUNTIES. 141

REYNOLDS GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

The Reynolds Granite Co. is at the time of writing operating the 

Pike-Horning property under lease. The rock is a medium to fine 

grained biotite granodiorite, which in general appearance closely 

resembles the granite of Barre, Vt. (See, PI. XIII, A.) It consists 

essentially of quartz, feldspar, and mica. Quartz is abundant and 

exhibits many liquid, gas, and apatite inclusions. The feldspars 

are both orthoclase and plagioclase, the latter being somewhat more 

abundant. Some crystals show zonal structure. Biotite is abundant 

and contains microscopic apatite and zircon inclusions. The constituent minerals are uniform in size and distribution. The rock is 

free, from pyrite and similar minerals that might cause stains by 

weathering.

A chemical analysis by F. F. Grout shows the following composition :

Analysis of granodiorite from the Reynolds Granite Co's. quarry, Warman, Minn.

Si02 .......................................................... 69. 55

A1203 ........................................................ 15.52

Fe203 ........................................................ .14

FeO........................................................ 3.29

MgO.......................................:................. 1.61

CaO......................................................... 3.67

Na20........................................................ 3.79

K20............................................ ............ 2.12

H20 (above 100° C.)......^................................... .40

H20 (below 100° C.).......................................... .10

Ti20......................................................... .44

Zr02 ......................................................... .02

PA......................................................... ..07

O205 ....................................................... .01

100.73

As observed on the stripped rock surface at the north side of the 

Reynolds quarry, joints strike N. 33° W,. N. 32° E., and N. 78° E., 

thus following three systems at approximately 60°. Actual conditions as to spacing and direction of joints are shown -in figure 16. 

The angles are acute and the spacing close.

All the joints are not vertical; those trending N. 32° E. dip 70° 

to 80° W. In addition to the open seams some incipient jointing 

planes, known to the quarrymen as "dry seams" and recognizable 

only as rusty lines, parallel the adjacent jointing planes and are 

6 inches to 5 feet apart. Vertical dry seams are more pronounced 

than horizontal seams. Sheeting planes are distinct, somewhat 

uneven but generally horizontal, and are 2 to 6 feet apart. The 

quarry wall, especially near the surface, is badly cracked in places, 

undoubtedly by powder shakes due to too heavy blasting. Exam-
142 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

ination of the quarry wall near the bottom shows fewer dry seams. 

Blocks 5 feet in length are easily obtainable in parts of the quarry, 

and it seems probable that larger blocks may be obtained at greater 

depth.

A few black knots are of biotite schist and are therefore inclusions 

in the granite. Others apperar "to be segregations, as their constituent minerals show peculiarities similar to those of corresponding minerals in the main rock mass. There are no diabase dikes 

and no hair lines, but two pegmatite dikes, each about 3 inches in 

diameter, consisting of quartz and coarsely crystallized orthoclase, 

were observed.

The granite of this quarry shows a little variation in color. As 

a whole the rock is a little darker gray at the bottom of the quarry 

than at the top. Areas of varying lighter and darker gray, however, 

occur without any definite relation to depth. The difference is very

0 I 2 3 4 5 FT

FIGUKE 16. Sketch showing structure of rock at Reynolds quarry, Warman, Kanabec County, Minn,'

slight and can be detected only by careful scrutiny. Microscopic 

examination of the lighter variety shows numerous fine aggregations of earthy material, probably kaolin formed as a result of surface 

weathering, along cleavage cracks of the feldspars. The presence of 

similar earthy material, though in smaller amount, in the quartz, 

a mineral which is not subject to such alteration, leads to the supposition that probably at least part of it is in the form of minute 

inclusions. In other localities where gray granite occurs it has been 

noted that in general the effect of surface weathering is to make the 

rock a lighter gray.

WARMAN CREEK GRANITE CO. QUARRY.

In the Warman Creek Granite Co.'s quarry the joints are much 

more regular. They belong to two prominent systems, N. 30° E. 

and N. 30° W., meeting at 60°, and are spaced irregularly from 6 

inches to 4 feet. Figure 17, drawn to scale, represents the joints 

on the rock surface where stripping had been done east of the quarry.
GRANITES OF MORRISON AND OTHER COUNTIES. 143

Only one joint shown is at variance with, the two well-defined 

systems.

The joints tend to be bunched at intervals. (See fig. 17.) Several 

occur close together; then for 12 or 14 feet they are 2 to 4 feet apart; 

then they are again closely spaced.

Some aplite dikes one-fourth to one-half inch wide follow the joints, 

and others trend more irregularly. Where present they mar the 

uniformity of the rock and result in considerable waste. A very few 

black knots and indistinct pegmatite dikes occur.

Physical tests of the granite gave: Crushing strength, first crack 

at 9,966 pounds per square inch; final collapse at 17,246 pounds per 

square inch. Transverse breaking strength, modulus of rupture, 

3,159 pounds per square inch.

0 I Z 3 4 5 FT

FIGURE 17. Sketch showing structure of rock at Warman Creek Granite Co.'s quarry, Warmau, Kanabeo

County, Minn.

The nearest railroad station is Red Top on the Minneapolis, St. 

Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, 8 miles distant, but the stone is now 

hauled 14 miles by wagon to Mora, over a road that is good throughout. It is to be hoped that the industry and enterprise of the present 

operators will be rewarded by a railway line in the near future.

The stone is marketed under the trade name "Mora gray." It 

commands a high price and gives good satisfaction as a monument 

stone.

UNDEVELOPED OUTCROPS.

Several exposures of granite cross the road in the NE. £ sec. 8, T. 40 

N., R. 24' W., and extend generally northeast and southwest. The 

main type is a fine-grained uniform light-gray granite, consisting of
144 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

light-gray to white feldspar, abundant glassy quartz, and scattered 

flakes of black mica. The surface phase of the rock is reddish.

Outcrops are reported from Ann River 1 in sec. 30 of this same 

township. The rock is described as a light-gray fine-grained uniform 

granite.

In the SW. i sec. 13, T. 42 N., R. 24 W., fine-grained gray hornblende granite was exposed in excavating for a dam on Hay Creek. 

The feldspars are gray to pale pink and vary greatly in size. Prominent pale-pink feldspars give the rock an undesirable porphyritic 

appearance in places.

Extensive outcrops occur at the Upper and Lower Falls of Snake 

River in T. 42 N., R. 23 W. According to description 2 the rock is of 

little value except for rough structural purposes. It lacks uniformity 

in texture, is invaded by dikes and quartz veins, and is associated 

with schistose rocks.

AITKIN COUNTY.

The only rock outcrops reported in Aitkin County are near McGrath 

station on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, where 

a coarse-grained gray granite occurs.. According to report the rock 

is a good building stone but is inferior for monumental purposes.

CASS COUNTY.

The only rock outcrop known in Cass County is in the extreme 

southwestern corner in the E. £ NW. i sec. 28 and the SE. I sec. 21. 

It is a ridge of gray to greenish-gray granite which extends about 

one-fourth of a mile east and west, and rises 5 or 6 feet above a 

sparsely wooded sandy region. The rock is a medium-grained, fairly 

even textured hornblende granite with indistinct gneissic texture. 

The feldspars are pale red and are somewhat granular. The dark 

mineral, forming about one-third of the rock, was apparently originally 

hornblende but is now altered to chlorite and epidote. Quartz is 

abundant in small glassy grains. Alteration to kaolin and epidote 

is so extreme that the original minerals are scarcely recognizable with 

the microscope. The rock is cut by a number of diabase dikes, the 

largest of which is 60 feet across and runs N. 75° W., parallel with one 

of the two prominent jointing systems. Evidently the diabase 

magma was injected into one of the open joints. The second jointing system strikes N. 10° W. Joints are 1 to 5 feet apart. Green 

epidote veins in some places follow the joints and at others are very 

irregular. Some of the rock has been quarried for local uses, as 

foundations of barns and houses.- If the excavation were carried

i Winch ell, N. H., Final report on the Geology of Minnesota: Minnesota Geol. Survey, vol'. 2, p. 617,1888. 

> Idem, p. 618.
GRANITES OF MORJRISON AND OTHER COUNTIES. 145

below the zone of surface alteration the rock would probably be 

better, though it is improbable that it would be of monument grade. 

The stone is serviceable for rough masonry. The nearest station 

is Staples, 10 miles distant by wagon road.

MILLE LACS COUNTY.

Outcrops of red granite occur on the west branch of Rum River 

in sees. 29 and 19, T. 38 N., R. 27 W., about 5 miles west of Milaca. 

The rock is similar to that occurring about 2 miles to the west in 

Granite Ledge Township, Benton County. (See pp. 130-131.)

At the south end of Mille Lacs Lake, in the NW. % T. 42 N., R. 

26 W., a cutting on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway exposes igneous rocks covered by about 15 feet of drift. Two 

types, gray and black, are considerably mixed, the gray being probably 

intrusive into the black, though this is not established. The dark 

rock is a medium-grained mica diorite; the gray appears to be a 

lighter phase of the same type, exhibiting large flakes of biotite in a 

finer groundmass of feldspars, from which it derives its color. Neither 

rock is attractive.

Qn the upper part of the main branch (East Branch) of Rum River, 

in sec. 18, T. 41 N., R. 26 W., several outcrops of different or differently described rock (syenite, hornblende rock, gneiss, granite, and 

greenstone) are recorded.1

Outcrops 2 in sec. 29, T. 41 N., R. 26 W., consist chiefly of a medium 

to coarse grained hornblende-biotite granite, which is somewhat 

porphyritic in texture. The most prominent mineral is feldspar, 

chiefly orthoclase, in crystals one-fourth to one-half inch long. 

Quartz is abundant in small grains, and fine-grained mica and hornblende are scattered throughout. The color is not attractive for 

high-grade work, but the rock would probably make a good building 

stone. It is cut by fine-grained red granite dikes of microcline, 

orthoclase, plagioclase, quartz, biotite, and muscovite.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY. 

GIANTS RANGE.

In St. Louis County, in the Mesabi iron-mining region, granites 

of lower middle Huronian age form the Giants Range, which rises 

as a prominent bluff, constituting the backbone of the iron range. 

The rock is a medium-grained granite of gray or pale-pink color, 

invaded by pegmatites in places. About 1£ miles north of Kinney 

it consists of pale-pink feldspar, clear quartz, and scattered flakes

' Winchell, N. H., op. cit., p. 617. 2 Examined by F. F. Grout. 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 10
146 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

of muscovite or white mica. With the microscope the chief feldspar 

is seen to be orthoclase. Plagioclase is nearly as abundant, though 

in smaller crystals, and the rock may therefore be classed as a quartz 

monzonite. Quartz is in small grains and is not prominent as in the 

"Si. Cloud red" granite. Hornblende and biotite are present in 

small grains and are somewhat altered to chlorite. Joints form a 

very distinct system, trending N. 30° E. and are 1 to 6 feet apart. 

East-west joints are rare. . Surface rock only could be observed. 

The color of the stone is not sufficiently attractive to make it desirable 

for monumental purposes. As a structural stone it would probably 

be useful, but on account of local conditions it may not be 

used for many years. Though exceedingly abundant and well 

placed-for shelf quarrying, it is 2 to 6 miles from towns and railroads. 

Moreover, near many of the range towns, notably Chisholm, the 

ground is strewn with innumerable boulders, mostly of granite, 

which are quite fresh and suitable for building purposes, and which 

will probably supply the demand for foundation stone for many 

years to come.

HINSDALE QUARRY.

An eastward extension of the Giants Range was at one time 

quarried near Hinsdale siding, about 2 miles north of Mesaba station 

on the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad. The quarry, which was 

opened about 1891, is about 100 yards from the siding near the top 

of a bluff that rises about 75 feet above the railroad. Consequently 

it is of the shelf or bench type. The excavation is about 40 feet 

wide at the center and 125 feet long, and the wall is about 40 feet 

high.

The rock (see PL V, J9) is a somewhat porphyritic granite with pink 

feldspar crystals about half an inch across. The general color effect 

at some distance is a pinkish gray. Closer observation shows that the 

feldspars are of two types, large scattered porphyritic pale pink and 

abundant greenish gray, the latter forming the bulk of the rock. 

Quartz is in fine grains and is not at all conspicuous. Most of the 

hornblende is in small grams, with a few larger ones, so lined .up as to 

give the rock an indistinct gneissic texture. Microscopic study 

proves that the most abundant feldspar is orthoclase, and that 

microcline and plagioclase are subordinate. Biotite, hornblende, 

and magnetite form the dark part of the rock. Crystals of 

sphene, in most places associated with the magnetite grains, are even 

more abundant than in the " St. Cloud gray" granite. Apatite inclusions are numerous. On account of the small amount of quartz 

present the rock should be comparatively easy to dress.

On the exposed rock surface west of the quarry three joint systems 

trend N. 20° W., N. 70° W., and N. 55° E. The western edge of the
GRANITES OF MORRISON AND OTHER COUNTIES. 147

quarry is a prominent open joint running N. 32° W. The joint structure is shown in figure 18.

Though most of the joints are vertical a system near the north 

end of the quarry striking N. 5° E. dips about 50° E. Eight such 

joints 2 to 8 feet apart were observed. .The acute angles of intersection of these joints with the vertical systems result in blocks of 

undesirable shape.

Sheeting planes are well spaced. From the top of the quarry 

downward they appear at approximate intervals of 8, 8, 10, 4, and 

10 feet. Near the surface they dip slightly west, the dip increasing with each successively lower plane, the floor of the quarry 

dipping 20° W. It is _________________________ 

therefore evident that 

a serious mistake was 

made in opening a 

quarry facing the east, 

for in it the beds dip 

toward the back of the 

pit, resulting not only 

in poor drainage but 

in great difficulty in 

removal of rock. It 

is comparable with an 

attempt to remove 

shingles from a roof, 

beginning at the eaves 

rather than the ridge. 

Northwest of the present quarry a ravine 

opens through the bluff, 

making it possible to 

open a quarry in which the beds would dip toward the side rather 

than toward the back wall, a condition which would facilitate rock 

removal.

Near the north end of the quarry a large number of aplite dikes, 

appear. Some dark knots seem to be inclosed fragments of hornblende schist. The central and southern parts of the quarry" are fairly 

free of defects, though the presence of lenticular masses of black 

hornblende 1 inch to 2 feet in length, mars considerable rock for 

monumental purposes. Aside from such knots the rock is evengrained, uniform, and attractive. The siding only 100 yards from 

the excavation makes transportation simple, especially as the quarry 

floor is so much higher than the track.

FIGURE 18. Sketch showing structure of rock at Hinsdale quarry, 

St. Louis County, Minn.
148 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

GABBROS AND DIABASES.

LAKE, ST. LOUIS, AND CHISAGO COUNTIES. 

LAKE COUNTY.

The only quarry now operating in Lake County is the Two Harbors 

Rock Crushing Plant. Diabase is excavated, and practically the 

entire output is crushed. During 1913 part of this was sold to the 

Duluth & Iron Range Railroad for concrete construction such as 

station platforms and walks, and the remainder was used for street 

construction in Two Harbors.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY.

The Duluth gabbro of Keweenawan age occupies a large area near 

the head of Lake Superior, rising to a bold bluff many feet high in 

the neighborhood of Duluth. The rock is for the most part a coarsegrained gabbro. In some localities it is a typical gabbro, containing 

plagioclase and augite, in others it contains considerable olivine. In 

West Duluth it is composed almost entirely of plagioclase feldspar 

and is called anorthosite.

DULUTH CRUSHED STONE CO. QUARRY.

The gabbro has been quarried for many years in several places, but 

the only extensive recent excavation is that done by the Duluth 

Crushed Stone Co., which began work in the anorthosite of West 

Duluth in 1903. The rock is a typical anorthosite, consisting almost 

entirely of plagioclase crystals, half an inch to an inch in length, 

prominently striated parallel to their long axes. Small amounts of 

augite are present in places. In color the rock is dark brown to 

almost black. Jointing and sheeting planes are very irregular, the 

rock being broken up in many directions and into rather small fragments. No definite systems are exhibited. In places crevices 

between sheeting planes are filled with a red mineral which is probably laumontite. A large fault plane passes diagonally through the 

quarry showing distinct slickensides. Along the fault plane the rock 

is altered to a mixture of chlorite and clay. A few calcite veins 

appear, the largest seen being about - an inch across. The rock is 

decayed to a depth of 6 inches on either side of the vein.

Steam drills are "employed. As the quarry is of the shelf type, rock 

handling is comparatively easy. The fragments are loaded into cars 

on tracks and transported to powerful crushers situated close to the 

railroad tracks. Heavy blocks for riprap are handled by derricks. 

In general, the output is about evenly divided between crushed rock 

and riprap, with subordinate amounts of rubble for foundations and 

retaining walls. The crushed rock is used for road construction and 

concrete work, and the riprap for "harbor protection. During the 

summer of 1913 rock was supplied for a breakwater at Ashland, Wis.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 663 PLATE XVI

,A number at a quarry symbol 

indicates the number of quarries located at that point

MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF THE LIMESTONE QUARRIES IN MINNESOTA.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 149 

OTHER QUARRIES.

The Duluth city quarry, near Eleventh Avenue West and Superior 

Street, was in operation during the summer of 1913. The whole output was employed in improvements upon the Superior breakwater.

Charles Hokanson, of West Duluth, has quarried in the same gabbro 

ridge in past years for the production of curbing and occasionally for 

a little monument stone.

About 1896 rock was quarried in several places along the bluff to 

supply stone for lining the city water reservoir. The entire lining, 

requiring 34,000 cubic feet, was made of the Duluth gabbro. The 

rock at the top of the bluff is better adapted for trimming and cutting 

than that at the base, which is very tough and has a much less perfect 

rift. The upper ledges have a definite horizontal rift and a north and 

south run, properties which greatly facilitate splitting.

The Duluth gabbro is well adapted for riprap for shore protection 

and filling, and gives excellent service as crushed stone for concrete 

or road construction. It is used successfully, though not very extensively, for curbing. Much of it, however, is too dark and somber 

and weathers too easily to make it desirable for buildings or monuments. Merrill 1 states, however, that the "Duluth anorthosite" 

takes a beautiful polish and is well adapted for ornamental slabs and 

columns.

CHISAGO COUNTY.

Near Taylors Falls, on St. Croix River, rugged exposures of diabase 

and basalt form tho picturesque Dalles of the river. The rock is 

tough, black, and massive and is somewhat amygdaloidal in places. 

It was quarried and crushed for concrete work in the construction of 

the Minneapolis General Electric power dam at St. Croix. According to report, the rock is, on account of its toughness, very hard to 

crush. No rock was. excavated subsequently until 1913, when the 

Taylors Falls Trap Rock Co. established a crushing plant near the 

town of Taylors Falls. The Minneapolis Trap Rock Co. plans extensive excavation on the Wisconsin sido of the river, where a $150,000 

plant is now under construction. Crushed rock of .this type is of 

excellent quality for concrete construction, and will probably be 

greatly in demand in the Twin Cities.

LIMESTONES AND MARBLES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Limestones are confined to the southeastern portion of the State. 

Plate XVI shows the location of all the limestone quarries in Minnesota that produced stone during 1912 or 1913.

Practically all the limestones of Minnesota are dolomitic and many 

of them are nearly pure dolomite. Though nearly flat lying and

i Merrill, G. P., Stones for building and decoration, 3d ed., p. 114,1903.
150 STRUCTUEAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

showing little deformation they are more or less recrystallized in 

certain beds so much so .that the rock takes a good polish. Limestone 

suitable for many purposes is obtained. Polished or unpolished 

slabs for wainscoting and flagging; carvings for interior or exterior 

decoration; cut stone, range rock, and rubble are all obtained in 

large amounts. Riprap is quarried extensively, and the production of crushed stone for macadam and concrete is increasing year by 

year. Lime is manufactured in several places, and a limited amount 

of stone is quarried for cement, for sugar refining, iron-ore flux, and 

fertilizer.

COLOR.

Many of the beds are nearly pure white. Such-limestones under 

the microscope are seen to consist of pure calcite or dolomite, with 

the possible admixture of clay or sand grains. Others are yellow 

to buff, from rocks containing minute particles of iron oxide. Certain beds, such as the lower bridge ledge at Mankato, are blue when 

first quarried but rapidly turn buff on exposure, probably from the 

oxidation of iron originally present in them in carbonate form; the 

Platteville limestone is blue where unweathered but is yellow along 

joint planes. In some of the blue ledges, however, the color is more 

permanent. This is well shown in a farmhouse in Dakota County 

(p. 161), which has stood for 47 years, and still retains the distinct 

blue color.

At Ottawa, St. Peter, and Kasota, near Minnesota River, the 

color of the Oneota dolomite in different beds ranges from deep yellow to pink. Winchell l states that the dark color of the "Kasota" 

stone is probably due to the absorption of material from the waters 

of Minnesota River, when it flooded the terrace now being excavated.

The alternation of pink and yellow beds is peculiar and a chemical 

and microscopic investigation to determine its'cause was made in 

the laboratory at the University of Minnesota by A. W. Gauger. 

As iron is the common impurity giving pink, buff, or yellow colors to 

limestone, careful determinations were made of total iron and also 

ferrous iron, it being thought that the degree of oxidation might affect 

the color. In determining the ferrous iron the samples were crushed, 

but not ground, to pass through an 80-mesh sieve and were decomposed 

and dissolved in an atmosphere of C02 according to the method of 

W. F. Hillebrand.2 Total iron was determined by the ReinhartZimmerman method: 3

1 Winchell, N. H., Final report on the geology of Minnesota: Minnesota Geol. Survey, vol. 1, p. 165,1.888

2 U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 422,- p. 223,1910.

s The process of determining total iron as FeO was as follows: Solution in HCI, addition of H^SOi, evaporation to drive off HCI, solution in water, reduction of iron by HjS (see U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 422, pp. 

107-108), expulsion of H2S by C02 and titration by N/50 KMnO< which had been standardized against a 

known Bureau of Standards solution. The ferrous iron was determined from a crushed (not ground) 

sample (idem, p. 21) by J. P. Cooke's method (idem, p. 169).
U. S. GEOOGICAL SURVEY

A. GEN. SIBLEY'S HOUSE, MENDOTA, MINIM. 

Built of Platteville limestone in 1835.

 - -

B. ENTRANCE OF LIBRARY BUILDING, CARLTON COLLEGE, NORTHFIELD, MINN. 

Constructed of " Kasota" stone.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. . 151 

Percentage of total and ferrous iron in pink and yellow " Kasota" stone.

Total iron determined as FcO .......................................................

Pink.

0.708

.250

Yellow.

0.504

.152

It may be questioned whether so small an amount of iron could 

give so deep a color, but many specimens of red orthoclase colored 

by minute inclusions of hematite (Fe203) have been analyzed and 

found to contain less than 1 per cent of iron. The ratio of ferrous 

iron in terms of FeO to total iron in terms of FeO is practically the 

same in each specimen tested, 0.35 to 0.30, making it evident that 

neither the difference in total amount of iron nor the difference in the 

degree of oxidation is great enough to account for the marked change 

in color.

Thin sections of both rocks were made and studied under a magnification of 740 diameters. In each section, when thus magnified, the 

main mass was gray in color. In the one were minute red specks,, 

evidently of hematite (Fe203), and in the other yellow grains which 

appeared to be limonite (2Fe203 .3H20). It appears, therefore, that 

the variation in color is due rather to the degree of hydration than to 

oxidation of the iron. An attempt to'estimate the amount of water 

combined with the iron appeared impracticable on account of the 

small percentage of iron and the large percentage of clay.

DURABILITY OF ARGILLACEOUS LIMESTONE.

Certain of the Platteville beds at St. Paul and Minneapolis contain 

thin bands of shale which disintegrate readily, destroying the .uniformity of the surface and seriously weakening the rock. Thus in 

many buildings in St. Paul and Minneapolis alternating horizontal 

ridges and depressions are conspicuous. About 4 miles west of St. 

Paul, at Mendota, the Platteville limestone used in the construction of 

Gen. Sibley's house (PI. XVII, A) has stoo'd for 79 years with almost 

no sign of disintegration; it appears therefore to be much purer than 

the stone at St. Paul. Chemical analysis shows, however, that the 

stone at Mendota contains 26.66 per cent insoluble matter, in which 

kaolin greatly predominates. In the stone at St. Paul and Minneapolis the clay is concentrated in beds and interstratified with 

limestone, whereas in the stone at Mendota it is uniformly distributed throughout the mass, a condition which results in a more 

stable and permanent rock structure. Apparently, then, the percentage of clay present has little influence on the durability, the manner of 

distribution being of more importance.
152 STRUGTUEAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

The general conditions of the trade in building stone are outlined on 

page 117. Many small limestone quarries are now idle and several new 

ones' are being opened. In many places quarries have been opened 

to obtain stone for some specific structure, on completion of which 

the quarry has become inactive. Many others have a large supply 

of very handsome and durable rock but are kept in idleness by the 

high price of labor, the expense of transportation, and the adaptability of concrete as a substitute, especially for rubble. Concrete 

foundations for barns and houses have been noted within a few yards 

of quarries. On the other hand, the growing desire for attractiveness, permanence, and dignity, which massive stone masonry can 

alone supply, provides a steady demand for the fine-grained, uniform, 

buff or yellow limestones and dolomites that are found at so many 

places in southeastern Minnesota. Greater enterprise on the part of 

many quarry owners would widen their markets. Some of the most 

beautiful limestones in the State are unknown outside the villages or 

townships where they are located.

QUABBY METHODS.

In quarries where structural blocks are obtained large masses are 

marked out by rows of drill holes, the depths of the holes being 

governed by the thickness of the beds. Steam drills are usually 

employed for deep drilling. Drill holes are. commonly grooved with 

a " reamer" to insure straight splitting, and where this is done fewer 

holes are required. Small powder blasts, exploded simultaneously by 

electricity, break the whole mass loose. If it is desired to break the 

rock at a joint, the drill holes are placed 6 inches or a foot back of 

the joint; the intervening rock acts as a cushion and prevents shattering of the block. Often a large block is separated by a single drill 

hole. Some limestone quarries employ the Knox system, by which 

the drill hole is grooved with a reamer and a plug of cotton or similar 

material placed 1 to 2 feet above the light powder charge and tamped 

with earth. The air space above the charge distributes the explosive 

force and causes a more effective break and at the same time prevents 

the shattering likely to occur when the whole energy of the charge 

is concentrated at one point. Vertical channeling machines are employed at Kasota'only.

When large blocks are loosened further splitting in vertical directions is accomplished by the plug and feather method. (See p. 65.) 

In most limestone quarries the drilling for plug and feather is done 

by hammer and short hand drills. lin a few places long drills without 

hammers are employed, the weight of the drill when raised and 

dropped being sufficient. Pneumatic drills are not used extensively.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. ' 153

Further splitting of blocks in the horizontal plane is accomplished 

by wedging where bedding planes are sufficiently open to allow wedges 

to enter and by the plug and feather method where the planes are too 

close. Horizontal channeling machines are not used in Minnesota.

Where riprap or rubble are produced the rock is shattered by 

blasting and is further divided by crowbar, wedge, and stone hammer. 

Such methods are used chiefly in thin-bedded rocks.

Where stone for crushing is quarried, heavy charges of dynamite 

are used, as the purpose is to break the rock up as much as possible.

Derricks consist of .tall masts, usually of wood, held in place by 

steel cables. The movable booms as a rule are also of wood. In 

small quarries horsepower is employed for hoisting and in larger ones 

either steam or electric power.

QUARRY DESCRIPTIONS. 

ANOKA COUNTY.

THe Platteville limestone outcrops at the extreme south of Anoka 

County in Fridley Township. This outcrop represents the most 

northerly exposure of the Platteville on Mississippi River. Some of 

it was quarried in sec. 34 many years ago.

BLUE EARTH COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

The following formations outcrop in Blue Earth County along the 

valley of Minnesota River and its larger tributaries, the Blue Earth 

and the Little Le Sueur:

Pleistocene: Drift. 

Cretaceous: Clay and sand. 

Ordovician: Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence limestone.

The Oneota and St. Lawrence are the only formations from which 

building stone may be obtained.

The St. Lawrence limestone outcrops only at Judson, where it was 

quarried many years ago. In quality it is inferior to the Oneota 

dolomite, being thinly bedded, closely jointed, and lacking in strength. 

As the beds are low lying, quarrying conditions are unfavorable and 

the rock is not quarried in Blue Earth County.

The Oneota dolomite outcrops in a number of places along the 

tributary streams as far as Garden City and Rapidan. Years ago it 

was quarried to a considerable extent, mainly for local buildings, but 

for a number of years operations have practically ceased.

Outcrops are also numerous along the Minnesota River valley. 

TheKasota terrace (see p. 175) continues toMankato, and rock appears 

in many places, especially along stream-eroded valleys. On account
154 STRUCTURAL- AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

of the large blocks obtainable, their uniformity, high tensile strength, 

and attractive appearance the limestone of Blue Earth County is noted 

for its adaptability to heavy masonry and bridge construction. 

Smaller building blocks and crushed stone for concrete construction 

are important secondary products. Riprap and waste material are 

used for railroad ballast and for filling in low places in the city. The 

quarries now operating in the county are those owned by the Mankato 

Limestone & Fuel Co., the T. R. Coughlan Co., Fowler & Pay, James 

McClure, the Widell Co., and the Carney Bricklayer's Cement Co. 

Other quarries were formerly worked but are now idle. Near Bradley's crossing, at the northern extremity of the county, Fowler & Pay 

opened a quarry in 1887 and worked it for a short time. J. R. Beatty

& Co. operated a quarry in sec. 20,

Lime Township.

BRADLEY QUARRY.

On the property of G. R. Bradley, 

| of Mankato, in the NW. i sec. 20, T. 

| 109 N.,R. 26 W., a deep stream-cut 

I valley exposes the rock in several 

I places. The outcrops are on the 

- same terrace and at approximately 

ft the same level as the Kasota quarries. Two shallow excavations 

and one diamond-drill boring were 

made. Unfortunately the boring 

was too near the edge of the bluff 

| to obtain a fair se'ction, for rock 

Si alteration or even displacement of 

the beds might extend some disFIGURE i9.-verticai section of the wideii Co. tance from the valley. One of the 

quarry, Mankato, Minn. excavations was badly caved and 

concealed the lower beds. In the other the removal of 1 to 3 feet of 

soil and several feet of broken rock disclosed fairly good ledges. The 

rock contains some vugs filled with calcite crystals, but these, according to observations made- in other quarries, are probably confined to the surface layers. Some deep yellow but no pink rock 

occurs in the pits. The drill core, however, shows some pink rock 

that takes good polish.

An average of analyses by F. F. Grout of three samples from this 

locality shows calcium carbonate 52.62 per cent and magnesium carbonate 38.78 per cent. The remainder, chiefly aluminum and iron, 

estimated by difference, is 8.6 per cent. The aluminum indicates 

the presence of a little clay; the iron is coloring matter.

Economic conditions are favorable. The presence of the ravine 

permits shelf quarrying and facilitates removal of waste rock. The

3' 

5'

8'

4'

6

3'

5'

5'

.4'

fo£.»i«;r. | ';y.'H»"1; o''i'W'i~ 

 °° '<= ' -°. /? . ' " .0

i i

i i i

i i i i i i i i

i i

i i

i i

i i i ' i ' i

i i

i i

 i 

i i

i i

i i

Soil (waste) 

Riprap

Gray ledge (top 

Red ledge

Shale

Blue ledge 

Floor of main qi 

Curly ledge

Cement ledge 

. Sandstone

ledge) 

larry
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. ' 155

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is near by, and a 

siding from it has been built to the larger excavation. Rock owned by 

Morgan BrooKs, on adjoining property to the south and west, has been 

quarried and polished and is of good quality. This section of the 

terrace seems worthy of investigation.

M'CLURE AND WIDELL QUARRIES.

About 3 miles northeast of Mankato, James McClure and the Widell 

Co. have extensive quarries, which are similar in essential features. 

The Widell Co. has excavated to a depth of 35 feet (see fig. 19) in a 

buff-colored dolomitic limestone, most of which is somewhat too porous 

to take good polish and is best adapted for heavy masonry. 

' The so-called "curly ledge" is the probable continuation of the 

"H. & D." ledge at Kasota, being at the same approximate horizon 

and like the "H. & D." ledge, containing knots and having irregular 

uneven bedding. The bridge ledge is the most valuable, supplying 

large blocks of good quality for bridge abutments and culverts. 

Parts of the red ledge are crystalline and take a good polish and therefore may be classed as marble. The beds dip to the south about 5 

feet in 100. Bedding planes are 2 to 6 feet apart, and joints are vertical, 4 to 15 feet apart. Two jointing systems run east-west and 

north-south. Drainage is poor, springs occurring in every ledge but 

chiefly at the shale bed shown in figure 19.

These companies, which have operated for many years, have sidings 

from the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha line, and have 

provided stone for such structures as the State Capitol at St. Paul, 

the Minnesota State Prison at Stillwater, and a number of bridges on 

the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, notably at Boone and Cedar 

Rapids, Iowa.

According to strength tests made by W. H. Kavanaugh, of the University of Minnesota, in 1907 the rock is very strong and is thus suitable 

for any sort of bridge work where great crushing strength is required.

A chemical analysis by F. F. Grout of a dry sample of the rock 

from the bridge ledge shows the following composition:

Analysis of rock from bridge ledge, McClure & Widell Co. quarries, Blue Earth County,

Minn.

Silica (Si02)................................................... 7.35

Alumina (A1203 )............................................... 4.51

Iron oxide (Fe203)............................................. ". 96

Titanium oxide (Ti203 )......................................... .08

Calcium carbonate (CaC03 )'.................................... 48.26

Magnesium carbonate (MgC03 ) 2 ................................. 38.67

Phosphorus oxide (P205)........................................ .06

99.89 

i Calculated from CaO=27.05 per cent. 2 Calculated from MgO=18.r>o per cent.
156 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF- MINNESOTA. 

JEFFERSON AND WILLARD QUARRIES.

A^out 1£ miles northeast of Mankato a stream tributary to Minnesota River has cut a steep-walled ravine in a perpendicular limestone bluff. On the northeast side of this ravine and on the neighboring bluff of Minnesota River are quarries owned by A. Jefferson & Son 

and by M. G. Willard, and on the southwest side is a quarry owned 

by the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. None of these were in 

operation in 1912. The rock is^similar to that obtained in the McClure 

and the Widell quarries. The upper ledges contain numerous cavities filled with calcite and quartz crystals. A section of the Jefferson 

quarry shows beds almost identical with those at the Widell Co.'s 

quarry, despite the fact that the two quarries are more than a mile 

apart.

Section in the Jefferson quarry, Blue Earth County, Minn. 

Top. Feet.

Limestone.................................................... 6-7

Building stone................................................ 3$

Red ledge..................................................... 4

White stone that takes polish................................... 

Bridge ledge................................................. i

Shale......................................................... 2$

Blue ledge, flagging stones..................................... 5

Cement stone, burns to cement................................ 6-8

Jordan sandstone.

QUARRIES IN MANKATO.

General features. The remaining quarries of Blue Earth County 

are within the limits of the city of Mankato. A prominent bluff, 

the exposed part of the preglacial rock terrace, begins three-fourths 

of a mile north of the railway station, and stretches continuously for 

nearly half a mile in full view of travelers who enter Mankato by rail 

from the north. The horizontal beds and the vertical joints give 

the cliff face the appearance of heavy artificial masonry. A buff 

dolomitic limestone is excavated by three companies on the same 

bluff. (See fig. 20.)

The 3£ foot "red ledge" and the 4-foot "cream ledge" are the only 

beds.adapted for cutting and polishing. They may be classed as 

marble. .With the microscope the rock appears to be a somewhat 

crystalline, fairly even grained limestone, containing a few yellow 

grains of limestone and a little carbonaceous matter. Other beds 

are porous, many of the cavities being filled with ocher. The Mankato quarries are best known by the rock derived from the ' 'bridge 

ledge." The general color tone is buff; the bottom ledge is blue 

but turns slowly buff by oxidization of the iron which it contains. 

The rock is very tough, strong, and durable. It is shipped to distant 

points to construct buildings, bridges, and culverts.
LIMESTONES AND MAEBLES. 157

II

 g-2 

3° 

S| <§!

Physical tests of a sample from the bridge ledge gave; True specific 

gravity, 2.902; percentage of pore space, 6.78; dry weight per cubic 

foot, 169.1 pounds. Under crushing stress the first crack came at 

8,882 pounds per square inch.and final collapse at 11,390 pounds. 

Under transverse breaking stress the modulus of rupture proved to 

be 2,167 pounds per square inch.

Joints are far apart even 20 to 30 feet in the bridge ledge. This 

permits the excavation of very large blocks.

Quarry conditions are excellent. Sidings are built level with the 

quarry floor. Water, which enters only below the bridge ledge, is 

easily drained off 

toward the river. 

The larger masses 

are broken loose by 

light blasting, and 

plugs and feathers 

are employed for 

further vertical 

breaks.

Chicago cfc Northwestern Railway 

'quarry. That part 

of the bluff nearest 

the river is occupied 

by the Chicago & 

Northwestern Kailway quarry. It was 

operated extensively 

in past years but was 

idle in 1912.

Fowler & Pay 

quarry, Fowler & 

Pay occupy the section of the bluff adjacent to the Chicago & 

Northwestern Railway quarry, where they, carry on extensive quarrying. Rock has 

been excavated here for over 20 years. The present output is chiefly 

building stone and bridge rock, with subordinate quantities of riprap, 

crushed rock, and lime, a brown hydraulic type of which is made 

only from the shell rock at the top of the bluff. A sawing machine 

produces cut stone. As will be seen from the description of the ledges 

(p. 156), only certain beds are adapted for polishing. The total output 

ranges from 1,500 to 1,800 carloads annually.

Fowler & Pay operate also at Austin and Le Roy and have offices 

at Minnesota Transfer and Minneapolis.

6

7-10'

15'

2'

2' 

3'

l'

2'

4'

7'

2'

3

'

0"

 »

o"

0"

4" 

6"

0'

6

o"

6

6

'^

1 i ' '

 r-L-rV

i i i

i i i

i i i

i i i

i i i

i i i

i i i

i i i

l l l

i. i i

1 ' '

-1 ' hi i i 

§ i i

i i i i i i i i i i i

-. r-^-r^- 

i i i i i i i i i i i _ i

!'!'!'

i i i

i i i

I | |

1 1 ' 1

Limestone (used for lime)

Sandstone (very friable)

Flinty limestone (crushed only)

Cream-colored dimension stone 

(building)

Red ledge (cut stone) 

Pink dimension stone 

Rough footing 

Building stone

Cream-colored stone 

(some polished)

Bridge ledge

Shale (waste) 

Blue building stone

Sandstone

 50

FIGURE 20. Vertical section of T. R. Coughlan Co. quarry, Mankato, 

Minn.
158 STRUCTURAL AND .ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

T. R. Coughlan Co. quarry. The T. R. Coughlan Co. has excavated 

rock from the third section of the bluff for the last 26 years. The 

chief products are bridge rock, building stone, crushed rock, riprap, 

lime, and a minor amount of cut stone. Bridge rock was supplied 

from this quarry for the Cedar River Bridge, Menominee Junction, 

Wis., and building blocks for the Mother -House and Academy, 

Mankato.

Mankato Limestone <& Fuel Co. quarry. Two blocks east of the 

Coughlan Co. quarry an excavation in the same bluff, is owned by the 

Mankato Limestone & Fuel Co. The rock is of the same type as that 

in the Coughlan quarry, but the bed above the cream ledge is of somewhat better quality. Poor drainage prevents the quarry from being 

worked below the top of the bridge ledge. Transportation is by team 

and wagon. Rock from this quarry was employed in the construction of the Le Sueur Center jail and sheriff's house and in the basement of the Mankato post office.

Carney Bricklayer's Cement Co. quarry. In southwest Mankato, 

on both sides of Blue Earth River, stone is quarried for the manufacture of Carney's bricklayer's cement. This cement is not recommended for concrete construction, but, as the name implies, is used 

for laying brick. It sets slowly, becomes very hard, and is said to be 

superior to lime. The output is about 1,000 barrels a day. It sells 

in Mankato at 50 cents for a barrel of 240 pounds.

DAKOTA COUNTY.

Rock outcrops are numerous in Dakota County and represent a 

number of geologic formations, as follows:

Pleistocene: Drift. 

Ordovician:

Decorah shale.

Platteville" limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Shakopee dolomite.

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian: Jordan sandstone.

The Cambrian sandstones, which outcrop only along the Mississippi 

between Hastings and Nininger, are friable and are useless for structural purposes. The Oneota formation, exposed at Hastings and 

Nininger, supplies dolomite for riprap.

O. CARLSON QUARRY.

About 1905 a small excavation was made in the Oneota dolomite 

at Hastings by Mr. 0. Carlson. The rock is gray in color and though 

the pores are large it is apparently durable. It has a specific gravity 

of 2.626, a pore space of 9.31 per cent, and weighs 148.8 pounds per 

cubic foot.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 159

Joints strike N. 70° E. but are indistinct and far apart. Open 

beds are 3 to 6 feet apart and dip 5° E. Stripping requires the 

removal of 1 to 2 feet of soil and 6 to 8 feet of broken rock. Rock 

could be quarried without pumping only to a depth of about 10 feet, 

for greater depth would bring the excavation below the level of the 

river. Work was carried on but a short time and the excavation is 

scarcely large enough to show the quality of the unaltered stone. 

The product was used for local building of foundations. The railway 

station is about half a mile distant.

GENTZKOW & MOGREEN QUARRY.

About three-fourths of a mile west of Nininger, which is 3 miles 

northwest of Hastings, extensive quarrying is now carried on by 

Gentzkow & Mogreen, who also operate at Minneiska, in Winona 

County. As at Minneiska the Nininger quarries are operated under 

contract for the United States Government for river improvement. 

Quarries were operated in this locality about 50 years ago and at 

different times since then. The present company began operations 

in .1913.

The rock is a yellow to white limestone, for the most part too porous 

to make a desirable building stone, but it is suitable for riprap, which 

constitutes the entire output. A 10-foot ledge near the top, however, 

is fairly free from pores and excessive jointing and is well adapted for 

building blocks. The stripping consists of 4 to 10 feet of soil. Open 

bedding planes are 8 to 14 feet apart. The quarry is well equipped 

with steam and pneumatic drills, and modern machinery for handling 

the stone. The high bluff excavated is close to the river, and the 

rock is carried to the water by cars on tracks. The loaded skips are 

hoisted from the car trucks by a derrick and dumped onto the scows 

without further handling. About 25 men are employed. It is 

planned to excavate approximately 20,000 cubic yards annually for 

at least five years.

BLOMSTRAND & OLSON QUARRY.

At Nininger a quarry similar to that of Gentzkow & Mogreen is 

operated by Blomstrand & Olson under contract for the United 

States Government. Most of the rock is yellow and very porous. 

About 11 men are employed, and it was planned to excavate 10,000 

cubic yards during the summer of 1913. The rock is transported by 

scows to the vicinity of St. Paul, where it is.used in river protection.

MENDOTA QUARRIES.

The Platteville limestone outcrops abundantly in the northwestern 

townships and forms the upper part of the bold bluffs which flank 

Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. It has been quarried in several
160 STBUCTUEAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

places, the most notable of which is Mendota. On the bluff where 

St. Peter's Church stands and on property now owned by the church 

is an abandoned quarry which is probably the second opened in the 

State. (See fig. 21.) A thickness of only 8 feet of rock can be used, 

but the area available is very extensive.

The beds near the top are 1 to 4 inches thick, but lower ones are 

progressively thicker, the lowest measuring 8 to 14 inches. Joints 

are irregular, but blocks 1 to 2£ feet long are obtainable. The rock 

is blue, becoming yellow upon exposure. Fossils are present but 

do not appreciably affect the quality. Some shale layers occur but 

are not so prominent as in the rock quarried at St. Paul. The rock, 

as shown by a partial chemical analysis, contains calcium carbonate, 45.77 per cent; magnesium carbonate, 24:75 per cent; insoluble 

in hydrochloric acid, 26.66 per cent; and is therefore a highly dolomitic limestone. In thin section it is seen to be very uniform and 

granular, showing much clay, a few rusty streaks, and very few

_ quartz grains.

This quarry supplied 

the stone for Gen. Sibley's 

house, which was built at 

Mendota in 1835 and is 

probably the oldest stone 

Ji o building in Minnesota. 

The exterior of the house 

has never been altered 

and is still excellently 

preserved (see PI. XVII,

FIGURE 21. Vertical section of Mendota quarry. A -irn\ii_ 'U'.i.'u A, p. 150), tnougn it nas 

turned yellow or reddish yellow by oxidation.

The old Faribault House, a short distance west of Gen. Sibley's 

house, once a famous roadhouse but now utilized for grain storage, 

is also of solid stone. Two of its walls, still in excellent condition, 

were built of stone from the Mendota quarries and two of St. Peter 

sandstone. (See pp. 210-211.)

The Platteville limestone is exposed in many parts of the county and 

has been quarried in numerous small openings for local buildings.1 

Most of the quarries are now idle or are operated only at intervals, as 

occasion demands. Quarries are situated in Burnsville, Lakeville, 

Eureka, Sciota, Castle Rock, and Empire townships, but as conditions are similar in all of them only one is described.

AIKEN QUARRY.

In sec. 24, Lakeville Township, about 2^ miles northwest of Farmington, a quarry was opened about 50 years ago by Daniel F. Aiken.1

1 Winchell, N. H., Final report on the geology of Minnesota: Minnesota Geol. Survey, vol. 2, p. 85, 1888.

:o:->.:?-->-Q.^£/-

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

l l 1

 -

""'' : ^®§

Soil and thin-bedded rock

Limestone (good building stone)

Blue shale

-Quarry floor -1 

.Sandstone

3' m
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 161

and is now owned by his heirs. It has been worked intermittently 

for about 30 years. It is on a hillside and is of the shelf or bench type. 

It shows the following vertical section:

Section at Aiken quarry, Dakota County, Minn.

Feet.

Soil. ........................................................... 2

Thin-bedded rock................................................ 4

Good stone..................................................... 6

The amount of overburden to be removed would increase greatly 

if the quarry were worked back into the hill. The rock is yellow by 

surface weathering but was originally blue, as is shown by the blue 

cores of the larger blocks. Bedding planes are horizontal and are 

very close together in the upper part but lie farther and farther 

apart as the depth increases until at 12 to 14 feet they are 6 to 14 

inches apart. Some beds are more claylike than others and disintegrate more readily. Thin clay seams appear but are not so pronounced as in the stone at St. Paul. The durability of the stone is 

well illustrated in a farmhouse not far from the quarry, which was 

built in 1866 and is still excellently preserved. The process of 

oxidation is evidently slow, as the larger blocks still exhibit clearly 

the characteristic blue cores.

The fire-resisting properties of the stone are well shown in the 

foundation of a barn that was burned in 1886. The heat turned the 

stone red and crumbled it a little on the inner side of the wall but 

evidently did not appreciably affect its strength.

DODGE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Rocks of Ordovician age outcrop along branches of Zumbro River 

in the northeastern part of Dodge County. The following formations 

appear:

Pleistocene:

Drift and loess. 

Ordovician:

Galena limestone.

Decorah shale.

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Shakopee limestone.

The Platteville limestone was quarried many years ago near 

Concord, on North Middle Branch of Zumbro River. The best 

quarry rock, however, is the Galena limestone near Wasioja and 

Mantorville, on South Middle Branch of Zumbro River. The rock 

is a yellow to buff dolomitic limestone, though blue where not 

exposed to weathering agencies. It is pitted in places. Several

95545° 18 Bull. 663 11
162 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

large quarries were operated many years ago but are all abandoned 

and overgrown at present. The following section at one of them is 

quoted from N. H. Winchell's report:1

Section at old quarry in Dodge County, Minn.

Ft. in.

1. Loose fragments............................................. 4 0

2. Beds of vesicular magnesian limestone, almost free from iron,

measuring from 6 to 20 inches............................ 30 10

3. Thin, slaty, argillo-magnesian beds......................... 1 6

4. Good heavy beds of magnesian limestone, same as No. 2..... 11 6

5. Thinner shaley beds........................................ 5 0

6. Heavy beds of buff limestone with considerable shale........ 20 0

72 10 

M'DONOUGH QUARRY.

All the old quarries are idle, btft one more recently opened on rock 

of the same type is in operation. In general the beds are 2£ to 3 feet 

thick, and in consequence massive blocks suitable for heavy bridge 

work may be obtained. Major joints strike N. 56° E. and are 

2 to 3 feet apart. Secondary joints strike N. 25° W. and are 5 feet 

or more apart. The rock is used for local structural purposes, 

mainly for foundation work. It is strong, durable, and attractive.

FTLLMORE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Fillmore County is drained almost entirely by Root River, the 

main channel and tributaries of which have cut deep ravines with 

many precipitous exposures. The relief is great and the following 

geologic formations are exposed:

Pleistocene: Drift and loess. 

Cretaceous: Conglomerates. 

Devonian: Limestone. 

Ordovician:

Galena limestone.

Decorah shale.

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Oneota and Shakopee dolomites. 

Cambrian: Jordan sandstone.

The building stones are the Oneota, Platteville, Galena, or Devonian 

limestones. The Devonian outcrops only on hilltops in western 

Fillmore County and is quarried in only one place, all other quarries 

being in the Platteville and the Oneota, of Ordovician age.

Winchell,2 in 1884, mentioned many quarries in different parts 

of the county, but a number of them have been idle for many years

.1 Winchell, N. H., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 373. 2 Idem, pp. 280-307,
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 163

and are not mentioned here. The most promising rock is in the 

Oneota formation, which lies in the hilltops near Eushford and 

neighboring towns.

ELY QUARRY.

Devonian rocks occur only on hilltops in western Fillmore County 

and at present are worked only in a quarry about three-fourths of a 

mile east of Spring Valley station, about 50 feet higher than the o 

track at Spring Valley station, and about 1,308 feet above sea level. 

The quarry was opened about 1878 and was worked intermittently 

until 1908, when the present owner, T. M. Ely, obtained possession. 

Since that time it has been worked to some extent every year. 

All the rock excavated during the early period was from the upper 

craggy and porous ledge. When the present owner began operations 

he excavated the next lower bed, which is about 5 or 6 feet thick 

and is of much better quality, being almost free of cavities. The 

rock is known locally as "sandstone," though in reality it is a highly 

fossiliferous sandy limestone. It is pale yellow in color with wavy 

red streaks, and is strong and durable. Chemically it is a highly 

magnesian limestone, containing 56.50 per cent calcium carbonate, 

40.27 per cent magnesium carbonate, and 1.39 per cent (probably 

silica) insoluble in hydrochloric acid.

Joints are very irregular but are sufficiently far apart to allow 

fair-sized blocks. Quarrying is easy, as very little stripping is required. It is intended to begin operations on the next lower bed in 

the near future. This at present can not be examined, but if the 

quality holds or improves the quarry promises to be desirable. 

One steam drill is now employed. The rock is good for foundations 

or for entire structures and, being within easy hauling distance of 

Spring Valley, can be laid down there more cheaply than rock from 

other quarries.

CAREY QUARRY.

Platteville and Galena limestones outcrop as prominent bluffs 

along several streams in the county; and the Platteville has been 

quarried along the bluffs of Bear and Deer creeks north of Spring 

Valley. .-

The quarry in the Platteville which has been worked the longest 

and most extensively is that owned by W. H. Carey, 4 miles north of 

Spring Valley in the bluff of Deer Creek. It is admirably situated 

for excavation and easy loading, the quarry wall rising as a vertical 

cliff about 40 feet high from about the level of the wagon road. By 

aneroid reading the base of the quarry is 50 feet below the level of 

the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul tracks at Spring Valley and is 

about 100 feet lower than that of the Bly quarry, in the Devonian 

formation,
164 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The Carey quarry shows the following vertical section reading 

downward:

Section in the Carey quarry, Fillmore County, Minn.

Feet.

Broken and nodular limestone................................. 6

Porous limestone, some cavities $ to 1 inch across............... 12-14

Thick-bedded limestone with few cavities...................... 16-18

The beds are 2 to 4 feet thick. Open vertical joints meet nearly 

at right angles and are far apart in one place 25 feet apart and 

large blocks of good solid stone are available. Like the Platteville in 

many other localities the rock is blue at a distance from the seams 

and yellow where exposed to oxidation. Microscopic study shows 

it to be fine grained and uniform though somewhat porous. It contains very little coloring matter. Chemically it consists of 76.44 per 

cent calcium carbonate, 20.45 per cent magnesium carbonate, and 

1.96 insoluble in hydrochloric acid. It was quarried extensively many 

years ago, both for building blocks for local use and for lime (said 

to be somewhat hydraulic), which was manufactured and shipped 

away in great quantities. At present no lime is made, partly on 

account of the decreased demand owing to .extensive concrete construction and partly because fuel is much more expensive than -in 

former years. Although this is a good stone for building purposes, 

its distance from railways will probably prevent its employment for 

all but local uses. None was taken out in 1913.

A mile upstream is a quarry owned by George Wilbrecht. The 

rock is much the same but in thinner beds. It has not been worked 

for several years.

OXHEB QUARRIES NEAR SPRING VALLEY.

About 8 miles farther northeast, in sec. 36, Sumner Township, 

are numerous outcrops along the bluffs of Bear Creek. Quarries in 

these ledges are owned by H. A. Palmer and W. W. Reynolds. The 

Palmer quarry, close to Washington, is a sandy limestone of good 

building quality, but has been little excavated of late years. The 

Reynolds quarry was opened in 1912 to supply rock for constructing 

a bridge over Bear Creek. The rock is less sandy and is good for 

bridge, culvert, or foundation construction.

Farther east, in a quarry owned by Edward Rath in the same formation, the rock is similar and is quarried for local purposes only. 

Near the town of Fillmore is a quarry owned by Charles Shultz from 

which much rock was taken in 1912 for road construction.

CLAYTON QUARRY.

Many of the low hills in the vicinity of Chatfield in the extreme 

north of Fillmore County, are capped with the Platteville limestone, 

and.on one of these hills, about half a mile from the Chicago & Northwestern Railway station at Chatfield, a quarry, now operated by
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 165

E. L. Clayton, was opened about 40 years ago. The rock is a dense, 

fine-grained, bluish-yellow limestone.

Major joints strike N. 63° E. and are vertical and 4 to 5 feet apart. 

Secondary joints strike north and N. 70° W. and are 2 to 3 feet apart. 

Beds are distinct and 4 to 18 inches in thickness. The rock splits 

easily. There is considerable variation in the color and texture of 

the rock in different beds. Interbedded shales, fossils, and cherty or 

limy concretions appear in places. Stripping requires the removal 

of 4 to 5 feet of soil. No rock is shipped, the whole output being 

used in Chatfield as range rock or foundation stone. It is attractive 

in color and quite durable.

QUARRIES NEAR LANESBORO.

Eastward from Spring Valley the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 

Railway follows the valley of Root River. It drops rapidly from the 

high level of the Devonian rocks to the Galena and Platteville formations, and then to that of the Ordovician sandstone, which outcrops 

between Fountain and Isinours. Ordovician limestone, appears 

west of Isinours and continues prominently for many miles eastward. 

The Oneota is quarried at Lanesboro for local purposes. Quarries 

are owned by George Ness, Ole Ensrud, and the village of Lanesboro. 

Rock is excavated at irregular intervals as required for foundations, 

culverts, and bridges, etc., in the vicinity.

QUARRIES NEAR WHALEN AND PETERSON.

At Whalen and Peterson towering cliffs of Oneota dolomite along 

the river bluff are quarried by 0. E. Tew, of Peterson, for barn and 

house foundations. H. A. Bertrand and Ole Hogen operate quarries 

4 and 5 miles, respectively, from Peterson, also for local use.

 AKRE & DAHL QUARRY.

The Akre & Dahl quarry, about a mile northeast of Rushford station, was opened many years ago and was formerly known as the 

"Old Highland quarry." The quarry floor is approximately 225 feet 

above the railroad tracks, at the top of a steep and winding road, 

down which the. rock is hauled by teams.

The upper portion of the quarry wall, 10 to 20 feet thick, consists 

of soil and broken stone, beneath which is a ledge 6 to 15 feet thick. 

Beneath it is a solid bed 12 to 14 feet thick of one of the purest and 

best limestones in Minnesota.

In thin section the limestone is seen to be extremely fine grained 

and pure, the only foreign material being a very few grains of carbonaceous matter and rarely a speck of iron oxide. As shown by 

chemical analysis the rock consists of 51.50 per cent calcium carbonate; 38.98 per cent magnesium carbonate; and 6.34 per cent
166 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

insoluble in hydrochloric acid. The proportion of magnesium is a little 

lower than that required for a dolomite. The insoluble portion is 

probably clay.

Open joints filled with clay are spaced irregularly but at considerable distances apart, and blocks of any desired size may be obtained. 

The fine-grained uniform texture of the stone, combined with its pale 

yellow to milky-white color, make it exceedingly attractive. A few 

reddish streaks run parallel with the bedding, and occasionally a 

small cavity appears; these, however, are fare.

So far the stone has been used in local buildings only. During the 

summer of 1912 the Masonic Temple of Rushford was built of it. 

The Lutheran Church, built in 1906, and the Rushford School are 

other representative structures. The uniformity of the stone, its 

freedom from blemish, and its attractive color should gain it a wide 

market.

NELSON QUARRY.

On a neighboring bluff a similar quarry owned by Charles Green 

is operated at times by Martin Nelson. It is not developed as extensively as the one described above, and was not operating hi 1913.

GOODHUE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

A number of valuable stone quarries in Goodhue County promise 

long-continued production. The following geologic formations outcrop :

Pleistocene: Drift and loess. 

Cretaceous: Shale and clay. 

Ordovician:

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone. . .

Shakopee limestone.

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence limestone.

Near the Mississippi the quarries are in the Oneota formation and 

in the southwestern part in the Platteville.

The chief center of the stone industry in Goodhue County is at 

Red Wing, near which are five active quarries, all in similar stone.

The base of all the quarries is approximately at the same level, 

about 300 feet above the railroad at Red Wing station. ' The beds 

used form a total thickness of 25 to 45 feet. The rock is pale, yellow 

to white, of uniform texture, and, though somewhat porous, is enduring, as shown in structures which have stood for many years. Some 

flinty layers are present and a little iron stain appears in places.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 167

Open bedding planes are 2 to 6 feet apart, and closed seams assist 

greatly in splitting the beds into more suitable thicknesses. Most of 

the jointing planes are indistinct and irregular but are spaced sufficiently far apart to permit the excavation of large blocks. All the 

quarries have the same shaly floor and the same 4|-foot basic layer 

of yellow rock with flattened ocher-filled cavities, above which lies 

the white to pale-yellow rock. An average specimen of the stone 

which is used for structural purposes has a true specific gravity of 

2.644, a porosity of 10.46 per cent, and a dry weight of 148 pounds 

per cubic foot.

The rock is employed for foundation stone, even-course cut stone, 

riprap, and lime. Several important structures in Red Wing were 

made of "Red Wing" stone. The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran 

Church was built of it in 1895, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 

1905, and the Methodist Church in 1908. They are all beautiful structures, both in architectural design and in attractiveness of material. 

The rock is durable.

BJOBK QUARRY.

Near East Seventh Street, Red Wing, a quarry owned by Johannes 

Johnson is operated by A. Bjork. Riprap, range rock, and lime are 

produced. With the microscope the rock appears as a fine-grained, 

even-textured dolomite, containing a few quartz grams. Chemical 

analysis shows that it consists of 50 per cent calcium carbonate, 

39.79 per cent magnesium carbonate, and 6.02 per cent insoluble 

in hydrochloric acid. Calcium and magnesium carbonates are present almost in .the proportion in dolomite. The quarry is about half 

a mile from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway track.

'DAHL QUARRY.

A. M. Dahl has operated a quarry in East Red Wing since 1904. 

No lime is made. The chief output is building stone, little riprap 

being produced on account of the 1^-mile haul by team and wagon. 

The Red Wing Methodist Church was built of this stone.

LILLYBLAD QUARRIES.

Close to the Dahl quarry is one owned by Fred Glover and operated 

under lease by Gust Lillyblad. It is quarried extensively for lime, 

with a small production of riprap and building stone. Cable cars 

convey the stone down the hill and beneath Seventh Street to lime 

kilns beside the railroad track.

On Bond Street, about 2 miles south of the Chicago, Milwaukee & 

St. Paul station is a quarry owned by Gust Lillyblad, which, according to Winchell, 1 was formerly owned by Mr. Berglund, and was

i Winchell, N. H., op. cit., 160.
168 STRUCTURAL AND ORtfAME ETTAL STOtfES OF MINNESOTA.

opened in 1868. Some ledges are almost pure white and the rest 

yellow. Lime was manufactured here at one time, but none is 

now made. Some riprap is shipped to St. Paul, though the chief 

output is range rock for local use. The rock is porous, especially in 

the upper layers, where many geodes of calcite and quartz occur.

HAGLUND QUARRY.

Across the road from the Lillyblad quarry is one owned by Andrew 

Haglund. It was first operated by Andrew Donaldson over 40 years 

ago. Some riprap is taken out in winter, but the chief product is 

building stone.

Other quarry areas in Goodhue County are near Frontenac, Cannon 

Falls, and Pine Island.

FRONTENAC STONE CO. QUARRY.

The Frontenac stone quarry, in the Oneota formation about 

2 miles northeast of Frontenac station, was opened many years ago. 

After three years of inactivity it resumed operations in 1913. The 

quarry floor is approximately 260 feet above the railroad level. 

A bed of high-grade stone about 8 feet thick is excavated with some 

difficulty owing to greatly increased overburden when the quarry is 

worked back into the face of the hill. Much rock is available, however, by working along the face of the hill. The stone is pale yellow 

to white, with uniform texture and though porous.is well adapted to 

work requiring bush-hammered surface. A partial analysis shows 

52.50 per cent calcium carbonate, 41.24 per cent magnesium carbonate, and 4.27 per cent insoluble in hydrochloric acid. Under 

crushing stress the first crack came at 6,874 pounds per square inch 

and final collapse at 8,017 pounds. Under "transverse breaking stress 

the modulus of rupture proved to be 1,367 pounds per square inch.

The stone is employed both in interior and exterior structural work 

or trimming. The Lake City High School and the Girls' College of 

the Red Wing Training School were made from it, and it was used also 

to some extent in the old capitol at St. Paul. Stone is now being 

supplied for part of the interior work of the Cathedral of St. John 

the Divine, in New York City. Better railroad facilities would probably increase production.

JOHNSON (O. P.) QUARRY.

The most important quarry in the Platteville of Goodhue County 

is that owned by G. P. Johnson at Cannon Falls. It was opened 

many years ago and was bought by the present owner in 1891. It is 

on a high bluff about half a mile from the Chicago Great Western 

Railway tracks. About 2 feet of stripping is required, below which 

the quarry face is about 10 feet high. The color is at first blue but
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 169

weathers yellow. Beds are 3 to 10 inches thick and have no apparent 

dip. Joints are very irregular and meet in places at acute angles; 

the most prominent are N. 45° W. and N. 70° E. Shale beds are 

confined to spaces between the solid thick beds of limestone and are 

easily disposed of as waste material. In this respect the stone at 

Cannon Falls is of higher quality then that in the same formation at 

St. Paul and Minneapolis, where thin-bedded shales are scattered 

throughout the building-stone beds. The stone at Cannon Falls is 

attractive, durable, and has no serious blemishes. The First Congregational Church, built in 1907, the old schoolhouse, and several 

business blocks are made from this rock. It is well adapted for 

even-course building stone.

JOHNSON (BEET) QUARRY.

Bert Johnson owns a small quarry south of Cannon Falls in the 

Platteville limestone. The quarry was idle in 1911, but in 1912 it 

supplied stone for a new wing of the Cannon Falls schoolhouse. The 

rock is similar in every respect to that just described.

DUTCHER QUARRY.

Several quarries at one time worked in the vicinity of Pine Island 

are at present inactive. About half a mile northeast of the town is 

a small pit once operated by D. L. Dutcher. The rock is the Platte- 

.ville, and, like the stone at Cannon Falls, weathers from blue to 

yellow buff. Beds are 2 to 8 inches thick and dip 5° N. Major 

joints strike north and east, the former vertical and the latter dipping 10° S.; and secondary vertical joints strike N. 75° E. and N. 

35° W.; they are spaced 6 to 15 feet apart. The rock is fairly durable 

but has some shaly layers and contains a number of calcite geodes. 

The pit has not been operated for many years, concrete being used 

exclusively for foundations at Pine Island at the present time.

HENNEPIN COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Rock outcrops in Hennepin County are confined to the vicinity of 

Mississippi River from Fort Snelling to the Anoka County line and 

are consequently chiefly within the limits of the city of Minneapolis. 

The Platteville limestone (Middle Ordovician) and the St. Peter 

sandstone (Lower Ordovician) are the outcropping rocks.

Active quarrying is now conducted in northeast Minneapolis, east 

of Johnson Street and between Johnson Street and Central Avenue, 

near Fifteenth Avenue. Three companies operate large modern 

crushing plants, supplying in all 150,000 to 200,000 cubic yards of 

crushed stone- annually. An area of about 60 acres supports this
170 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

industry, but a considerable part of it is now worked out. An average 

of 10 feet of stripping is required over the whole area. The upper 

beds are argillaceous and are termed "soap rock" by the quarrymen. 

The lower 12 or 14 feet is a hard, dense high-calcium blue limestone, 

containing little clay. The lower beds are suitable for the production 

of rubble and range rock, but none is now produced. The beds dip 

about 3° E.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CAMPUS QUARRY.

The Platteville limestone furnishes the only structural stone in the 

county. It has been quarried very extensively in past years for 

basements and retaining walls, as well as for a considerable number 

of entire structures. A section of the rock bluff near the university 

in southeast Minneapolis shows the following beds:

Section of rock bluff near the university, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Feet. 

Limestone, impure, bluish, fossiliferous, in thin beds, becoming

more shaly near the bottom.................................... 10

Shale, green, becoming more calcareous toward the bottom and top:. 7 

Limestone, argillaceous........................................... 15

Shale, blue................................ ...................... 2

St. Peter sandstone.

The third bed is the one most widely used for structural purposes. 

The argillaceous matter is not in regular laminations but in shaly 

spots and lenses, giving the rock a mottled or blotched color, and is 

too abundant for the rock to be a good building stone. The clay 

masses disintegrate readily, causing the rock to crumble. Where 

unexposed to weathering it is durable and strong and consequently 

is serviceable for backing. Pyrite crystals are present in some of 

the lower beds. In many structures in Minneapolis certain blocks 

are stained by oxidation of the pyrite; others which contain no 

pyrite retain their original blue color for some years and then gradually 

turn buff.

At two places near the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie 

Railroad bridge, and also near Twenty-ninth Avenue S., rubble and 

range rock were quarried extensively until about 1911, when operations ceased. Rock was quarried many years ago on property now 

included in the new campus of the university in southeast Minneapolis. Through a ruling of the park board it is unlikely that any 

further excavation will be attempted at any point along the river 

bluffs within the city.

Near the foot of St. Anthony Falls limestone was quarried and used 

for certain parts of the Great Northern Railway stone-arch bridge (see 

PI. XVIII), which was built during 1882 and 1883. As described by 

John A. Bohland, bridge engineer, the bridge consists of two segmental 

arches of 43.8 feet spans and 25 feet radius; one segmental arch of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY STONE ARCH BRIDGE, MINNE
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 171

40 feet span and 40 feet radius; 16 semicircular arches of 80 feet span 

and 4 segmental arches of 98.7 feet span and 50 feet radius, together 

with piers and abutments. Its total length at grade line is 2,100 feet. 

The work was carried out under the direction of C. C. Smith, chief 

engineer. The material is granite from the east bank of Mississippi 

River near Sauk Rapids, native limestone from quarries near the 

bridge site, and magnesian limestone from Mankato, Minn., Stone 

City, Iowa, and Bridgeport, Wis. Granite was used in the piers 

above the footing courses. The arches and spandrel walls are magnesian limestone backed with native limestone.

MINNESOTA CRUSHED STONE CO. QUARRY.

The Minnesota Crushed Stone Co. has a large excavation east of 

Johnson Street, near Fifteenth Avenue NE. A depth of 6 to 10 feet 

of soil is removed by large dump cars which are loaded by a steam 

shovel. The upper 4 feet is thin-bedded yellow limestone, followed 

by 6 feet of blue gray and 14 to 18 feet of hard blue limestone. An 

analysis of a composite sample taken from top to bottom of the quarry 

shows that the rock has the following composition:

Analysis of composite sample of rock from the Minnesota Crushed Stone Co.'s quarry.

CaC03 ........:............................................... 70.30

MgC03 ........................................................ 13.54

Ala08 ......................................................... .84

FeS............................................................ 2.13

Insoluble.'..................................................... 12.50

99.31

The low percentage of alumina shows that the sample contained 

very little clay. The rock is shattered by heavy blasting, loaded 

into cars, and hauled to the crusher up an inclined track by cable and 

drums. The crushed rock is delivered directly into cars on a siding. 

A new crusher was installed in 1914.

MINNEAPOLIS STONE CO. QUARRY.

Between Johnson Street and Central Avenue large excavations have 

been made by the Minneapolis Stone Co. About 10 feet of sandy 

soil is stripped. At the east side the upper 3 to 4 feet of the rock is 

yellow, but at the west all of it is blue. The total thickness of the 

beds is 14 to 18 feet. An analysis follows:

Analysis of composite sample from Minneapolis Stone Co.'s quarry.

CaC03 ...................................................'.... 80. 00

MgC03 ........................................................ 6.10

A1203 ......................................................... 1.32

Fe203 ----.-.-...-..-.--..-.......-...--...--................. 1. 95

Insoluble...............................:...................... 9.00

98.37
172 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

The whole output is crushed stone, which is used extensively for 

concrete and road construction. The quarry is equipped with all 

modern machinery. A railway siding facilitates transportation.

BLUE LIMESTONE CO. QUARRY

Near the corner of Central Avenue and Fifteenth Avenue NE. 

the Blue Limestone Co. owns 10 acres, most of which is now 

worked out. Ten feet of soil and 3 feet of thin-bedded yellow limestone overlie 11 feet of the dense blue limestone. The chemical composition of the average product is shown by the following analysis by 

A. W. Gauger:

Analysis of composite sample from Blue Limestone Co.'s quarry.

CaC03 ........................................................ 82.06

MgC03 ........................................................ 3.72

AL/V........................................................ KM

Fe-A,......................................................... .71

Insoluble...................................................... 11.90

99.43

Modern machinery is employed for quarrying, transportation, and 

crushing. The Blue Limestone Co. operates a large plant near the 

corner of Broadway and K Street NE. for crushing boulders and 

washing sand and gravel.

ANDERSON QUARRY.

North of the excavation made by the Blue Limestone Co. A. P. 

Anderson quarries similar rock for rubble. The rock is of excellent 

quality for foundations.

JOHNSON QUARRY.

At 1131 Fourth Street NE., about a mile west of the Anderson 

quarry, L. P. Johnson excavates limestone from a city lot 40 feet 

front and 100 feet deep, about half of which is now worked out. 

The rock is covered by 2 feet of soil. The upper 3 feet is thin bedded 

and used only for filling, but the remaining 6 feet is of good quality. 

It is blue when fresh but stains buff along joints. Three joint systems are equally prominent. One system strikes N. 74° E., a second 

N. 17° E., and a third N. 30° W. They are straight, vertical, and 

spaced 15 to 20 feet apart. Rubble is supplied for house foundations.

ROGERS QUARRY.

A similar quarry is operated now and then by Andrew Rogers near 

the corner of Third Street and Thirteenth Avenue NE. Joints 

strike N. 37° W., N. 18° E., and N. 73° E. and are 10 to 20 feet 

apart. The best beds are 6 inches to 1 foot thick. Available stone 

covers an area of about half a city block. Rubble only is produced.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 173 

HORTENBACH QUARRY.

A larger quarry, operated by R. Hortenbach at the corner of Fifth 

Avenue and Fifth Street NE. was opened in 1911 on an available 

area of half an acre, about half of which is now exhausted. After 

stripping 7 feet of soil 13 feet of good rock is available. The upper 

beds are thin, but from the lower part blocks as much as 10 inches 

thick may be obtained. Major joints strike N. 30° W. and N. 21° E. 

and are 10 to 20 feet apart. A minor system strikes N. 75° W. 

Rubble only is produced. The quarry is equipped with a horsepower 

derrick.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT QUARRY.

The United States Government operates a quarry near Minnehaha 

Park on the Mississippi River bluff. The quarry was first opened in 

1907. It was idle for two or three years but was reopened in 1912 

and was worked extensively in 1913. The rock is covered with 18 

feet of glacial till. Its upper 6 feet consists of thin-bedded, alternating layers of limestone and shale, resting upon blue limestone beds 

that have a total thickness of about 30 feet. The rock contains many 

calcite-filled cavities and many fossils. The entire output is crushed 

stone, all of which is employed in the new high dam of reinforced concrete now under construction.

Rock fragments are transported by cars to a crusher below the 

level of the track, are elevated by buckets on an endless chain to a 

bin on the top of the bluff, and are hauled thence by teams about 300 

yards and sent down a chute to skips, which are carried across the 

river by overhead cable. About 18 men excavate 125 to 140 cubic 

yards daily.

HOUSTON COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Abundant rock exposures in Houston County range from Cambrian 

to Middle Ordovician. The following formations outcrop:

Pleistocene: Drift. 

.Ordovician:

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Shakopee limestone.

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

 Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence limestone.

The county is rough and hilly, being deeply intrenched by Root 

River, by Crooked and Winnebago creeks, and by numerous tributaries. The Oneota supplies the only profitable quarry rock in the 

county. Many years ago a somewhat friable sandstone was quarried
174 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

from the top of a bluff near Hokah and used to some extent for building foundations. It is too friable, however, to endure and it has not 

been employed for many years. A little of the Platteville was quarried near Spring Grove years ago.

The Oneota dolomite has been quarried in several places along the 

valley of Root River. Between Hokah and La Crosse a house and a 

three-story brewery, built of stone quarried from the near-by hills, 

are still well preserved and of attractive appearance. Near Hokah 

two quarries are worked occasionally.

BALDWIN QUARRY.

The larger of two quarries near Hokah, owned by Charles Baldwin, 

is a mile southwest of the town. The floor of the quarry is 310 feet 

above the railroad. The quarry shows the following vertical section:

Section in the Charles Baldwin quarry, southwest of Hokah, Minn.

Ft. in. 

Soil......................................................... 2-3

Limestone, thin bedded, yellow.............................. 8 0

Limestone, yellow, porous; with many holes i to ^ inch across in 

horizontal lines partly or completely filled with cherty or 

crystalline quartz......................................... 2 0

Limestone, yellow, porous................................... .26

Same.................................................. 6

Limestone, yellow, with many flinty patches................. 2 0

Limestone, yellow, with few pores and little flint.............. 3 6

Limestone, gray............................................ 8

Limestone, gray, porous, sandy............................... 2 6

Limestone, gray, sandy....................................... 4 0

Of the two grades of stone the gray is somewhat sandy and friable 

and is of poorer quality than the yellow, though it may be used for 

foundation work. Under the microscope the gray rock is somewhat 

crystalline and contains a few grains of quartz. Where observed in 

foundation walls it is durable and attractive.

PILGBR QUARRY.

Louis Pilger owns a quarry in the same formation on an adjoining 

bluff, from which similar stone may be obtained. It has not ope'rated 

for a number of years.

DUFPY QUARRY.

Near Caledonia several quarries have been worked extensively and 

have prOvideol stone for many foundations and a number of complete 

structures. Caledonia lies at an altitude higher than Hokah. The 

railroad drops with a heavy grade toward Reno and passes near 

available outcrops of Oneota dolomite 2 or 3 miles east of Caledonia.

Two miles east of Caledonia a quarry owned by James Duffy is 

close to and almost at the level of the track, which is, by aneroid read-
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 175

ing, 275 feet lower than at Caledonia station. Stone was obtained 

from this quarry for the Houston County courthouse built in 1883 

and for the Houston County jail built in 1875, but it has not been 

worked for many years. Beds and joints are sufficiently far apart 

to allow blocks of good size. Sandy beds and flinty layers occur, 

and also lines of cavities filled in places with flint, crystalline quartz, 

or with calcite.

HOSCHEIT QUARRY.

Three miles east of Caledonia an abandoned quarry close to the 

railroad almost at the level of the track is owned by John A. Hoscheit. 

The St. John's Catholic Church and St. Peter's Catholic Church, in 

Caledonia, were made of stone from this quarry, the former in 1899 and 

the latter in 1873 or 1874. Beds are 6 inches to 2 feet thick, the blocks 

for the former church being even coursed and 12 inches thick. The 

rock contains sandy and flinty knots and a few friable beds one-eighth 

to one-fourth inch thick which weather out, leaving grooves. Some 

beds are porous and others free of pores.

GENGLER QUARRY.

Four miles east of Caledonia a quarry owned by J. P. Gengler furnished, during the summer of 1913, 200 cords of riprap for the Chicago, 

Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. The quarry floor is about 50 feet 

above the railroad, which at this point is 315 feet lower than at 

Caledonia station.

MINOR QUARRIES.

Lars E. Hange owns a quarry 6 miles east of Caledonia which 

supplies a small amount of stone for local purposes. William Henslin also supplies a small local demand.

Rock like that in the Houston County courthouse is durable and 

attractive, and much of it is available, but no serious effort has been 

made in Houston County to develop the industry.

LE SUEUR COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. ,

Rock outcrops hi Le Sueur County at Kasota, St. Peter, and Ottawa 

in the Minnesota River valley. Only the Oneota dolomite (lower 

Ordovician) and the Jordan sandstone (Cambrian) are seen.

KASOTA AREA.

GENERAL FEATURES.

The Oneota dolomite is a valuable structural and ornamental stone, 

supplying, from the Kasota quarries, the only "marble" quarried 

in the State. Kasota is on a rock terrace 15 feet above the river and 

1£ miles in width, which, extends to Mankato, 8 miles distant, though
176 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

interrupted in places by tributary channels. The beds dip eastward 

at a low angle and are covered with a coating of 4 to 6 feet of drift 

and river gravel.

Erosion cavities filled with clay, sand, gravel, or boulders are 

common in the marble beds. In the Hugunin estate quarry a large 

clay pocket 20 feet deep branches into well-rounded chambers 

2 to 6 feet in diameter. In the Babcock & WUlcox quarry a pothole

8-10' 0*

t'8"

8"

1-1" 2" 

1' 0"

7-8' 0"

10" 

10" 

10"

5'6"

Riprap

M

Mottled yellow, polish

Upper

Upper pink ledge, exterior unpolished I 

Flagging ledge | 

Upper middle ledge, polish: and exteriors Middle 

Lower middle, polish only,best quality J 

Lower bottom pink

Nonuniform mass containing holes 

and pockets

Upper inferior; contains holes 

Middle dark red 

Lower yellow

Inferior limestone

Sandstone

^ H. & D. ledge

r Castile ledge

» Jordan sandstone >-=

3

FIGURE 22. Vertical section in Breen Stone Co. quarry, Kasota, Minn.

about 10 to 12 feet.in diameter is filled with sand, gravel, and boulders. 

On the opposite side of the quarry an irregular V-shaped pocket 

contains clay in the lower portion, sand, gravel, and boulders above, 

and a 1-foot level layer of white sand near the top. Many similar 

cavities and cracks in other quarries contain brown and yellow clay, 

pure white clay, sand, gravel, and granite boulders. Rock adjacent 

to the pockets is stained to a depth of a few inches.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 177

The marble from Kasota, widely known as "Kasota stone," is used 

in many States, and also in Canada and Mexico. It is attractive, takes 

a good polish,, and consequently is suitable for interior decoration. 

The chief types are a uniform pink (see PI. V, B) and a mottled 

yellow.

A vertical section of the deepest quarry, that owned by the Breen 

Stone Co. (fig. 22), has at the top 8 to 10 feet of broken rock, which 

is used only for riprap, crushed stone, and rubble. Below this is the 

"upper ledge" of two layers, each 1 foot 8 inches thick; the upper 

layer of a mottled yellow color is polished, and the lower is used for 

unpolished exterior work. The "middle ledge" is made up of three 

layers of pink rock; the upper, 8 inches in thickness, is termed the 

"flagging ledge" from its adaptability for such work; the next, 1 

foot to 1 foot 2 inches thick, is called the "upper middle ledge/' 

and is used both for polishing -and for exterior work; the third, 1 

foot thick, called the "lower middle ledge," is used entirely for 

polishing and is of fine quality. Below the "middle ledge" is a 

layer 1 foot 2 inches thick, called the "lower bottom pink."

Most of the quarries stop at the "lower bottom pink," but the 

Breen Stone Co. went deeper in order to learn the quality and extent of the lower rock. Immediately below the "lower bottom 

pink" the "H. & D." ledge, 7 to 8 feet in thickness, was penetrated. 

It has an uneven rolling upper and lower surface and shows a variable texture and color throughout its mass. It contains many 

pockets and holes, and, though parts of it have been polished and 

show beautiful variegated colors, hi the Breen quarry it is mostly 

waste rock. Moreover, the uneven bedding planes make it difficult 

to quarry without horizontal channeling machines. A point of 

lithologic and stratigraphic interest is the occurrence in the Widell 

and Jefferson quarries near Mankato, about 7 miles distant, of a 

"curly ledge," which shows the same uneven texture and lies at 

about the same horizon relative to the underlying Jordan sandstone. 

The " H. & D.". ledge has been used to some extent in both the Breen 

and in the Babcock & Willcox quarries, but its quality is too variable 

and its uneven bedding too great an impediment to make its use 

profitable. In the Hugunin estate quarry, however, it is of a more 

uniform and even texture, and is excavated to a considerable extent.

Below the "H. & D." ledge is the "castile ledge" of three 10-inch 

layers. The uppermost is inferior on account of holes; the second 

is a dark-red stone of good quality; and the lower is a yellow stone, 

also of good quality. The "castile ledge" is but little used on 

account of its inaccessibility. It is to be seen only at the lowest 

point in the quarry. Below the "castile ledge" 5£ feet of limestone 

rests upon the Jordan sandstone. 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 12
178 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA.

Between the stripping and the sandstone there is about 32 feet of 

rock, which falls into well-defined sections. The upper 8 to 10 feet 

may be classed with the stripping, as its removal is primarily for the 

purpose of reaching the better rock, though its lower part yields riprap, crushed stone, and rubble. The next 7 to 10 feet comprise the 

best "Kasota" marble. The remainder of the ledge is mostly inferior and is little quarried.

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERS OF "KASOTA" STONE.

An analysis of "Kasota" stone by S. F. Peckham 1 shows the following composition:

Analysis of "Kasota" stone. 

CaC03 ....................................................... 47. 904

MgC03 ....................................................... 35.227

Fe203 , A1203 ...........:...................................... 1.490

Insoluble, chiefly silica ..................................... 13. 850

Undetermined............................................... 1.529

- 100.000

The remarkable alternation of red and yellow beds is discussed on 

pages 150-151.

Physical tests of pink marble showed that under crushing stress 

the first crack developed at 4,469 pounds per square inch and final 

collapse at 5,439 pounds. Under transverse breaking stress the 

modulus of rupture was found to be 1,129 pounds per square inch; 

the true specific gravity is 2.823, the per cent of pore space 6.78, and 

the dry weight 164.5 pounds per cubic foot. For the yellow marble 

the true specific gravity is 2.589, the per cent of pore space 7.74, and 

the dry weight 148.8 pounds per cubic foot.

TECHNOLOGY.

The Breen Stone Co. and Babcock & Willcox employ Wardwell 

channeling machines. The large blocks are broken loose by wedging 

and are reduced in size by plugs and feathers. . The Hugunin 

Estate Co. has no channeling machines but uses blasting and 

feather and plug methods. Stripping is done in winter and late in 

summer. No good stone is quarried later than October 15, as it 

must have at least a month to dry before frost; otherwise the freezing of the "quarry water" destroys the rock. Stripped areas are 

covered with straw during the winter. Enough rock is quarried 

early in summer to keep the shops employed during the entire 

season. Abandoned quarries are used for rock storage, and thus the 

old derricks are utilized for loading and unloading.

The Breen Stone Co. and Babcock & Willcox have large and wellequipped shops where much of the labor is done by machinery.

i Winchel!, N. H,, op. cit., p. 638.
LIMESTONES AND MABBLES. 179

Sawing machines are employed to cut thin slabs for wainscoting, 

flagging, etc. The saws are long blades of iron, several of which are 

held in parallel position in large vibratory frames. A stream of 

water and sand constantly flows over them. They wear their way 

slowly through a large block, converting it to a number of thin' slabs. 

It is a very slow process, the saws sinking only about three-fourths 

of an inch an hour. They are kept running continuously day and 

night.

Many of the slabs thus obtained are marketed without further 

treatment, but a large number are polished. In addition to machine 

sawing and polishing, hand cutting and carving for trimming Urid 

interior finish are carried on extensively.

Some cut stone is produced, but the chief output consists of flagging squares, large slabs for wainscoting, both polished and unpolished, carved work, and trimming required for interior decoration. 

The size and strength of the slabs obtainable are worthy of note. 

Twenty-five slabs, each 7 feet by 7 feet 2 inches, were prepared by 

the Breen Stone Co. for St. Thomas College, St. Paul. Though only 

seven-eighths of an inch thick, the polishing on both sides, which 

required a great deal of handling, resulted in the cracking of only 

one.

The stone in all the Kasota quarries is similar. Some riprap and 

crushed stone are produced.

For exterior work "Kasota" stone was employed in the post office 

buildings at Aberdeen, S. Dak., Aurora, 111., Cedar Rapids and 

Davenport, Iowa, and Faribault and Mankato, Minn., in the courthouse and county jail, at St. Paul; the Kasota Block at Minneapolis; 

the Administration Building, State School for the Blind, Faribault, 

and the Library Building, Carlton College, Northfield, Minn. (See PI. 

XVII, B, p. 150.) It was used for interior decoration in the Masonic 

Temple, State Capitol, and St. Paul Hotel, St. Paul; the State Capitol, 

Madison, Wis.; Union Depot, Kansas City, Mo.; Woodward Building, 

Washington, D. C.; St. Mark's Episcopal Church and the Gateway 

Building, Minneapolis, and many other structures.

BREEN STONE CO.

According to N. H. Winchell,1 quarrying began at Kasota in 1868. 

A quarry owned by Brackenridge, Stewart & Buttars was operated 

by Messrs. Breen & Young, to whom the present Breen Stone Co. ic 

' successor. The company, which has offices in Kasota and St. Paul, 

operates two quarries which supply large and well-equipped shops. 

A siding from the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway 

line facilitates transportation of the finished product.

i Winchell, N. H., Final report on the geology of Minnesota: Minn. Geol. Survey, vol. 1, p. 165,1884.
180 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA. 

BABCOCK & WILLCOX QUARRY.

One of the first quarries opened in the county was owned by J. W. 

Babcocks Quarries and shops are equipped with modern machinery, 

and have the same facilities for transportation and quarry extensively in the same type of rock as the Breen Stone Co.

HUGUNIN ESTATE CO. QUARRY.

The Hugunin Estate Co. began operations in 1911. It excavates 

and supplies stock but has no shops. The quarry is about half .a 

mile from the quarries just described and has rock of about the same 

character, except that the "H. & D." ledge is more uniform.

MINOR AREAS. 

HIX QUARRY.

At Ottawa Oneota dolomite somewhat similar to the "Kasota'' 

stone overlies the Jordan sandstone. Several small quarries in it 

have operated intermittently for many years, producing a little stone 

for local foundations. In a typical quarry owned by Charles Hix 

the excavation is about 13 feet deep and shows the following vertical 

section:

Section in Charles Hix's quarry, Le Sueur County, Minn.

Ft. in. 

Soil and thinly bedded rock..................................... 7 0

Yellow to pale pink rock with many holes and lime pits........... 2 0

Yellow rock, less porous....................................... 1 4

Pink with some yellow intermixed near the bottom, somewhat 

porous............'.....'.......................,............ 26

The bedding is variable, planes being 1 inch to 3 feet apart. A 

ledge may appear firm in one plane and a few feet away it may split 

up into numerous beds 1 to 2 inches thick. The rock shows numerous lime pits at all levels. It has a true specific gravity of 2.836, a 

pore space of 9.75 per cent, and a weight of 160 pounds per cubic 

foot when dry.

All the quarries are shallow, and it is possible that deeper excavation would uncover better rock. Lime was once manufactured, but 

no kilns are now in operation.

LIVINGSTONE QUARRY.

The only outcrop noted in the neighborhood of St. Peter is on the 

farm of Fred Livingstone, in sec. 21, T. 110 N., R. 26 W. The outcrop occurs close to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha 

Railway, about half a mile south of St. Peter station. Rock was 

first quarried about 20 years ago and intermittently since that time, 

and the excavation is now 12 to 15 feet in depth. Most of it is buff
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 181

to yellow in color, but one bed, 14 inches thick, near the bottom of 

the pit is an attractive pink rock of good quality. Further excavation might uncover a larger supply of this type of rock.

MOWEE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

The rocks of Mower County are similar to those found in the 

western part of Fillmore County, but exposures of the Cretaceous 

are more prominent. The following geologic formations outcrop:

Pleistocene: Drift.

Cretaceous: Conglomerate, sandstone, and clay.

Devonian:

Argillaceous sandstone.

Dolomitic limestone. 

Middle Ordo~\dcian: Galena and Platteville (dolomites and shales).

The only formation from which quarry rock can be obtained is 

the -Devonian. The upper beds of dolomitic limestone have been 

quarried on Woodbury Creek in Lyle Township in the extreme 

southwest, on Deer Creek in Frarikford Township in the east, and on 

Upper Iowa River in Le Roy Township in the southeast corner.

In Lyle Township a rough, cavernous, magnesian limestone outcrops along Woodbury Creek in beds aggregating about 18 feet in 

thickness, with a gentle southward dip. It is suitable for that type 

of rough masonry for which concrete is now largely substituted. It 

was quarried to some extent many years ago, though not recently.

In Frankford Township, on Deer Creek, about 10 feet of yellowish 

bun0 limestone, similar to that near Washington (p. 164), was quarried many years ago for local bridge abutments and foundations.

At Le Roy very little of the porous rough limestone appears, as it 

is overlain by a later fine-grained uniform Devonian limestone, nearly 

white in color. It occurs more abundantly to the south in Iowa. 

Near Le Roy its maximum thickness is not more than 15 feet, and it 

is interbedded with thin bands of shale. It is of much better quality 

than the underlying beds, being quite free of pores and very attractive 

in color. It has been quarried at a number of points in the vicinity 

of Le Roy, but only one quarry is now in operation.

FOWLER & PAY QUARRY.

Rock is at present excavated for the production of lime only. 

Ledges of uniform fine-grained limestone, well adapted for interior 

decoration and polished work, lie close tQ the railway but are as yet 

undeveloped.

The upper shaly sandstone, which outcrops along Cedar River near 

Austin, is fine grained and fairly uniform. Its color is blue, except 

where oxidation has turned it red along joints and near the surface.
182 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 

/

Cavities filled with quartz or ocher are common. It fractures easily 

and is cross-bedded in places, and in consequence wedges out in undesirably angular blocks. Some of the rock has been quarried by 

Fowler & Pay for lime burning.

NICOLLET COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

The surficial rocks of Nicollet County are confined to the valley of 

Minnesota River, where they outcrop in the following order:

Pleistocene: Drift. 

Cretaceous: Shale and sandstone. 

Ordovician: Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence limestone. 

Huronian: Quartzite. 

Archean: Granite and gneiss.

The Archean granites and gneisses of the county are discussed 

with the crystalline rocks and the quartzite with the sandstones.

A little of the St. Lawrence limestone has been quarried at Hebron 

and in the southwest corner of Faxon Township. Its quality is 

inferior and the quarries were long ago abandoned.

The Oneota dolomite crops out at St. Peter and North Mankato. 

Within the city of St. Peter rock was quarried along the river bank 

and used for structural purposes for many years. As it lacks the 

ornamental qualities of the "Kasota" stone, it has gradually been 

displaced by concrete construction and the quarries are abandoned. 

Near the asylum, about 2 miles southwest of St. Peter, stone of good 

quality was quarried years ago but is now unused.

NORTH MANKATO STONE QUARRY CO.

In North Mankato the Oneota dolomite has been excavated in several quarries, only one of which is still active. The North Mankato 

Stone Quarry Co. first began operations in 1907 and has quarried 

continuously since that time. The rock is a buff-colored dolomite 

similar to the stone at Mankato. As no sidings are available, heavy 

bridge rock can not be handled, and the chief output is rubble, 

though crushed rock is also produced. The quarry floor is about 

20 feet above the river flats, a condition that favors drainage and 

transportation.

OLMSTED COUNTY.

"GENERAL FEATURES.

Rocks from Cambrian to Upper Ordovician age are represented in 

Olmsted County, though only certain beds are useful for building 

purposes. The following formations outcrop:
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 183

Pleistocene: Drift and loess. 

Ordovician:

Maquoketa shale.

Galena limestone.

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Oneota dolomite.

Shakopee limestone. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence formation (limestone, sandstone, and shale).

The St. Lawrence formation outcrops only in the valley of Zumbro 

River, in-the northeastern part of the county. Lime was burned 

from it at one-time, but for many years it has not been used.

The Shakopee and Oneota, which together constitute the Prairie 

du Chien group, are not easily distinguishable from each other in 

Olmsted County. Each is from 40 to 60 feet thick along Whitewater, Zumbro, and Root rivers and each consists of sandy limestone 

interbedded with bands of shale. Both are useless for building 

purposes.

The Platteville formation is the only rock now quarried. It is 

widespread over the county but is worked only in the vicinity of 

Rochester, where all the active quarries in the county are grouped.

ROCHESTER STATE HOSPITAL QUARRY.

A quarry about a mile from Rochester, in sec. 31, T. 107 N., R. 13 

W., is owned by the State of Minnesota and is operated under the 

supervision of W. M. Weeks, superintendent of the Rochester State 

Hospital. It was opened about 1878. Most of the quarrying is done 

by hospital inmates, 25 to 40 working at one time. The rock is 

blue at depth but is yellow along joints and near the surface. Beds 

are 3 inches to 2 feet thick, and joints are 10 to 20 feet apart. About 

2 feet of soil is stripped, and the quarry is worked to a depth of 

about 30 feet. The quarry is situated on a high bluff, and the 

crusher is placed at a lower level than the quarry floor. The entire 

output in 1912 was crushed rock, which was employed in the concrete work of a new sanitarium at the hospital.

DONAHUE BROS. QUARRY.

About a mile northwest of Rochester a quarry, now owned by 

Donahue Bros., was opened about 50 years ago and has been worked 

very extensively. The rock is much the same as that at the hospital 

quarry but is said to withstand weathering better. It has a true 

specific gravity of 2.788, a pore space of 3.04 per cent, and a dry 

weight of 169 pounds per cubic foot.

Beds are 3 inches to 3 feet thick and are horizontal. Open joints 

6 to 20 feet apart strike east, N. 30° E., N. 20° W., N. 70° E.
184 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Joint walls in many places are coated with calcite. The output is 

crushed rock and some rubble.

WALDEE QUARRY.

In the same bluff as the Donahue Bros, quarry is one owned by 

George Waldee. The rock is the characteristic yellow-buff limestone which caps the low hills around Rochester. Bedding planes 

are 2 inches to 3 feet apart, averaging about 10 inches. Joints 

striking N. 50° E. are 12 to 15 feet apart; those striking N. 25° 

W. are 10 to 20 feet apart; and a few minor joints strike N. 25° E. 

Fossils and cherty or limy concretions are of common occurrence. 

Some beds crack into thin slabs when exposed to the weather.

Quarry conditions are good as regards drainage, and bench excavation makes quarrying easy. The overburden is 4 to 8 feet of soil 

and loose rock. An excellent road leads a mile to Rochester, in and 

around which most of the rock is used. Rochester is abmirably situated to supply surrounding towns with stone and the local demand 

is good. Much rock is available.

RAMSEY COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Bedrock exposures are confined to the Mississippi River bluffs hi 

the southern part of Ramsey County, where outcrops of Decorah 

shale, Platteville limestone, and St. Peter sandstone, all of Ordovician age, were seen.

The Platteville formation is the only structural rock in the county. 

It outcrops almost continuously along the river bluff and has been 

quarried at numerous points. In general, it falls into three rather 

distinct parts that have fairly constant characters: An upper layer, 

6 to 10 feet thick, of drab to buff magnesian limestone, containing many fossils and masses of crystalline calcite, a bed of about the 

same thickness of argillaceous limestone or shale, and at the bottom 

a 12 to 15 foot layer of blue limestone, interbedded with thin shale 

bands, which has supplied most of the structural stone in and around 

St. Paul. The weathering out of the shale layers causes the hard 

layers to stand out in relief and thus to form the characteristic horizontal ridges so prominent in all the old stone walls of the city. 

On this account the rock is not very durable. A bed of blue shale 

3 to 6 feet thick lies between the blue limestone and the underlying 

St. Peter sandstone. The only quarries now actively engaged are in 

South St. Paul and near the Fort SneUing Bridge on the north side 

of the river.

BIELENBERG QUARRY.

The South St. Paul quarry, near East George Street, has been operated 

by C. Bielenberg since .1904. The rock is variable in its different beds.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 185

Two distinct types of stone, an upper yellow and a lower blue bed, 

are quarried. The 3-foot bed of porous yellow rock is used for 

structural purposes. Immediately below this are two contiguous 

beds, 5£ and 6 inches thick, which are of high quality. The rock is 

a uniform, fine-grained, yellow limestone, containing many small grams 

of crystalline calcite. A partial analysis gives calcium carbonate, 55.57 

per cent; magnesium carbonate, 29.11 per cent; insoluble in hydrochloric 

acid., 13.54 per cent. The rock is therefore a magnesian limestone. 

The insoluble portion is probably mostly clay, but the presence of 

clay distributed uniformly throughout a rock mass has little effect 

on its durability. (See p. 151.) The rock is a beautiful structural 

stone and it is a matter of regret that only about half an acre of it is 

now available.

In the quarry from which the yellow stone is obtained, argillaceous 

limestone, called "soap rock," is so thick that no attempt is made 

to quarry the underlying blue limestone, 

which is now excavated 

from an adjacent quarry, where a thickness 

of 12 to 14 feet is available. There are three 

beds, each 17 inches 

thick, and others 6 to 

14 inches. Joints are 

so spaced that blocks 

6 feet hi length may be 

obtained. The rock is 

used mainly for basement construction. The foundation of the owner's house is made 

from this stone, and 15 years of weathering has had no apparent 

effect on it.

An adjoining quarry of similar rock, owned by John Fischer, is 

now nearly worked out.

BOBBINS QUARRY.

On the north side of the river, not far from the Fort SneUing 

Bridge, J. B. Robbins operates a large rock-crushing plant. The 

limestone, whose total thickness is about 10 feet, is blue to yellowish, thin bedded, and inferior for any purpose except crushing. 

Beneath it are 6 to 10 feet of blue shale overlying the St. Peter sandstone. An area of about 60 acres is still available. Practically the 

entire output is used for street construction in St. Paul. Transportation is by team and wagon. Crushed rock from this quarry was 

used in the construction of the concrete piers of the Fort SneUing 

Bridge, and is said to have been very satisfactory.

0'

3'

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Limestone fractured by frost

Inferior yellow limestone

N

Floor of quarry 

Blue shale

Sandstone

FIGURE 23. Columnar section of C. Bielenberg's quarry, South 

St. Paul.
186 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

RICE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

The rocks of Rice Comity are all of Ordovician age. Rock outcrops along the valleys of Cannon and Straight rivers and in the northeastern townships along the bluffs of Prairie Creek and caps the hills 

at some distance from streams. The Galena limestone, Decorah 

shale, Platteville limestone, St. Peter sandstone, and Shakopee dolomite outcrop successively.

The Platteville and Shakopee formations have furnished all the 

structural stone of _the county. The Platteville is the more accessible, 

appearing as prominent bluffs along Cannon River and Prairie Creek. 

Near Faribault it lies in massive beds about 15 feet in thickness 

beneath the green Decorah shale. Active quarrying is now confined 

to a small area on Straight River and its tributary, Fall Creek, 

about 2 miles east of Faribault. The quarries are in sec. 33, Cannon 

City Township (T. 110 N., R. 20 W.), and extend southward into 

sec. 4, Walcott Township (T. 109 N., R. 20 W.).

CROMER QUARRY.

The quarry on Fall Creek was opened by Philip Cromer in 1865,1 

and since 1909 has been operated by J. A. Cromer The workable 

ledge is 11 feet thick and the stream flows over the quarry face. 

Below the stripping of 6 inches to 6 feet of soil four beds, 12, 8, 10, 

and 9 inches in thickness, may be used for the manufacture of lime, 

being reported to contain 97 per cent of the combined calcium and 

magnesium carbonates. The remaining 8 feet of the ledge is a good 

building stone, blue to drab in color, free from imperfections, and 

attractive. Joints striking N. 62° W., N. 80° W., N. 70° E., and N. 

5° E. are vertical and 6 to 10 feet apart. A little iron stain observed originates in the bedding planes of the upper strata. Part 

of the rock used in the construction of buildings connected with the 

Minnesota School for the Deaf at Faribault was obtained from this 

quarry, but in 1912 the entire output was shipped away and used as 

a flux in blast furnaces. The nearest railroad station is Faribault, 

where the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, the Chicago, Rock Island 

& Pacific, and the Chicago Great Western railways intersect.

LIES QUARRY.

About half a mile south of the Cromer quarry, on the Straight 

River bluff, George Lieb began operations in 1907. (See fig. 24.) 

1 The thickness of stripping required, approximately 30 feet, makes 

quarrying rather expensive. The stripping is a shale which could be

1 Winchell, N. H., op. cit., p. 171.
LIMESTONES AND MABBLES. 187

30' 0"

I'O'.

Shale

f'S

utilized for the manufacture of brick, and the operation of a brick 

plant in combination with the quarry might be profitable.

The upper thin limestone beds are uniform and nearly white. If 

the iron-bearing bed is included in structural blocks it causes serious 

rusty stains, as may be seen in certain blocks in the basement of the 

Brunswick Hotel, Faribault. The so-called "marble" ledge is of 

exceptional purity and takes a good polish. The upper limestone 

beds, excluding the clayey and iron layer, supply stone for the 

Minnesota Sugar Co 

at Chaska for use in 

refining sugar, about 

900 cords a year-being 

shipped for this purpose. The massive 

lower bed, which is 

gray to drab in color, 

is made into . evencourse building blocks 

of high quality. Buildings connected with 

the Shattuck School, 

School for the Blind, 

School for the FeebleMinded, and School for 

the Deaf are made of 

stone from this quarry 

or others in the near 

vicinity. As observed 

in these structures, the 

Faribault stone . is attractive in color, durable, and free from s'-io' o" 

blemish where the ironstained bed is not employed. Of late years,

V, o w ft V ft r Rpdforrl FIGUBE 24- Vertical section of George Lieb's quarry, Faribault, Minn.

Ind., stone has been employed for water tables, for it is more easily 

cut and carved.

KAUL QUARRY.

A short distance north of the Lieb quarry, in sec. 33, Eberhart 

Kaul operates a quarry on the same ledge. It was worked many 

years ago for local buildings and was purchased by the present owner 

in 1901.' It is quarried extensively for structural work, a subordinate 

part of the product being employed for riprap and sugar refining. 

The rock is blue to drab in color in the lower beds and nearly white

."Marble"

-'Soapstone" 

jGray limestone

-Ferruginous stone 

Gray limestone

Gray limestone (building stone)
188 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

in the upper part. Under the microscope it appears to be a fairly 

even grained fossiliferous limestone. A few grains of pyrite are associated with the fossils and-may be of organic origin. The rock has a 

true specific gravity of 2.788, a pore space of 3.59 per cent, and a 

weight of 168 pounds per cubic foot when dry.

The vertical section is similar to that in the Lieb quarry except 

that little of the stripping exceeds 12 feet. Drainage is perfect, as 

the stone is worked as a bench quarry with the floor higher than the 

river bed. The average production is about 1,000 cords a year. 

The construction of an addition to the School for the Deaf at Faribault during 1912 required 650 cords.

MINOR QUARRIES.

The city of Faribault owns a quarry which is nearly worked out 

and has not been operated for years. Its product was crushed rock, 

for which gravel has now been substituted.

The Platteville limestone has been quarried extensively along 

Prairie Creek and also near Dundas on Cannon Kiver. The product 

has been used extensively in Northfield, where Willis Hall, of Carleton 

College, was built in 1872 the main structure of "Dundas " stone and 

the trimmings from Faribault. It was burned in 1879 and rebuilt 

with the same walls. As observed in this building the "Dundas" 

stone contains sandy and shaly pits and layers which disintegrate 

into holes and seams much as in the "St. Paul" stone. The trimming 

is much better but has turned red, perhaps partly from the fire. 

The bulkheads of the entrance steps are made of blocks with the 

bedding vertical. They are badly cracked and are disintegrating 

much more rapidly than the steps or the main structure.

A small quarry in the Platteville formation is worked on a hilltop 

near St. Olaf's College at Northfield. The rock is thin bedded and 

contains shale layers, and is useful only for foundation work.

The Shakopee formation appears in the Cannon River valley from 

Dundas to the Dakota County line. It is interbedded with sand and 

shale layers and is porous. It underlies Northfield, and has been 

excavated for foundations.

SCOTT COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Surficial rocks in Scott County are confined to a few places in the 

Minnesota River valley. The following formations outcrop:

Pleistocene: Drift. 

Lower Ordovician:

Shakopee dolomite.

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence limestone.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 189

The sandstone quarries at Jordan are described on page 210. The 

Oneota dolomite, which outcrops over a considerable area, close to the 

railway, near Merriam Junction, has not been quarried.

SCHEOEDER BRICK & LIME MANUFACTURING CO. QUARRY.

Some stone is quarried by the Schroeder Brick & Lime Manufacturing Co. in the town of Shakopee. Most of it is used for lime burning and is said to make a very strong brown lime. The quarry face, 

12 to 15 feet deep, shows a series of distinct but uneven beds 6 to 8 

inches thick. Most of the rock is dolomite but is interbedded with 

layers of sandstone, which are used locally for foundations. Though 

it is useful for this purpose probably it would not pay to excavate 

it except as a by-product in the manufacture of lime. Both rocks 

are very porous and show irregular jointing planes.

ST. LAWRENCE QUARRY.

About a mile from St. Lawrence siding, midway between Jordan 

and Belle Plaine, an old quarry was opened 40 ;or 50 years ago but 

has not operated for about 15 years. The rock belongs to the St. 

Lawrence formation. It is a reddish dolomite with green specks. Its 

true specific gravity is 2.814, its pore space 9.99 per cent, and its 

weight per cubic foot 158.3 pounds when dry. It is flat, lying in beds 4 

to 10 inches thick. Joints are irregular and 3 inches to 2 feet apart. 

The quarry has been worked to a depth of 6 or 7 feet over an area of 

about an acre. The old St. Lawrence Hotel, a prominent road house 

in stage-coach days, built from this stone 40 years ago, is badly cracked 

in places, but several houses on near-by farms, built of this rock, 

are still in good repair and are attractive.

STEELE COUNTY.

Steele County is almost completely drift covered, bedrock appearing 

only in the vicinity of Owatonna.

In the bed and along the banks of Straight River, in sees. 28 and 33, 

Clinton Falls Township, are rather extensive, though low, outcrops of 

limestone which probably belong to the Galena formation of the 

middle Ordovician. In past years, when stone was so much in demand for foundation work, this rock was quarried extensively and 

hauled many miles. The wall of an abandoned quarry now owned 

by D. R. Lindesmith, shows 2 to 6 feet of drift and 1 to 10 feet of 

thin-bedded limestone, the bottom of which is at normal water level. 

Below the water level 4 feet of thick-bedded limestone is reported, 

and below this a useless shaly limestone. Near the surface the beds 

are 1 to 3 inches thick, but lower ones are progressively thicker, 

reaching a maximum of about 8 inches at water level. Joints are
190 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

very irregular and closely spaced. Drainage is poor, the best beds 

occurring below water level. The rock is blue, turning slightly 

yellow by weathering, is uniform, and free of defects. It was used 

in Owatonna and.the surrounding country in the foundations of many 

structures, whose present preservation shows that it is durable. 

The quarry is close to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul track and is 

Similes from Owatonna station. It has not been worked for the 

last 4 years, except for an occasional load of thin slabs from the 

river bed for well curbing or foundations.

WABASHA COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Rock outcrops in Wabasha County are continuous all along Mississippi River, along Zumbro River through the center of the county, 

and in Elgin and Plainview townships at the south. The range of 

elevation from the Mississippi River level to the tops of the inland 

hills is about 600 feet. Quarry rock may be obtained from the 

Platteville, Oneota, and St. Lawrence formations. The important 

quarries are the Burkhardt, in the Platteville limestone, south of 

Plainview, and the First National Bank, John Beaver, Jewell Nursery, and Claus Bremer quarries in the Oneota dolomite along Mississippi River near Wabasha and Lake City. Cambrian rocks were 

quarried to some extent years ago.

The following rock formations are exposed in Wabasha County:

Pleistocene: Drift and loess. 

Ordovician:

Platteville limestone or dolomite.

St. Peter sandstone.

Shakopee dolomite.

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence formation (limestones, sandstones, and shales).

BURKHARDT QUARRY.

The only quarry of importance in the Platteville is that owned by 

Alfred Burkhardt on the bluff of Whitewater River, about 3 miles 

south of Plainview. The rock is a gray to white crystalline limestone 

having a true specific gravity of 2.880, a pore space of 1.02 per cent, 

and a weight of 178.2 pounds per cubic foot when dry. Beds are 3 

inches to 3 feet thick and dip 5° to 10° E. Joints are very irregular, 

but blocks of fair size may be obtained. The quarry is of the bench 

type and is easily accessible by road. The rock is covered with 2 to 

6 feet of soil. The upper beds were burned for lime several years 

ago in a kiln near the quarry. Later, building stone and crushed 

rock were quarried, the latter being employed for street construction 

in Plainview. There was no production in 1912.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 191

Three small quarries were once operated near Mazeppa in the 

extreme west of the county but are now inactive. Another small 

quarry was once worked near Millville. They are all in the Oneota 

formation.

FIRST NATIONAL BANK QUARRY.

In sec. 24, Pepin Township, near Reads Landing, a quarry owned 

by the First National Bank of Wabasha was opened about 1888 and 

operated at intervals until 1900. The rock is a fine-grained, though 

somewhat porous, buff Oneota dolomite, similar to the "Frontenac" 

stone of Goodhue County. Some ledges of excellent quality are 

obtainable. Distinct bedding planes are 6 inches to 3 feet apart and 

are horizontal. Vertical joints 2 to 3 feet apart strike N. 80° E. and 

N. 5° W. The upper 15 feet contains many cavities, but the lower 

40 feet is of good quality. About half the rock is suitable for building 

stone. As a rule the thicker beds are more, uniform. The rock is 

bare in places; elsewhere the maximum overburden is about 20 feet 

'of soil and broken rock. The quarry floor is 290 feet above the railroad tracks. Some of the waste rock was used by the United States 

Government during 1913 for shore protection along Mississippi River.

BEAVER QUARRY.

A small quarry owned by John Beaver near the First National 

Bank quarry has had a similar history. No rock has been excavated 

for many years.

JEWELL NURSERY CO. QUARRY.

A quarry owned by the Jewell Nursery Co. of Lake City is 1$ miles 

from Lake City station on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. It was opened in 1909 and is worked in the winter time only. 

The rock, which is of Oneota age, is a buff sandy dolomite, locally 

known as sandstone. Bedding planes are distinct and 4 inches to 3 

feet apart, averaging about 1 foot. Major joints striking northsouth and secondary joints east-west are about 4 feet apart and are 

vertical. The vertical quarry wall of about 30 feet shows an alternation of hard and soft beds, the latter being of inferior grade. Calcitefilled vugs and cherty inclusions are common, and some beds are too 

thin to be of use. The overburden so far is about 6 feet but will 

increase greatly with wider excavation. The rock is suitable for 

foundation construction. Most of it is used for structures connected with the nursery, but some is sold. i BREMER QUARRY.

ClausBremer opened a small excavation in 1912 in sec. 6, Lake 

Township, about 3 miles from Lake City. The rock is a dense, finegrained, buff Oneota dolomite, of better quality than most of the
192 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

rock seen in Wabasha County. Joints are similar in direction and 

spacing to those of the Nursery quarry. Bedding planes are 6 inches 

to 1 foot apart. The overburden is variable, the minimum being 3 

or 4 feet of soil. Very little work has been done here, and the quarry 

is now abandoned.

MINOR QUARRIES.

The Beckman quarries, now abandoned and overgrown, are the 

oldest in the region and supplied most of the structural stone used in 

Lake City. They are in Goodhue County but are near the Wabasha 

line.

Other abandoned small quarries, such as the Singer quarry, at 

Reads Landing, and the Baker quarry, near Wabasha, are in the 

St; Lawrence formation. The Singer quarry is in a buff, thin-bedded, 

sandy dolomite, with interbedded shales, and is too friable for 

structural purposes. The Baker quarry is in a buff to bluish sandy 

dolomite, which was used many years ago as foundation stone.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

The bedrock formations of Washington County are of Cambrian 

and Ordovician age. The following formations crop out:

Pleistocene: Drift. 

Ordovician:

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Shakopee dolomite.

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence formation (sandstone, limestone, and shale).

Quarry rock is obtained only from the Shakopee and Platteville 

formations. The sandy dolomitic limestone of probable Shakopee 

age was once quarried extensively in the bluffs of St. Croix River, 

near Stillwater, and is still utilized.

BEAN AND MCGEE QUARRIES.'

Iii 1854 a quarry was opened in the bluff between Stillwater and 

South Stillwater, near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Burlington 

Street, and a great quantity of rock was removed from an excavation 

about one-fourth of a mile long. The quarry face is about 30 feet high 

and has been worked back into the bluff as a shelf quarry for about 

100 yards. Two quarries, the Bean and the McGee (fig. 25), are 

separated only by a roadway and are similar.. No rock was quarried 

in 1913.

The 6-foot bed at the bottom of the quarries is much the best, the 

upper beds being porous. It is fine grained, dense, uniform in color,
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 193

and very attractive in appearance, being pale yellow to white. The 

proportion of magnesium carbonate present, as shown by chemical 

analysis of a sample from the lower 6-foot bed, is almost high enough 

to constitute a dolomite. The rock consists of 50 per cent calcium 

carbonate, 40.21 per cent, magnesium carbonate, and 9.26 percent 

insoluble in hydrochloric acid.

Prominent north-south and east-west jointing systems were noted, 

the planes being 2 to 6 feet apart. Transportation is by wagon.

Although of excellent quality the 6-foot ledge of good building 

stone is so placed that it could not be worked profitably alone. However, if crushing were carried on and the porous rock thus removed, 

much fine building stone 

could be obtained as a 

by-product. St. Michael's 

Catholic Church in Stillwater, a notable structure 

built from this stone in 

1873, shows no evidence 

of deterioration either in 

appearance or durability 

after 40 years of weathering. The Lincoln and Central schools, also built of 

Stillwater stone, are very 

attractive. The Eichter 

block, at the corner of 

North Main and East Myrtle streets, is of local stone, 

as are many basements, 

steps, and retaining walls.

Nearer the river a lower

ledffe of VerV DOrOUS rock FIGURE 25. Vertical section of the McGee limestone quarry, 

i i IP ' Stillwater, Minn. best adapted for crushing

for macadam or concrete, has been worked to a depth of about 12 feet.

STILLWATER CITY QUARRY.

In North Stillwater, near Wilkin Street, close to the St. Croix River 

bluff is a quarry which was purchased in 1913 by the city of Stillwater 

from C. H. Carli. It is one of the oldest in the State, excavation having first been made in 1847.1 A large crusher is employed to furnish 

material for street construction. The quarry is admirably situated 

for loading the crushed stone either on wagons or trains, both a roadway and the Northern Pacific tracks lying at the foot of the nearly 

vertical bluff.

1' 0"

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Soil 

Thin-bedded rock

Thin-bedded and very porous rock

Very porous bed

Less porous bed

Very porous bed

Few cavities

Few cavities ("second best rock")

Extremely porous rock

Massive dense bed free of cavities 

("best rock")

95545° 18-

i Winchell, N. H., op. cit., p. 159. 

-Bull. GG3 13
194 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The rock is very porous, cavities of one-fourth to one-half or even 

1 inch in diameter being abundant. Some holes are open and some 

filled with sand. It does not seem probable that the rock will ever 

be used for building to any extent.

MINOR QUARRIES.

The Platteville limestone outcrops in many places in the higher 

land in the central and western parts of Washington County. Small 

quarries were worked many years ago in Grant, Oak Dale, Lakeland, 

Afton, Newport, and Cottage Grove townships. Except as quarried 

occasionally for local purposes, they are now idle.

WINONA COUNTY. - 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Limestone quarrying is an important industry in Winona County. 

The Lower Ordovician Oneota dolomite outcrops in many places 

along the bluffs of Mississippi River and tributary streams, and 

away from the river the Platteville limestone of Middle Ordovician 

age caps the hills. Both formations supply stone of fair quality 

and each is quarried in several places. In 1912 nine active quarries, 

employing about 140 men, were producing (in descending order of 

importance) crushed stone, riprap, cut stone, and rubble. The rocks, 

all of Cambrian and Ordovician age, outcrop as follows:

Pleistocene: Drift and loess.

Ordovician: ^

Platteville limestone.

St. Peter sandstone.

Shakopee limestone (including sandstone).

Oneota dolomite. 

Cambrian:

Jordan sandstone.

St. Lawrence formation (limestone, sandstone, and shale).

Franconia sandstone.

Dresbach sandstone.

The Cambrian rocks, except the Dresbach sandstone (see p. 209), 

are extremely loose and crumbling and are consequently unfit for 

structural purposes.

QUARRIES IN THE ONEOTA DOLOMITE.

GENERAL FEATURES OF THE ROCK.

The Oneota dolomite is quarried in many places, chiefly along the 

Mississippi River bluffs, but as the underlying Cambrian rocks form 

cliffs over 400 feet high, the Oneota quarries are perched at difficultly 

accessible points along the summit of the bluff. The rock is at all 

points nearly uniform.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 195

The thickness of the rock quarried ranges from 18 to 60 feet in the 

vicinity of Winona city, and reaches 100 feet at Minneiska and 

Lamoille. It lies in beds 1 to 6 feet thick. The dip is low, not more 

than 1° to 3°, and is variable in direction, though generally south or 

east. Joints are in general at right angles and are 3 to 20 feet apart; 

but they are variable, both in direction and spacing, the maximum 

variation occurring in individual quarries. The color of the rock is 

gray or white. Near the top of the quarries a bed 2 to 12 feet thick, 

locally known as freestone, is a soft dolomite which quarries in large 

pieces, trims easily, and is used for cut stone. The post office, the 

Methodist Church, and many other buildings in Winona are made 

from this ledge. A partial analysis showed 45.83 per cent calcium 

carbonate, 39.42 per cent magnesium carbonate, and 11.93 per 

cent insoluble in hydrochloric acid. The white limestone is of better 

grade than the gray but forms only a small proportion of the whole. 

Some layers are flinty, and all the stone is somewhat porous and 

contains many "sand pits." The lower beds are sandy. Eock is 

quarried as cut stone, rubble, riprap, crushed stone, and flagging. 

All quarries are of the shelf type.

HAUN QUAREY.

Three miles northwest of Winona, near Gilmour Valley, a quarry 

owned by John Schultz and operated by George Haun is reached by a 

winding and precipitous road which mounts about 450 feet above the 

river flats. Transportation is by wagon. The quarry shows the 

following section:

Section in George Haun quarry, near Winona, Minn.

Feet. 

Soil and broken stone,- stripping.................................. 6

Dolomite, " freestone "............................................ 4

Limestone, sandy, valueless......'................................ 6

Limestone, gray, for building purposes............................. 10

Limestone, white, of good quality, for cut stone or rubble.......... 2

Limestone, gray, building stone.................................. 10

Limestone, for crushing.....'...................................... 20

Joints are in four systems, north, east, N. 30° W., and N. 60° E. 

The joints are far apart, 40 feet in places, which adds to the. difficulty 

of quarrying. Bedding planes are closed seams but split with ease 

at intervals of 6 inches to 3 feet. The rock is very porous with 

small cavities, many of which contain white friable sand and are 

known as "sand pits." Stone from this quarry was employed in the 

foundation of the new capitol at St. Paul, and the Central Methodist 

Church, Baptist Church, and county jail at Winona. The rock is 

well adapted for dressed stone with bush-hammered surface. Window 

sills or steps may be obtained 8 inches thick and 10 or 12 feet long.
196 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The rock was tested at St. Paul when the capitol was built, and its 

employment in this structure should recommend it as a satisfactory 

material.

BIE8ANZ STONE CO. QUARRY^

The Biesanz Stone Co. operates a quarry at Minnesota City, 6 miles 

northeast of Winona, where work began about 1903. A section of 

the quarry shows the following beds:

Section of Biesanz Stone Co.'s quarry at Minnesota City, Minn.

Feet. 

Broken rock and soil............................................. 6-8

Best rock, used for rubble, cut stone, and ground for fertilizer...... 10

Inferior rock, used only for riprap................................. 8

The rock, like that in the Haun quarry, splits easily along horizontal 

planes. It is carried by cable cars on an inclined track to a crusher 

at the foot of the bluff. A siding from the Chicago Great Western 

Railroad facilitates transportation. Cut stone, rubble, riprap, and 

crushed stone are produced. A new enterprise, that of placing on 

the market finely ground stone for fertilizer, was begun in 1909, and 

in 1911 supplied 400 tons, valued at $1,000, to a constantly increasing 

demand. The demand for building stone, on the other hand, is 

decreasing.

ABELL QUARRY.

West of Winona, in sec. 34, T. 107 N., R. 7 W., is a quarry owned 

by Otis Abell. Transportation is by team and wagon, but its situation close beside a main highway leading to Winona, 1£ miles distant, 

is advantageous. The rock is similar to that in the Biesanz Stone Co. 

quarry. The quarry has not operated since 1907.

One-fourth of a mile beyond, a quarry owned by the city of Winona 

to provide crushed stone for street construction, has been idle since 

1910.

 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT QUARRY.

Near Lamoille, in sec. 12, T. 106 N., R. 6 W., the United States 

Government operates a large quarry for riprap for dams and shore 

protection along the Mississippi between Dresbach and Winona. 

Rock was first quarried in 1899 and has been removed in large quantities, the cliff face having been cut away to a depth of about 100 feet, 

from 510 to the present floor level at 412 feet above low water. The 

back wall of the quarry is now about 70 feet high. (See fig. 26.) The 

beds dip 1° to 2° S. that is, away from the river. This is somewhat 

unfavorable to drainage but is overcome by projecting holes from 

the quarry floor to the porous sandstone beneath.

The rock is shattered by heavy blasting in holes projected by three 

steam drills and is then broken by hand tools into pieces convenient
LIMESTONES AND MAEBLES. 197

X ro

s| s!

for handling. Tracks laid on the quarry floor bear cars on which" 

skips (large metal pans) are placed. The skips are loaded with rock 

fragments by hand and are hauled by horsepower to a heavy steel 

cable 1,200 feet in length, which extends from the quarry to the river, 

passing over the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway tracks. A 

carriage on this cable attached to the skip by three powerful hooks, 

hoists it free of the car, and lowers it swiftly to a barge on the river, 

which carries the rock to 

the point desired. Each 

skip holds 6 tons of rock 

and one skip is lowered 

every six minutes. About 

65 men are employed.

The output of this 

quarry from August 1, 

1910, to July 31,1911, 

was 20,241.9 cubic yards, 

considerably below the 

annual average, which 

in an average full season 

(six months) is about 

38,000 cubic yards. The 

cost of production from 

August 1, 1910, to July 

31,1911, including stripping, drilling, blasting, 

subsistence, quarrying, 

and loading barges, was 

59.7 cents per cubic 

jrard. The total cost of 

quarrying, including deterioration of plant,

rental Of quarry and re- FIGURE 26. Vertical section of the United States Government 

r , f-n , quarry, Lamoille, Minn. pairs, is about 70 cents u

per cubic yard. For small quarries, operating with fewer laborsaving devices, the cost would of course be higher.

GENTZKOW & MOGREBN QUARRY.

About 2 miles southeast of Minneiska station, in the northeastern 

corner of. Winona County, a quarry similar to the Government quarry 

is owned by Gentzkow & Mogreen. It was operated many years 

ago by John Gage, the present ownership dating from 1908. The 

quarry floor is 283 feet above the river, and is very close to the top 

of the Cambrian. (See fig. 27.)

10'-20'

12' 

4'-5' 

13'

9'

e"-io"

9'

12'

~v

2v

tt11'

1 1

- 1

1 1

1

1 1

-i '-r

1

1 1

1

1 1

1

1 1 1

1 1

-r-1 L-r

i

I.I. i

i i

i

| , | ,:. ,

 V, | :-. -. 1 1 :- 

 1 --I 1 .- 1 .-.. I.-.

". IrT-E^^=^--7:T

Stripping

Dolomite ("freestone")

Hard limestone with glassy layers

Massive limestone

»

Porous ^inty limestone 

Green clay and sand 

Porous flinty limestone 

Floor of quarry

Sandy limestone

Sandstone, limestone, and shale
198 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

The production is entirely riprap, supplied to the United States 

Government under contract for river protection. Transportation is 

by cable cars on a double track 1,000 feet long from quarry to river, 

passing beneath the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul tracks. The 

loaded car going down brings up the empty one. Further transportation is by barges on the river. About 45 men are employed. The

contract in 1912 called for 

18,000 cubic yards.

42'

24

I I

Stripping

Massive flinty limesttne

White dolomite ("freestone")

Hard gray limestone 

("sidewalk stone")

An important quarry in 

the Oneota dolomite is that 

owned by the Chicago & 

Northwestern Railway, 

midway between Stockton 

and Lewiston. It has been 

operated by the Widell Co. 

of Mankato since 1907. 

On account of the steep 

grade in the railway from 

Winona to this point, the 

quarry floor is level with 

the tracks. The rock is 

gray to white, and is similar to the stone at Winona. 

Beds may be obtained up to 3 feet in thickness. Major joints 

strike N. 25° E. and secondary joints N. 75° W. They are vertical 

and are 4 to 5 feet apart. Blocks of large size are available, but 

none are now quarried, the entire product for the last 8 or 10 years 

having been used for crushed stone for railway ballast and concrete.

Flinty limestone (' 'granite")

Floor of quarry

Sandstone, limestone, and shale I -S

DRESBACH QUARRY.

A quarry at Dresbach 

supplied riprap in past 

years but is not operating 

at present. The conditions 

are less favorable than at 

the two quarries just described, for the rock must

uf be transported a mile by

|-5 team and wagon.

o <5 £s

03

CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY QUARRY.

24

483' 

to

river 

level

FIGURE 27. Vertical section of the Gentzkow & Mogreen 

quarry, Minneiska, Minn.
LIMESTONES AND MARBLES. 199

Previous to that time the rock was used for bridge construction along 

the railway line near the quarry. The present annual output is about 

50,000 cubic yards, valued at $35,000.

MINOR QUARRIES NEAR LEWISTON.

Two small quarries near Lewiston, owned by Charles and Alvin 

Hossfeld, have been worked at intervals for many years to supply 

foundation stone in Lewiston. They were idle during 1912 and 

1913, the stone used in Lewiston being shipped from Winona.

A small quarry operated by Nick Myers near Rolling Stone is 

worked only at intervals to supply stone for local demand.

The remaining quarries in the Oneota formation are in the northwestern part of the county, where a steep and precipitous valley has t 

been excavated by Whitewater River and its tributaries. The valley 

is narrow and the roads which traverse it. drop abruptly from the 

rolling, open prairie to a narrow, wooded valley, walled in \)y craggy 

cliffs, rising in places as sheer walls 150 to 200 feet in height.

KRAMER QUARRY.

Several quarries have been operated in the vicinity of Elba in 

past years, but the only one at present active is that owned by Mr. 

Zastrel and operated by John Kramer. It is in a ravine on the 

east side of the river in sec. 11, T. 107 N., R. 10 W. The rock is 

buff in color, somewhat porous, and contains sand pits and some, 

iron stain. It closely resembles the rock near Winona. Jointing 

planes are vertical and 3.to 10 feet apart. Three systems were 

observed; N. 20° W., N. 45° W., and S. 45° W. The chief output is 

range rock for a new church at Elba. The wall of John Kramer's 

barn is of even-course stone from this quarry, and is of very attractive appearance. The quarry floor is approximately 100 feet below 

the prairie level and 150 or 200 feet above the stream bed. The 

quarried stone is rolled about 30 feet down the hill to the wagon 

road and some is broken in transit.

LEATHERMAN QUARRY.

In the northwest corner of the county, in the northwest quarter of 

ElbaTownship (T. 107 N., R. 10 W.) a quarry bought by Abe Leatherman, of Plainview, hi 1900, has been operated for many years. The 

rock is gray to yellow, the best bed being cream-colored. Beds are 3 

inches to 2 feet thick, and dip southward at a low angle. Jointing 

is irregular, and no definite systems were observable. In the following section the figures are approximate:
200 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Section in Abe Leatherman quarry, Elba Township, Minn.

Feet.

Limestone, from prairie level to top of quarry.................. 150-200

Limestone, thin bedded, white, shaly.......;.................. 2

Limestone, yellow to white.................................. 10

Limestone, cream-colored, best quality....................... 3

Limestone, porous, gray........................................ 6

Limestone, porous, quarry floor to river bed................... 30 )

The 3-foot cream-colored ledge is the best rock observed in Winona 

County. It is free of sand pockets and iron stain, and is of a rich 

and pleasing color. Under the microscope its even texture and purity 

are at once apparent, a few scattered grains of quartz constituting ^ , 

the only foreign matter present. A partial analysis of the rock j 

shows calcium carbonate, 54.50 per cent.; magnesium carbonate, I 

37.75 per cent; insoluble, 2.92 per cent. Its true specific gravity is j 

2.885, its pore space 9.96 per cent, and its weight per cubic foot \ 

162.3 pounds when dry.

Transportation is difficult, the road being rough and hilly until \ 

the prairie is reached. The nearest town is Plain view, about 6 

miles distant.

QUARRIES IN THE PLATTEVILLE LIMESTONE.

From Winona to St. Charles the Chicago & Northwestern Railway track ascends at a steep grade until it .passes above the Oneota 

horizon. Bluffs of the St. Peter sandstone, capped by Platteville 

limestone, appear near St. Charles, where several small quarries are 

situated.

THOMPSON QUARRY.

About a mile east of St. Charles a small quarry, owned by Mrs. 

Kate Conway and operated by John Thompson, has been worked 

about 18 years. A portable crusher was used from 1909 to 1912 

and was then removed. The rock is blue but weathers yellow near 

seams and joints. This character may be observed in the same 

formation at Minneapolis and St. Paul (p. 170). Beds are 3 to 14 

inches thick, the thinner beds being near the surface. Major joints 

strike N. 30° E. and secondary joints N. 60° W. They are open 

seams in places, dissolved out into open spaces 6 or 8 inches wide. 

Minor joints strike north and south and are closed seams. The 

present output is rubble for foundations and bridges. The most 

serious imperfections are the thinness of the upper beds and the 

presence of some flinty layers. The stone has been used for foundations of many buildings in St. Charles. It is attractive in appearance 

and durab.le. 4 . WOLTER QUARRY.

Half a mile northeast of St. Charles station a quarry owned by 

Fred Wolter is remarkable for its open joints, which are 6 to 8 inches 

wide and are partly filled with clay. Three joint systems trend
SANDSTONES AND QUABTZITES. 201

east, N. 10° E., and N. 60° E: With the microscope the rock appears 

as a fine-grained aggregate of calcite or dolomite grains. The yellow 

ferruginous stain is not uniformly distributed. A typical specimen 

of the limestone has a true specific gravity of 2.608, a pore space of 

8.29 per cent, and a weight of 149.5 pounds per cubic foot when dry. 

The thickness of the rock down to the St. Peter sandstone is about 

15 feet, and the lower 7 or 8 feet is of good quality. No rock is 

shipped away by rail, but steam tractors convey it to the country 

for use in farm buildings.

'PALMER QUARRY.

In southwestern St. Charles a quarry owned by Mrs. Hart Palmer 

was first worked in 1876. The rock contains many characteristic 

Platteville fossils and a few cavities lined with pyrite crystals. No 

rock was excavated in 1912.

ST. CHARLES CITY QUARRY.

One-fourth of a mile south of St. Charles station a quarry owned by 

the city of St. Charles has supplied paving stones and crushed rock 

for city use but has not been operated since 1901. The quality of 

the rock is well shown in the pavements, which have been in use for 

11 to 13 years and are still in excellent condition. The total output 

was about 3,000 cords.

MCORATH QUARRY.

Near the city quarry and similar to it in every respect is a quarry 

owned by M. G. McGrath and operated by Peter Kramer. It was 

opened in 1908 and was not operated in 1912. Its total output 

is about 135 cords.

SANDSTONES AND QTJARTZITES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The available sandstones and quartzites of Minnesota are of 

Huronian, Keweenawan, Cambrian, and Ordovician age. Huronian 

quartzites outcrop in the southwestern counties and in St. Louis 

County north of the Mesabi Range, and Keweenawan sandstones 

along Kettle River and near Fond du Lac. Cambrian sandstones 

are for the most part friable and have been quarried in a few places 

only,notably atTaylors Falls, in ChisagoCounty; Dresbach,in Winona 

County; and Jordan, in Scott County. Ordovician sandstones are even 

more friable. The St. Peter sandstone has been quarried for structural 

blocks at one point only, on a small island near the confluence of 

Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The Keweenawan sandstones and 

Huronian quartzites, however, are abundant, attractive, durable, 

and of great economic value.
202 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 

HURONIAN QUARTZITES. 

.NICOLLET COUNTY.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Intermediate between New Ulm and Courtland, extending from the 

railroad bridge over Minnesota River for 1£ miles to the east, is an 

outcrop of the Sioux quartzite, of Huronian age. It is a northeastward extension of the massive ridges of similar quartzite in Pipestone 

and Rock counties. (See pp. 203-205.)

, The rock is in beds 6 to 18 inches thick, which dip from horizontal 

to 45° generally to the north or northeast. In past years the rock was 

known as the "Redstone quartzite." It was originally a sandstone 

but is so firmly cemented by silica that the individual grains have for 

the most part lost their identity, the whole mass appearing as a 

dense reddish quartz. It is so extremely hard that it is unprofitable 

to use it extensively for structural purposes.

NEW ULM STONE CO. AND MINNESOTA FLINT ROCK CO. QUARRIES.

The New Ulm Stone Co. and the Minnesota Flint Rock Co. quarry 

extensively near Courtland and have large crushing plants. Each 

company ships about 800 carloads of crushed rock per annum. A 

small amount of building stone is obtained as a by-product, pieces 

of convenient shape and size being put aside and trimmed in the 

whiter for building blocks. Irregular " one-man stones," weighing 

40 to 80 pounds, are 'set aside for riprap. All the remaining rock 

quarried is crushed for concrete and road construction. Though 

extremely hard, the rock is brittle and therefore not exceptionally 

hard to crush.

The Bureau of Chemistry, of the United States Department of 

Agriculture, investigated the qualities of the stone and reported the 

following mineral composition:

Mineral composition of the "Bedstone quartzite," Courlland, Minn.

Quartz (Si02 ).................................................. 96. :i

Orthoclase (KAlSi3 08).......................................... 1.4

 Zircon (ZrSi04 )................................................ .1

Hematite (Fe203 )............................................... 2.2

It was found to be the hardest quartzite ever tested by the bureau. 

Its toughness also is above the average, but its cementing value, like 

that of all quartzites, is low. In road construction it should be 

rolled wet. It is best adapted for heavy traffic.

About a mile nearer New Ulm, in the W. \ sec. 27, Courtland 

Township, a jasper conglomerate, some of which has been quarried, 

outcrops in a ridge about 1,000 feet long with strike N. 20° E. and 

dip 18° S. 60° E. The pebbles, which are of all sizes up to a footin
SANDSTONES AND QUARTZITES. 203

diameter, are well rounded by water action, and are cemented firmly 

together with a quartz cement, forming a firm, indurated rock. Both 

pebbles and cement being largely of silica, the rock is more uniform 

in hardness than most conglomerates. It is possible that decorative 

rock of good quality could be.obtained from this ridge.

PIPESTONE COUNTY.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The only bedrock known in Pipestone County is a red quartzite, 

of Huronian age, which extends into northwestern Iowa, where it is 

known as the Sioux quartzite.

This rock must not be confused with the "pipestone" noted in 

Indian tradition. The latter is a dense, red, claylike, much softer 

rock, which is found in a bed 18 inches thick within the massive 

quartzite.

The quartzite is quarried near Pipestone and Jasper. North of 

Pipestone the rock outcrops extensively as two distinct types, an 

attractive deep-red stone in beds rarely more than 8 inches, thick 

and a pale grayish red of poorer quality. Under the microscope the 

deep-red stone is seen to consist mainly of angular quartz grams, 

set in an aggregate of muscovite, feldspar, and hematite. Originally 

the rock was evidently an arkose. There is no evidence of secondary 

growth of quartz grams, and the rock should therefore be much easier 

to work than that at Jasper. (See p. 204.)

The rock is very strong. Under crushing stress the first crack 

came at 10,429 pounds per square inch and final collapse at 20,277 

pounds. Under transverse breaking stress the modulus of rupture 

proved to be 6,583 pounds per square inch.

Both on account of its attractive appearance and its strength the 

rock is to be highly recommended for ornamental trimming. It is 

one of the most beautiful and durable stones in the State.

The rock is thin bedded, 8 or 10 inches being its maximum thickness. The beds dip about 10° E., and the joints are uneven and 

irregular. The rock bleaches gray along joints but evidently does 

so very slowly.

NASON CO. QUARRY.

The only working quarry near Pipestone is that owned by Leo 

Moore and operated under lease by the O. P. Nason Co., about half 

a mile north of the city. During 1912 part of the output was shipped 

to Sioux Falls, to be employed in the construction of a school for the 

deaf and dumb. The major part of the rock quarried is crushed to 

the size of coarse sand and is shipped to Chicago for roofing. About 

six men are employed, producing 2 to 4 carloads a week of the 

crushed stone.
204 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 

JASPER COOPERATIVE STONE CO. QUARRY.

A large quarry, opened half a mile from Jasper in 1890, is owned 

by the Jasper Cooperative Stone Co. and is worked under lease by 

Andrew Koy. The rock is a highly indurated pale-pink quartzite, 

which in thin section is seen to be made up almost entirely of quartz 

with very little iron stain and calcite cement. The most notable 

feature is the secondary enlargement of quartz grains that is, the 

cementation of the original sand grains by the deposition of quartz 

in the intergranular spaces. Such cementation results in the formation of a very hard rock, and microscopic examination indicates that 

the "Jasper" stone is more difficult to cut than the deep-red rock 

from Pipestone, in which secondary enlargement of the quartz is not 

apparent and iron oxide forms much of the cementing material.

Bedding planes are 6 inches to 2 feet apart and dip generally less 

than 5° approximately southeast. Major joints strike about N. 20° 

W. but curve and become irregular in places. Some are open and some 

filled with clay. Secondary joints at right angles to the major joints 

are not so prominent. They are spaced several feet apart. Quarry 

conditions are good, the overburden being 1 to 4 feet of soil and the 

quarry of bench type.

Paving stones, building blocks, rubble, and, of late years, some 

crushed stone, are produced. The Sioux Falls post office was made 

of stone from this quarry. The quarry is equipped with steam drills 

and horsepower hoist and is connected by a spur line with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific tracks.

STAPLES QUARRY.

About 2 miles south of Jasper a quarry was opened by H. W. 

Staples in 1907 in rock of the same type as that just described. The 

entire output is paving stones, of which one-half to three-quarters 

of a million are produced annually. A railway siding from Jasper 

simplifies transportation.

JASPER STONE CRUSHING CO.

The Jasper Stone Crushing Co. operates no quarry but crushes rock 

from the waste heaps of the Staples quarry. The rock is transported 

by cars on an inclined track to a crusher capable of handling 160 

cubic yards of stone a day, and the crushed stone is passed directly 

into cars on the siding.

' ABANDONED QUARRIES.

A short distance from the Staples quarry the Jasper Stone Co. 

quarry (office, Watertown, S. Dak.) operated extensively until about 

1902. Several other quarries are now idle. In past years, when 

labor was less expensive, rock was shipped from Jasper to Minneapolis and St. Paul and used in the construction of several beautiful 

dwellings.
SANDSTONES AND QUABTZITES. 205 

COTTON WOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES.

In Cottonwood County the Sioux quartzite is exposed as an 

extensive ridge running east and west through Storden, Amboy, and 

Selma townships, and extending into Adrian Township, in Watonwan County. It is of the same type as the rock at Jasper and is as 

yet undeveloped.

ROCK COUNTY.

The only bedrock known in Rock County is an extension of the 

Sioux quartzite, which runs south to a point about 2 miles north of 

Luverne and ends abruptly in a prominent ridge known as "The 

Mound." The rock is of the same general type as the "Jasper" 

stone but is badly broken by numerous irregular joints. Good rock 

may be obtained in pockets of uncertain size, which, about 30 years 

ago, were excavated extensively and used in many structures in 

Luverne. The Fowler Methodist Church in Minneapolis was made 

from the quartzite near Luverne. At present it is quarried on a 

small scale at irregular intervals for local purposes. The best blocks 

have been used for monument bases but are inferior for such uses. 

Orm Carter, J. B. Hinkley, and others own land on which rock outcrops. The high elevation of the Mound, allowing perfect drainage 

and easy transportation, favors the establishment of crushing plants.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY.

The Pokegama quartzite, which outcrops north of the Iron Range, 

in St. Louis County, is similar to that quarried near Courtland, in 

Nicollet County, and at Jasper, in Pipestone County. It is of Upper 

Huronian age and rests unconformably upon the southern flank of 

the Giants Range granite. It dips southward and forms the floor of 

the iron-bearing Biwabik formation. Some of this quartzite has been 

quarried and crushed about 2 miles north of Hibbing, where the 

entire output is used for street construction. It is a hard, glassy, 

fine-grained, pale-pink rock but is not well adapted for building 

stone, as the joints, both horizontal and vertical, are closely spaced 

and very irregular. Spaces of more than a foot between seams are 

rare. In places the rock is interbedded with a green shale.

KE WEEN AW AN SANDSTONES. 

GEOLOGIC RELATIONS.

A yellow to reddish sandstone that outcrops abundantly along 

Kettle River in Pine County is of somewhat doubtful geologic age. 

Both Hall 1 and Winchell 2 concluded that it was conformable with 

the overlying Cambrian sandstones and hence of Cambrian age, but

' Hall, C. W., The red sandstone series of southeastern Minnesota: Science, vol. 27, p. 722,1908. 

a Winchell, N. H., Geology of Minnesota: Minnesota Geol. Survey, vol. 1, pp..422-424, 637,1884.
206 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

in a recent report Thwaites * maintains that the sandstones of adjacent areas in Wisconsin are of Keweenawan age. Though there 

is no visible connection between the sandstones in Wisconsin and 

those of Sandstone, Minn., it seems probable that the latter repre-' 

sent an extension of the Bayfield group into Minnesota and are consequently of upper Keweenawan age.

A brown sandstone which outcrops extensively near Lake Superior 

in Wisconsin and extends over the boundary into Minnesota at 

Fond du Lac is also of doubtful age. Winchell 2 and Hall 3 reported 

it as Potsdam (Cambrian) and Buckley 4 accepted this classification. Thwaites,5 however, places it in the Orienta sandstone, of 

the Bayfield group, which is of upper Keweenawan age.

PINE COUNTY.

KETTLE RIVER QUARRIES CO. QUARRY.

Sandstone is quarried very extensively by the Kettle River Quarries Co. on the bluffs of the Kettle River at the town of Sandstone, 

about 87 miles northeast of Minneapolis on the Great Northern 

Railway.

The quarry was first worked by Col. W. H. Grant in 1885, and 

the rock was hauled by teams to Hinckley. Later it was operated 

by Ring & Tobin, and with direct railroad connection stone was 

shipped to Minneapolis, Omaha, Duluth, and other points for curbing, bridge work, and buildings. In 1893 and 1894 the Wing Dam 

at St. Anthony Falls was built of it. In 1894 the disastrous Hinckley 

fire destroyed the entire equipment. The Minnesota Sandstone Co. 

was organized in 1895, the name being later changed to the Kettle 

River Quarries Co. Of late years the equipment has been greatly 

improved and extended. Kettle River furnishes power for air 

compressors, shops, crushers, and dynamos. The quarries are now 

equipped with 25 large derricks, 2 locomotives, several miles of 

standard track, and a large locomotive crane. About 500 men 

are employed.

The rock forms high precipitous bluffs along Kettle River, and as 

the quarry floor is higher than water level drainage is perfect and 

rock removal easy. The face of the largest quarry is about 100 

feet high and over 2,000 feet long. (See PI. XIX, B.} Most of 

the rock is a light pink, but near the top of the quarry and in places 

near the bottom, it is of a darker yellow, with a distinctly red cast.-

1 Thwaites, F. T., Sandstones of the Wisconsin coast of Lake Superior: Wisconsin Geol. and Nat. Hist. 

Survey Bull. 25, pp. 102-103,1912.

2 Winchell, N. H., op. cit., vol. 4, p. 571. 

a Hall, W. C., Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 12, p. 319,1901.

4 Buckley, E. R., Building and ornamental stones of Wisconsin: Wisconsin Geol. Survey Bull. 4, p. 1C7, 

1898. 

& Thwaites, F. T., op. cit., pp. 41-47,73.
BULLETIN 663 PLATE XIX

A. SLATE OUTCROPS AT THOMSON, CARLTON COUNTY, MINN.

li. KETTLE RIVER QUARRY AT SANDSTONE, MINN.
SANDSTONES AND QUARTZITES. 207

Most of the cementing material is silica, and the rock grains are 

sufficiently adherent to form a strong and durable structural stone. 

The rock is granular in appearance, many of the grains showing a 

bright reflection due to the addition of secondary quartz which has 

developed crystal faces. The grains are of uniform size, the majority 

of them passing through a 40-mesh sieve. About one-fourth of the 

rock is suitable for high-grade structural purposes, and the remainder 

chiefly for paving blocks. Beds are 1 to 6 feet thick and dip 2° to 

4° S. or SE. Three thin shale beds appear at intervals of 15 to 20 

feet, but otherwise the rock is a uniform sandstone. Open joints 

are vertical and are 40 to 300 feet apart. Their wide spacing makes 

quarrying difficult, as the rock is too hard for economical channeling.

The method employed in quarrying is to drill rows of holes nearly 

the full depth of the heavy beds in such a manner as to mark off a 

mass of rock 30 or 40 feet square. The Knox system (see p. 65) is 

employed, and a simultaneous discharge of blasting powder in the 

drill holes breaks loose a mass the thickness of which is governed by 

the position of the shale beds. Further division of the rock into blocks 

of convenient size is by plug and feather methods. The difficulties 

of quarrying rock of this type are discussed in greater detail by 

Bowles.1

Large blocks to be made into paving stones are transported on 

flat cars to the river flats, where cutters reduce them to proper size 

and shape. In this operation the directions of natural splitting in 

the rock are of prime importance. The rift is parallel with the 

stratification, the run (or second direction of splitting) is east and 

west, and the head grain north and south.

The chief output of the quarry is paving stones, though considerable building stone and cut stone for structural purposes are also 

produced. Footings, rubble, crushed rock, and sand, the latter a 

by-product of the crusher, are of minor importance. Stone is also 

cut to order in a well-equipped shed. The rock is well adapted for 

cornice or other carved work. The shops and quarry are directly, 

connected with the Great Northern Railway.

According to tests made at the United States arsenal, Water- 

. town, Mass., the rock will bear a very high compressive strain, the 

ultimate crushing strength in two tests being 12,295 and 12,799 

pounds per square inch. . An analysis made by the United States 

arsenal shows silica (Si02 ), 97.10 per cent; alumina (A1203 ), 2.20 per 

cent; lime (CaO), 0.60 per cent; magnesia (MgO), 0.10 per cent.

Among the many structures made from this stone may be mentioned the library building of the University of Illinois, at Urbana, 

111., the Spokane Club building at Spokane, Wash., Des Moines

t Bowles, Oliver, Sandstone quarrying in tne United States: Bur. of Mines Bull. 124, pp. 35-37,1917.
208 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Public Library, courthouses at Elk Point, S. Dak., Crookston, Grand 

Rapids, and Bensonj Minn., the Duluth and Minneapolis reservoirs, 

bridges over Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebr., 

the large Duluth-Superior bridge, and the Government bridge at 

Rock Island, 111.

The new Great Northern station in Minneapolis, which contains 

40,000 cubic feet of cut stone, was completed in 1913. (See PI. 

XX.) Pillsbury Hall of the University of Minnesota (PL XXI) 

is made partly of this rock and partly of "Fond du Lac" brown 

sandstone.

BARBER ASPHALT PAVING CO. QUARRY.

Rock of the same type as that at Sandstone has been quarried for 

many years at Banning, Minn., by the Barber Asphalt Paving Co., 

of Philadelphia. The quarries are at present inactive.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY.

"Lake Superior brownstone," as it is commonly called, has been 

quarried extensively in Wisconsin and at Fond du Lac, near Duluth, 

in Minnesota.

KRAUSE QUARRY.

A quarry owned by C. A. Krause was opened in 1882 at Fond du 

Lac, in sec. 5, T. 48 N., R. 15 W., and was worked actively during 

the years when brownstone was popular.

The rock is light to dark purple-maroon in color, much of it having 

light spots one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch across. It is fairly 

even-grained in texture and is interbedded with shale. Under the 

microscope it proves to be a feldspathic sandstone or arkose. The 

quartz grains forming the main mass are somewhat angular in form; 

with them are many grains of orthoclase, plagi.oclase, and microcline. Flakes of biotite and grains of hornblende and magnetite ar»e 

present. Decay of the ferromagnesian minerals has resulted in the 

separation of iron oxides which give the rock its characteristic color.

Major joints strike north and south and secondary joints east 

and west, are 1 to 10 feet apart, and nearly vertical. Bedding 

planes are very distinct and are 1 to 5 feet apart. The dip is about 

15° SE. and the strike northeast. Distinct cross-bedded planes are - 

in places only a few inches apart.

The demand for brownstone has of late years been very small. 

This is due mainly to the fact that when stone of this type was popular much rock of good color but poor quality was placed on the 

market. Also much of it was set with the bedding vertical, and 

after a few years' exposure the ill effects of weathering turned popular 

opinion against all brownstone, and lighter-colored stone became
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY STATION, MINNE

Constructed of sandstone from the Kettle Rive
U- S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

PILLSBURY HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, M

Constructed partly of "Kettle River" sandstone and partly of 
SANDSTONES AND QUARTZITES. 209

more in demand. In this particular quarry, present inactivity has 

resulted both from decreased demand for the stone and increased 

expense of operation. Further excavation requires the removal of a 

much greater overburden of soil than heretofore. Better stone, however, would probably be obtained at greater depth.

Just over the State line in Wisconsin a quarry operated by the 

Duluth Brownstone Co. produces rubble of the same type as the best 

rock obtained from the Krause quarry at Fond du Lac, Minn. The 

rock exhibits the same characteristics, white spots, cross-bedding, 

and shale bands. Stone from this quarry was employed in the construction of the American Exchange Bank, Duluth; the Irving School, 

in West Duluth; and the Adams School, on Seventeenth Avenue, 

Duluth.

The rock in the two States is similar and the tests made by the 

Wisconsin Survey give fair indications of the character of the Minnesota stone. The average crushing stress of sandstone from the 

South Shore area (in Wisconsin) is given by Buckley 1 as 5,272 

pounds per square inch and the transverse breaking stress as 444.9 

pounds. All samples tested indicated sufficient strength and durability for structural work of any kind. Samples from the Duluth 

Brownstone Co. quarry gave the highest strength tests and the lowest 

porosity of any of the samples tested. Consequently the more massive beds of Minnesota stone in the near vicinity are probably as 

durable and efficient as any sandstone in the region. The stone 

as tested by Winchell 2 broke under a crushing stress on the bed of 

3,625 pounds and on edge of 5,750 pounds per square inch.

Many large and beautiful structures have been built of the "Fond 

du Lac." stonej among them being the Metropolitan Life Building 

and the Lumber Exchange in Minneapolis. Careful examination of 

these buildings shows no important deterioration.

CAMBRIAN SANDSTONES.

The Cambrian sandstones of Minnesota are for the most part too 

friable to be used successfully for structural purposes.

WINONA COUNTY.

The Dresfyach sandstone was quarried many years ago near the base 

of the Mississippi bluffs at the towns of Dresbach and Dakota, hi the 

southeastern extremity of Winona County. Its geologic relations 

are shown in connection with the limestones of WinonaCounty (p. 194). 

It is white and somewhat friable and resembles the Berea sandstone 

of Ohio. It has not been quarried recently. The Rolling Stone Catholic Church was made of Dresbach stone.

i Buckley, E. R., op. cit., p. 197. a Winchell, N. H., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 200, 

95545° 18 Bull. 663 14
210 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

CHISAGO COUNTY.

Cambrian sandstone crops out along the St. Croix bluffs in the 

northeastern part of the county and south of Taylors Falls to the 

Washington County line. It was quarried many years ago near 

Taylors Falls and was used in the construction of several business 

blocks of that town and of a mill at Franconia. It is white, coarse 

grained, and rather friable when quarried but is said to become much 

harder with age.

SCOTT COUNTY.

At Jordan the Jordan sandstone, of Cambrian age, has been quarried 

for many years. This formation lies immediately above the St. Lawrence limestone and outcrops hi the bluffs near the old mill pond. 

The quarries were opened about 50 years ago and were operated intermittently until 1911. The beds are horizontal and are 1 to 2 feet 

hi thickness. Joints are at right angles, vertical, and 2 to 6 feet apart. 

There is an overburden of 8 to 10 feet of drift. The color is white to 

reddish. Near the top of the quarry the rock is blotched with oblong, rounded, or irregular white patches half an inch to 2 inches in 

diameter -and shows a few ferruginous bands. Near the bottom of 

the quarry its color is more nearly uniform. The rock is medium 

grained and somewhat friable, the lower beds being of better quality 

than the upper beds, but poor drainage discourages deep quarrying. 

The output of the quarries averaged from 250 to 400 cords annually, 

most of which was used locally. As observed in the public school, 

the Catholic school, and the old and new breweries, the rock is attractive in appearance and fairly durable.

LE SUEUR COUNTY.

Except in small patches seen at Ottawa, which are cemented almost 

as hard as quartzite,- the Jordan sandstone is much more friable in 

Le Sueur County than at Jordan, in Scott County. The incoherent 

material is used by the Minneapolis Steel & Construction Co. as a 

molding sand and for making cores. It is also used at Kasota as an 

abrasive in sawing marble slabs. Several loads are shipped annually 

from Ottawa to Minneapolis, St. Paul/ and even to California to supply 

steel works and foundries.

ORDOVICIAN SANDSTONES.

The only sandstone of Ordovician age which has been quarried in 

Minnesota is on a small island in Mississippi River, in the SW. J 

sec. 33, Mendota Township, in the St. Peter formation. It is exceptional that the St. Peter is sufficiently coherent to be utilized for 

structural work. The rock is in thick beds, dipping slightly south-
STRUCTURES IN WHICH MINNESOTA STONE WAS USED. 211

ward. It weathers to a rusty yellow of almost exactly the same shade 

as the weathered Platteville limestone at Mendota. It was used for 

two walls of the old Faribault House at Mendota and for the piers of 

the Fort Snelling Bridge but has not been quarried for many years.

SLATES.

Slates and schists of upper Huronian age outcrop along St. Louis 

River between Carlton and Cloquet and in the southern part of Carlton County in the vicinity of Barnum and Moose Lake. The slates 

are dark and fine grained and dip steeply. An attempt has been 

made to use them in roofing, but most of them are too brittle and 

schistose. A small slate quarry supplies stone for local use at Barnum. From a small excavation at Cloquet a little roofing slate and 

crushed rock are obtained.

The most prominent outcrops are near the big dam at Thomson, 

where slate and graywacke are interbedded and form massive arched 

folds with nearly vertical slaty cleavage. (See PL XIX, A.) Many 

areas of slate 30 feet or more in thickness are quite free of graywacke. 

The slate was at one time extensively quarried near Thomson, and 

was used partly for roofing and partly in the manufacture of brick. 

The quarries now belong to the Great Northern Power Co. and have 

been inactive for at least 20 years.

The development of a slate industry in the region is a future possibility. The massive hogback ridges indicate an almost unlimited 

supply; large areas have no overburden, and railways are convenient.

STRUCTURES IN WHICH MINNESOTA STONE WAS USED.

The structures named in the following list were built in whole or 

in part from Minnesota stone. The list includes only the names of 

structures that were brought to the writer's notice in the course of 

visiting the quarries throughout the State and therefore is not complete.
212 STRUCTUBAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

Structures in which Minnesota stone was used.

Granite and gneiss.

Structure.

U. S. customhouse and post office, St. Paul, Minn. ; corners, 

steps, and trimming. 

.State Capitol, St. Paul, Minn. ; 4 columns. .................

Hennepin County courthouse, Minneapolis. Minn. .........

Yellow Medicine County couthouse, Granite Falls, Minn. ;

basement. 

Redwood Falls Public Library. ............................

Hans Nelson Hauge Monument, Moorhead , Minn ............

Part of Catholic Church, Waconia, Minn ....................

St. Paul Cathedral, St. Paul, Minn..........................

Lower part of old Minneapolis post office. . ..................

Basement and approaches of State Capitol, St. Paul, Minn. 

Steps of Gateway Park Building, Minneapolis, Minn ........

Trimming of Ford Motor Works, Minneapolis, Minn ........

Basement of post office, Menominee, Wis. ...................

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway bridge over Mississippi River between St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn.

Northern Pacific Railway bridge over Missouri River at 

Bismarck, N. Dak.

Wall around State Reformatory grounds, East St. Cloud, 

Minn. 

Water tower of State Reformatory, East St. Cloud, Minn. . . . Main building of State Reformatory, East St. Cloud, Minn. . 

Great Northern Railway stone-arch bridge, Minneapolis, 

Minn.

Gordon & Ferguson glove factory, St. Cloud (in part); Davidson Opera House (in part); St. Cloud Cathedral (in 

part).

Date.

1868 

About 1900

1888

1912

1914

1902

1884-1886

1913

About 1900 

1913

1914

1914

1914

1879 

1881

1902-1914

1912 

About 1900 

1882-83

1908

1911 

1913

Stone.

"East St. Cloud" granite.

Do.

gneiss.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Granite Co. 

Do.

& McCormack.

Robinson. 

Do.

Co. 

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Red granite. Old Rock Island 

8uarry, near East St. 

loud. 

Red granite, Old Rock Island 

quarry near East St. 

Cloud; granite from sec. 

35, Watab Township, Benton County. 

Gray granite, State Reformatory quarry. 

Do. 

Do. 

See p. 171.

quarry, East St. Cloud. 

Red granite, Fischer Co. 

quarry, East St. Cloud.

Sauk Rapids.

Limestone and marble.

State Capitol, St. Paul, Minn. ; some interior panel work .... 1896-1903 

Begun 1852

1900-1901

About 1898

1912

1911

1912

1894-1896

1820

1835

Between

1835 and 1840

"Kasota" marble; marble 

from the McClure and the 

Widell Co. quarries near 

Mankato; limestone from 

Geo. Haun quarry, Winona.

near Stillwater. Some interior finish from Kasota 

quarries and from McClure 

and Widell quarries near 

Mankato. 

Limestone, J. McClure and

the Widell Co. quarries near 

Mankato. 

Do.

Limestone, T. R. Coughlan

Co. quarry, Mankato. 

Do.

stone & Fuel Co. quarries, 

Mankato. 

Do.

Limestone, Mendota.

Do. . Limestone from Mendota

and St. Peter sandstone 

from island in Mississippi 

near Mendota.
STRUCTURES IN WHICH MINNESOTA STONE WAS USED. 213

Structures in which Minnesota stone was used Continued.

Limestone and marble Continued.

Structure.

Farmhouse, sec, 24, Lakeville Township, near Farmington, 

Dakota County. Minn. 

Masonic Temple, Rushford, Minn ...........................

Lutheran Church, Rushford, Minn. .........................

Do......................................................

Methodist Church, Bed Wing, Minn ........................

Lake City High School, Lake City, Minn. . ..................

City Hall, Lake City. Minn .................................

Girls' college, State Training School, Red Wing, Minn. . .....

Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City; interior 

decoration (in part). 

St. John's Catholic Church, Caledonia, Minn ................

St. Peter's Catholic Church, Caledonia, Minn ...............

Minnesota School for the Deaf, Faribault, Minn., a group of 

8 or 10 buildings.

Main building, Minnesota School for Feeble Minded, Faribault, Minn. 

Willis Hall of Carlton College, Northfield, Minn. .............

St. Michaels Catholic Church, Stillwater, Minn. .............

Eichter Co. Block, Stillwater, Minn .........................

Baptist Church. Winona, Minn .............................

South St. Paul Belt Line bridge, South St. Paul, Minn . ......

St. Paul Public Library; interior. ...........................

St. Paul, Minn., courthouse ..........'.......................

Administrative building, State School for the Blind, Faribault, Minn. 

Library building, Carlton College, Northfleld, Minn. ........

St. Paul Hotel, St. Paul, Minn. .............................

Date.

1866 

1912

1906 

1895 

1905 

1908 

1894 

1899 

1891 

1913

1899

1873 or 1874 

1883 ' 

1875 

1913 

Period 1866 

to 1913

1881

1872 

1873 

1872-73 

1869

1895

1871 

1888 

About 1897

1898 

1915

1900 

1902 

1899 

1906 

1910 

1904 

1890 

1900 

1888 

1912

1892 

1910 

1914 

1915 

1913 

1912

Stone.

Limestone quarried near the 

house. 

Limestone, Akre & Dahl 

quarry, Rushford. . Do. 

Limestone, Red Wing. 

Do. 

Do. 

Limestone, Frontenac. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Limestone, Hoscheit quarry, 

Caledonia. 

Do. 

Limestone, Caledonia. 

Do. 

"Kasota" marble. 

Limestone, Eberhart Kaul, 

Cromer, and other quarries, 

Faribault, Minn. 

Limestone, Liebquarry, Faribault. 

Limestone, Dundas. 

Limestone, Stillwater. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Limestone, Haun quarry, 

Winona. 

Do. 

Do. 

Limestone, Widell Co. quarry, near Mankato. 

Do. 

Marble. Widell Co. quarry, 

near Mankato. 

"Kasota" marble. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Sandstone and quartzite.

Grand Rapids, Minn.. courthouse; foundation and trimming.

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. .

1907

1893-94

1896

1900

1898

1900

1895 

1897

1913

1889 

1890

1897

1910

1860

1890

1885

Quartzite, Luverne.

" Kettle River" sandstone.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

"Kettle River" sandstone; 

"Fond du Lac" brownstone.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.
214 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA. 

QUARRY OPERATORS.

In the following directory a star is placed before the names of 

operators whose quarries are not described in the foregoing text:

.-, , County location Granite operators: . of quarry.

Aberdeen Granite Co., Ortonville........................Lac qui Parle.

*Amalgamated Granite Co., St. Cloud...................... Stearns.

Anderson Granite Co., Morton.............................Renville.

Atwood, C. L., St. Cloud.................................Stearns.

*Benton Co. Granite Co., Sauk Rapids.....................Benton.

*Bigstone Granite Works, Bigstone, S. Dak.............,..'.Lac qui Parle.

Black Diamond Granite Co., St. Cloud.................... Stearns.

Clark & McCormack, 138 East Sixth Street, St. Paul...... Do.

Consolidated Granite Co., Ortonville.....................Lac qui Parle.

Davidson & Davidson, Little Falls........................Morrison.

Doerner, John, St. Cloud................................. Stearns.

East St. Cloud Granite Co., Box 275, St. Cloud.............. Sherburne.

Empire Quarry Co., St. Cloud.............................Stearns.

Erickson, August, East St. Cloud...'...........;........... Sherburne.

Fischer Co., East St. Cloud...................;.......... Do.

Flaherty Bros., St. Cloud................................Stearns.

Frick & Berwick Granite Co., Box 202, St. Cloud........... Do.

"x"Graham & Fister, R. D. 4, St. Cloud.....................Benton and Stearns.

Graham, Robert, St. Cloud................................Stearns.

Granite City Granite Co., St. Cloud....................... Do.

Hilder Granite Co., St. Cloud, R. D. 6.....................Sherburne.

Holes Bros., St. Cloud....................................Stearns.

Jones, S.A., St. Cloud.................................... Do.

Kellas, John, 704 Sixth Avenue Southeast, St. Cloud..... .Sherburne.

Keystone Granite Co., Pv. D. 4, St. Cloud.................. Stearns.

*Lintgen Bros. Granite Co., R. D. 4, St. Cloud............. Do.

Melrose Granite Co., St. Cloud........................... Do.

*Miller, Fred C., Sauk Rapids.............................Benton.

Minnesota State Reformatory, Box B, St. Cloud...........Sherburne.

Monarch Granite Co., St. Cloud..........................Stearns.

Murray & Meturoth, St. Cloud............................. Do.

National Quarry Co., St. Cloud............................ Do.

Noreen, L. E., R. D. 4, St. Cloud........................ Do.

North Redwood Granite Works, North Redwood............Redwood.

Northwestern Granite Co., R. D. 3, St. Cloud..............Stearns.

Old Rock Island Quarry, East St. Cloud..................Sherburne.

Pike Horning Granite Co., 612 Pillsbury Building, Minneapolis. ................................................ Kanabec.

Pioneer Granite Co., St. Cloud............................Stearns.

Reynolds Granite Co., Warman............................Kanabec,

*Roan, James, St. Paul...................................Morrison.

Robinson, J.'B., St. Cloud................................Stearns.

Rockville Granite Co., Rockville......................... Do.

St. Cloud Granite Works, St. Cloud........................ Do.

Sauk Rapids Granite Co., Sauk Rapids...................Benton.

Schwab, C. D., St. Cloud................................Stearns.

Simmers & Campbell, St. Cloud.......................... Do.
/ QUARRY OPERATORS. 215

« ... . /-, , , County location Granite operators Continued. of quarry.

StreitzBros., E. D. 4, St. Cloud..........................Stearns.

Swanson & Hagstedt, Sauk Rapids.......................Benton.

United Granite Co., St. Cloud.............................Stearns.

Warman Creek Granite Co., Warman...................... Kanabec.

Williams, M. M., Little Falls..............................Morrison.

/ Gabbro or trap-rock operators:

Duluth City Quarry, Board of Public Works; Duluth..... .St. Louis. -

Duluth Crushed Stone Co., 1505 Alworth Building, Duluth.. Do.

*Lake County Quarry, Two Harbors......................Lake.

*Trap Eock Co., 605 Lumber Exchange, Minneapolis....... Chisago.

, Two Harbors Municipal Eock Crushing Plant, Two Harbors. Lake. 

Sandstone and quartzite operators:

*Betcher, Fred, Mazeppa.................................Wabasha.

Hinkly, E. B., Luverne................................Eock.

Jasper Cooperative Stone Co., Jasper......................Pipestone.

*Jasper Granite Co., 1150 Plymouth Building, Minneapolis.. Do.

*Jasper Granite Co., New Ulm...........................Mcollet.

Jasper Stone Crushing Co., Sioux City, Iowa..............Pipestone.

Krause, C. A., Fond du Lac.............................St. Louis.

Kettle Eiver Co., 1111 Plymouth Building, Minneapolis.. .Pine. 

Larson, Otto, Peterson..................................Fillmore.

*Lieder, Eobert, E. D. 6, New Ulm.....................Nicollet.

*McDermott, Fred A., Luverne..........................Eock.

Minnesota Flint Eock Co., New Ulm..................... Nicollet.

New Ulm Stone Co., New Ulm........................... Do.

Nason, 0. P., Co., Pipestone.............................Pipestone.

Staples, H. W., Jasper................................... Do.

Limestone and marble operators:

Abell, Otis, Winona..................................... Winona.

Akre & Dahl, Eushford..................................Fillmore.

Anderson, A. P., Minneapolis............................Hennepin.

Babcock & Willcox, Kasota............................. Le Sueur.

*Bailey, H. D., E. D. 1, Altura.... .\....................Winona.

Baldwin, Charles, Caledonia..............................Houston.

Bean, W. H., Stillwater................................Washington.

Beaver, John, Wabasha..................................Wabasha.

*Benson, Albert, Pine Island...........................Goodhue.

Bielenberg, C., St. Paul.................................Eamsey.

Biesanz Stone Co., Winona..............................Winona.

Bjork, A., Eed Wing....................................Goodhue.

Blomstrand & Olson, Nininger...........................Dakota.

Blue Limestone Co., Minneapolis........................Hennepin.

Bly, T. M., Spring Valley...............................Fillmore.

*Boldman, Charles, Hokah...............................Houston.

Bradley, G. E., Mankato................................Blue Earth,

*Bratland, John, Eushford...............................Fillmore.

Breen Stone Co., Kasota................................Le Sueur.

Bremer, Claus, Wabasha................................Wabasha.

*Brudinsick, E. F., Mazeppa........................... Do.

*Bullene, C. E., Elba..................................Winona.

Burkhardt, Alfred, Wabasha............................Wabasha.
216 STEUCTUEAL AND OENAMENTAL STONES OP MINNESOTA. \

T j vi A n x- j County location Limestone and marble operators Continued. of quarry.

Carey, W. H. (also lime), Spring Valley...................Fillmore.

Carli, C. H., Stillwater..................................Washington.

Carlson, 0., Hastings....................................Dakota.

Carney's Bricklayer Cement Co., Mankato...............Blue Earth.

Chicago & North Western Railway Co., Chicago, 111........Blue Earth and

Winona. X 

Clayton, E. L., Chatfield...............................Olmsted.

Coughlan, T. R., Co. (also lime), Mankato................Blue Earth,

Cromer, Philip, Faribault...............................Rice.

Dahl, A. M., Red Wing.................................Goodhue.

*Deedrick, George, Altura..............................Winona.

Donahue Bros., Rochester..............................Olmsted. ]

Duffy, James, Caledonia................................Houston.

Dutcher, D. L., Pine Island............................Goodhue.

*Eagon, Thomas, La Crosse, Wis.........................Winona.

*Fieback, William, Elba................................. Do.

*Fiedler, H. C., St. Peter................'..........-......Nicollet.

First National Bank, Wabasha..........................Wabasha.

Fischer, John, St. Paul...................................Ramsey.

Fowler & Pay (also lime), Mankato...................... Blue Earth and

Mower. 

Frontenac Stone Co., Frontenac.........................Goodhue.

Gengler, J. P., Caledonia....:.......................... .Houston.

Gentzkow & Mogren, Nininger and Minneiska.............Winona and Dakota.

Haglund, Andrew, Red Wing........................... Goodhue.

Hange, L. E., Caledonia................................Houston.

*Hanson, Andrew, Kenyon..............................Goodhue.

Haun, George, Winona..................................Winona.

*Henretty, Pat, R. D. 5, Mankato...,...............'... .Nicollet.

Hix, Charles, Ottawa.................................. .Le Sueur.

*Hodapp, Wendel, Mankato............................. Nicollet.

*Holt, Charles S., Rochester..............................Olmsted.

*Holtzhammer, George, La Crosse, Wis..................Houston and Winona.

Hortenbeck, R., Minneapolis,............................Hennepin.

Hoscheit, J. A., Caledonia..............................Houston.

Hossfeld, Alvin, Lewiston..............................Winona.

Hugunin Estate Co., Kasota.............................Le Sueur.

Jefferson, A., & Son (also lime), Mankato.................Blue Earth.

Jewell Nursery, Wabasha...............................Wabasha.

Johnson, Bert, Cannon Falls.............................Goodhue.

Johnson, Johannes, Red Wing............................ Do.

*Johnson, J. T., Le Roy................................Mower.

Johnson, L. P., Minneapolis.............................Hennepin.

Johnson, M. C., Stone & Concrete Co., North Mankato... .Nicollet.

Johnson, P. G., Cannon Falls...........................Goodhue.

Kaul, Eberhart, Faribault............................... Rice.

*Keller, Adolph, St. Charles............................Winona.

*Keller, Nic., St. Charles................................ Do.

Kramer, John, Elba...............................:..... Do.

*Kroning,H.G., St. Charles.............................. Do.

Leatherman, Abe, Plainview............................. Do.
QUARKY OPERATORS. 217

County location Limestone and marble operators Continued. of quarry.

Lieb, F., Faribault......................................Rice.

Lillyblad, Gust (also lime), Red Wing....................Goodhue.

*McCloud Stone Co., Minneapolis......................... Hennepin.

McClure, James, 61 East Sixth Street, St. Paul............ .Blue Earth.

McGee, Ed., Stillwater...................................Washington.

McGrath, M. G., St. Charles.............................Winona.

Mankato Limestone & Fuel Co., Mankato..................Blue Earth.

*Mantorville Stone Co:, Mantorville. ........*........... .Dodge.

*Maunder, John, Ottawa................................Le Sueur.

*Meyers, Nicholas, Rolling Stone........................Winona.

Minneapolis Park Board, Minneapolis.....................Hennepin.

Minneapolis Stone Co., Minneapolis....................... Do.

Minnesota Crushed Stone Co., Minneapolis................. Do.

Nelson, Martin, Rushford.................................Fillmore.

North Mankato Stone Quarry Co., North Mankato..........Nicollet.

Palmer, Hart, St. Charles.................................Winona.

*Palmer, P. W., Brownsville.............................Houston.

*Reiss, 0. W., Rochester.................................Olmsted.

Rengens, Andrew, Minneapolis...........................Hennepin.

Robbins, J. B., St. Paul.................................Ramsey.

Rochester State Hospital, Rochester....................... Olmsted.

St. Charles City quarry, St. Charles.......................Winona.

*St. Paul Crushed Stone Co., St. Paul....................Ramsey.

Schroeder Brick & Lime Manufacturing Co. (also lime), 

Shakopee........................:.................... Scott.

*Sparrow, W. A., Mantorville.............................Dodge.

*Snyder, C. E., Preston.................................Fillmore.

Stillwater City quarries, Stillwater........................Washington.

*Tesco, F. L., Chatfield.................................Fillmore.

*Trayer, George, Brownsville.............................Houston.

United States Government quarry, 304 Custom House, St.

Paul..................................................Hennepin.

United States Government quarry, Room 11, Government

Building, La Crosse, Wis...............................Winona.

*Volz, F. J., Rochester...................................Olmsted.

Walde, Robert, Rochester............................... Do.

*Weimer, A. M., R. D. 6, North Mankato................. Le Sueur.

Widell Co., Mankato.................. J.................Blue Earth.

*Wing, Martin, Red Wing...............................Goodhue.

Wolter, Fred, St. Charles................................Winoua.
218 STRUCTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF MINNESOTA.

STONE-FINISHING PLANTS.

The following list includes stone-finishing plants operated by 

quarry companies and by wholesale manufacturers:

Granite finishers:

Anderson Granite Co., Morton. 

Benzie & Campbell, St. Cloud. 

Black Diamond Granite Co., St.

Cloud.

Clark & McCormack, Rockville. 

Frick & Berwick Granite Co., St.

Cloud.

Graham, Robert, St. Cloud (near). 

Granite Sample Works, St. Cloud. 

Hilder Granite Co., East St. Cloud. 

Holes Bros., St. Cloud. 

Jones, M. E., St. Cloud. 

Jones, S. A., East St. Cloud. 

Keystone Granite Co., St. Cloud

(near).

Melrose Granite Co., St. Cloud. 

Milne, Robert, East St. Cloud. 

Monarch Granite Co., St. Cloud. 

Morgan Flaherty & Son, St; Cloud.

Granite finishers Continued.

National Granite Co., St. Cloud.

North Redwood Granite Co., North 

Redwood.

Pioneer Granite Co., St. Cloud.

Rockville Granite Co., Rockville.

St. Cloud Granite Works, St. Cloud.

Saleski, John, St. Cloud.

Sauk Rapids Granite Co., Sank 

Rapids.

Simmers & Campbell, St. Cloud.

United Granite Co., St. Cloud.

Yaeger & Son Granite Works, East

St. Cloud. 

Sandstone finishers:

Kettle River Co., Sandstone. 

Limestone and marble finishers:

Babcock & Willcox, Kasota.

Breen Stone Co., Kasota.

Fowler & Pay, Mankato.
INDEX.

Page.

Abell quarry, description of _ 196 

Aberdeen Granite Co. quarry, description of _____ 69 

Acknowledgments for aid _ 13-14 

Afton Township, limestone quarries

in____________ 194

Agate Granite Co. quarry, granite

outcrops near______ 108-109

Aiken quarry, description of___ 160^161 

Aitkin County, granite outcrops in_ 144 

Akre & Dahl quarry, description

of____________ 165-166 

Algonkian period, building stones

of_______i_____ 43-44 

Alteration of rocks at the surface,

conditions governing G2-63 

Analyses of granites_ _ 51, 52, 53 

Anderson (A. P.) quarry, description

of_____________ 172

Anderson Granite Co. quarry, description of_______ 73-74 

Ann River, granite outcrops near._ 144 

Anoka County, limestone in______ 153 

 Apatite, properties of__ _____ 25 

Aplite, injury to granite by______ 59 

properties of ___________ 28 

Appearance of building stones, properties affecting____ 40 41 

Archean period, building stones of_ 43 

rocks of, in Minnesota River

valley __________ 47-49 

Ashley Township, granite in____ 75 

Atwood, C. L., acknowledgment to_ 14 

gabbro outcrop on land of_ 116-117 

Atwood quarries, description of__ 85 86 

Augite, properties of___ _______ 22

B.

Babcock & Willcox quarry, description of___ _ __ 180 

Baker quarry, product of_____._ 192 

Baldwin quarry, description of___ 174 

Barber Asphalt Paving Co. quarry,

product of ______ 208

Barnnm, slate quarry at_______ 211

Basalt, outcrop of___________ 149

production of ___________ 18

properties of____________ 28-29

Bean quarry, description of____ 192 193

Beaver quarry, description of____ 191

Beckman quarries, product of__ __ 192

Page.

Bedding planes, occurrence of- _ 33 

Benton County, dioritc in__ __ 04 

granite in _______ 50, 51, 124-136 

production of________ 18 

Bielenberg quarry, description of_ 184-185 

Biesanz Stone Co. quarry, description of_________ 196 

Big Stone County, granite in____ 68-09 

Biotite, properties of 2ii 

Bjork quarry, description of- _- 167 

Black Diamond quarries, description

of_____________ 86-88' 

Black knots, nature and occurrence

of__'________ 00-61, 08 

Blasting, Knox system of 65,152 

Blomstrand & Olson quarry, description of________ 159 

Blue Earth County, limestone in__ 153-158 

Blue Limestone Co. quarry, description of_____ _ 172 

Ely quarry, description of 163 

Bradley quarry, description of 154-155 

Breen & Young, quarrying by __ 121 

Breen Stone Co. quarry, description of_____ 176-178,179 

Brerner quarry, description of _, 191-192 

Brown, L. C., acknowledgment to_ 14 

Brownstone, sources of-__ _ 208-209 

Building stone, cost of 41 

Buildings. See Structures. 

Burchard, E. P., acknowledgment to_ 13 

Bureau of Mines, cooperation'of___ 14 

Bureau of Standards, cooperation of- 14 

Burkhardt quarry, description of__ 190 

Burnsville Township, quarries in_ 100

C.

Calcite, properties of :__ 24 

Caledonia, limestone quarries near. 175 

Cambrian period, rocks of___j.___ 44-45 

sandstones of_________ 209-210 

Capitol, State, source of columns for_ 68 

Capping, definition of __ ___ 34 

Carbonates, properties of_ __ 24 

Carey quarry, description of 163-164 

Carleton College, Dundas and Farlbault limestone at____ 188 

entrance of Library, plate showing___________ 150 

Carlson (G.) quarry, description

of___________ 158-159 

Carlton, slate near __ _ 31 

Carlton County, slates in 211

219
220 INDEX

Page. 

Carney Bricklayer's Cement Co.

quarry, description of_ 158 

Cass County, granite in______ 144-145 

Castle Rock Township, quarries in_ 160 

Cathedral at St. Paul, carving over 

main entrance of, plate 

showing__ 81 

Cenozoic era, glaciation in_____ 47 

Chicago & Northwestern Railway 

Co. quarries, description of__ 156,157,198-199 

Chippewa County, granite in _ 69-71 

Chisago County, diabase and basalt

in ____ ________ 149 

sandstone in____________ 210 

Chlorite, properties of________ 23 

Clark & McCormack quarry, description of_________ 81-83 

plate showing __ ___._ 80 

Clayton quarry, description of__ 164-165 

Cleavage of minerals, identification

by____________ 20 

Cleveland, J. J., acknowledgment to_ 13 

Cloquet, slate quarry at______ 211 

Coates quarry, description of___ 125-126 

Cold Spring, granite outcrops in and

near _ 117-118 

Color, minerals producing, in limestones ________ 150-151 

Color of rocks, desirable and undesirable _________ 37 

Columnar section of Minnesota

rocks, plate showing... 42 

Columns, granite, turning and polishing of_______ 66 

Composition of rocks, determination

of ____ _____ 35-36

Concrete, use of___________ 16-17 

Conglomerate, jasper, nature and

occurrence of____ 202-203 

origin of_____________'__ 29

Consolidated Granite Co. quarry, description of ____ 69 

Cost of building stone, conditions

, affecting__ ____ 41 

Cost of quarrying______________ 197

Cottage Grove Township, limestone

quarries in_______ 194 

Cottonwood County, quartzite in__ 205 

Coughlan (T. R.) Co. quarry, description of____ __ 158 

Courtland Township, quarries in_ 202-203 

Cretaceous period, sediments of__ 46-47 

Cromer quarry, description of_____ 186

D.

Dahl quarry, description of ___ 167 

Dakota County, limestone in 158-161 

Davidson & Davidson quarry, description 'of __ __ 138-139 

Decorah shale, occurrence of____ 46 

Defects of granites___ 49, 57-63 

See also under names of counDevonian period, rocks of_ 46

Page.

Diabase, injury to granite by_ 58-59 

outcrops and quarries of__ 148-149 

properties of___ 29 

Dikes, diabase or trap, injury to

granite by 58-59

Diorite, composition of________ 28

occurrence of__ _ ____ 64

quarries of, early __ 15

Dodge County, limestone in___ 161-162

quarry section in________ 162

Doerner quarry, description of_ 88

granite outcrop south of____ 115

Dolomite, properties of _______ 24, 30

Donahue Bros, quarry, description

of___________ 183-184 

Drake quarry, description of 107 

Dresbach quarry, description of__ 198 

Dresbach sandstone, occurrence of_ 44, 209 

Drills, power for____________ 65 

" Dry seams," occurrence of_ _ 141-142 

Duffy quarry, description of ___ 174-175 

Duluth, Brownstone Co. quarry,

product of___ __ 209 

Duluth city quarry, operation of_ 149 

Duluth Crushed Stone Co. quarry,

description of___ __ 148 

Dundas, limestone from 188 

Durability of building stone, determination of __ ____ 39-40 

Dutcher quarry, description of 169

E.

East St. Cloud Granite Co. quarry,

description of____ 121-122 

Empire Quarry Co. quarries, description of______ 88-90 

Empire Township, quarries in____ 160 

Epidote, properties of________ 23 

Erickson quarry, description of_ 123-124 

Erosion, post-Devonian, extent of 46 

Eureka Township," quarries in____ 160 

Exposures and quarries, distinction

between- 74-75

F.

Faribault House, stone used in 160 

Faribault quarry, product of 188 

Feldspar, properties of 21 

Fillmore County, limestones in 163-166 

Finishers, stone, list of 218 

Finishing granite, processes of 66 

First National Bank quarry, description of_______ 191 

Fischer Cd. quarry, description of 125 

Fish Lake quarry, description of 137-138 

Flaherty Bros, quarry, description of 90 

Fluorite, occurrence of . 103,123 

Fond du Lac, brownstone quarry

at __________ 208-209 

Fossils, occurrence of 44, 46, 160, 173 

Fowler & Pay quarry, Blue Earth

County, description of 157

Mower County, description of 181-182

Franconia sandstone, occurrence of_ 44-45
INDEX. 221

Page.

Frick & Berwick, quarrying by 113 

Frick & Berwick Granite Co. quarry,

description of ___ 90-91 

Frontenac Stone Co. quarry, description of _ 168

G.

Gabbro, occurrence and relations of 64

operators of quarries in 215

outcrops and quarries of 148 149

properties of 28

quarries of, early 16

Galena limestone, occurrence of 46

Garnet, properties of______ 23

Ganger, Alfred W., acknowledgment

to ___________ 13-14 

analysis of limestone by 172 

Gengler quarry, description of 175 

Gentzkow & Mogreen quarries, description of __ 159, 197-198 

Geologic column of Minnesota, plate

showing _ 42 

Geology of the building stones 42-47 

Giants Range, granite in 145-146 

Gilmanton Township, granite outcrop in _ __ __ 131 

Glaciation, effects of, on the accessibility of building 

stones _ _ 47 

Gneiss, properties of 31 

quarries of, early __ 15 

use of, in structures__ 212 

Goodhue County, limestones in___ 166-169 

Graham quarry, description of __ 91-92 

Grain. See Run. 

Granite, columns of, in lathes, plates

showing ______ 66 

defects of _________ 49, 57-63 

See also under names

of counties.

finishers of 218 

finishing of __-___ 66 

gray, age of-.* 54-57 

mixtures of, with red granite ______ 57-58 

split along the rift, plate

showing _______ 60 

occurrence of, by counties. _ 68-147 

operators of quarries in___ 214-215 

porphyritic, nature and occurrence of _______ 53^54 

production of-__________ 18 

properties of _ 27 

quarries of, early _ __ 15-16 

red, age of ______ 54-57 

dikes of, cutting gray granite, plate showing 61 

mixtures of, with gray

granite 57-58 

resources of _ ___ 27-28 

use of, in structures______ 212 

Granite City Granite Co. quarries, description of : 92 

plate showing - _______ 92 

Granite Falls area, diorlte in TO1-?! 

and gabbro in_______ 71-72

Page.

Granite Ledge Township, granite outcrops in _______ 13O-131 

Granodiorite, composition of _____ 28 

Grant Township, limestone quarries

in _____________ 194 

Great Northern Power Co., slate

quarries of _ ____ 211 

Great Northern Railway Co., station 

of, at Minneapolis, 

plate showing_____ 208 

stone arch bridge of, at Minneapolis, plate showing- 170-171 

description of 170 

Grout, F. F., acknowledgment to 13 

analyses by 51, 52, 53, 141, 154, 155 

Gurney, H. D., quarrying by 135

H.

Haglund quarry, description of_ 168 

Hagquist, A. E., granite outcrops on

land of________ 133-134 

Hair lines, nature and occurrence of_ 59-60 

on granite, plate showing 60 

Hammond, G. H., analysis by 51 

Hardness of rocks, influence of composition on 36 

Hardness of minerals, scale of_ _ 20 

Hardway, definition of 33 

Hauge, Hans Neilson, monument,

rock of _________ 73 

Haun quarry, description of- 195-196 

Haven Township, granite in_50, 51,120, 121 

granite quarries in, map showing 18 

Hay Creek, granite exposure on _ 144 

Head grain, definition of 33 

Hematite, properties of 25 

Hennepin County, limestones in__ 169-173 

Hibbing, quartzite quarry near 205 

Hilder Granite Co. quarry, description of________ 122-123 

" Hinsdale " granite, plate showing- 52 

Hinsdale quarry, description of__ 146^147 

Hix quarry, description of______ 180 

Hoisting, means of__________ 66 

Hokah, quarries near 173^-174 

Hokanson, Charles, quarrying by 149 

Holes Bros.' quarries, description of- 92-D3 

granite outcrops near _ 112 113 

Holes, W. J., acknowledgment to__ 14 

Hornblende, properties of ______ 22 

Hortenbach quarry, description of__ 173 

Hoscheit quarry, description of ___ 175 

Hossfeld quarries, product of____ 199 

Houston County, limestones in__ 173-175 

Hugunin Estate Co. quarry, description of__________ 180 

Huronian quartzites, distribution

and character of_ 202-205 

Huronian time, rocks of _____ 43

J.

" Jasper bands," occurrence of__ 92,104 

Jasper Cooperative Stone Co. quarry,

description of 204
222 INDEX

Page. 

Jasper Stone Co. quarry, operation

of ____________ 204 

Jasper Stone Crushing Co., operation of__________ 204 

Jefferson quarry, description of 156 

Jewell Nursery Co. quarry, description of_________ 191 

Johnson (Bert) quarry, description

tion of_________ 169 

Johnson (G. P.) quarry, description of_______ 168-169 

Johnson (L. P.) quarry description of_ _ 172 

Joints, direction and spacing of 32-33,

61-62, 68

divergence of _ _ _ _ 104 

relation of, to cost of quarrying____________ 41 

Jones quarry, description of 93-94 

Jordan sandstone, occurrence of__ 45 

quarries in 210

K.

Kanabec County, granite in_____ 140 144 

Kaolinite, properties of______ 20-21 

Kasota area, limestones in ___ 175-180 

"Kasota pink" granite, plate showing _ 52 

"Kasota" stone, character of 177-178 

methods of quarrying. 178-179 

Kaul quarry, description of 187-188 

Kavanaugh, W. H., acknowledgment to : 13 

Keewatin time, rocks of_______ 43 

Kellas quarry, description of____ 124 

Kettle River Quarries Co. quarry,

description of-___ 206-208 

plate showing __________ 206 

Keweenawan granites of central Minnesota, quarries and 

outcrops of 74-136 

Keweenawan sandstones, nature and

occurrence of 205-209 

Keweeuawan time, rocks of__ 44, 50-64 

Keystone Granite Co. See Robinson

Bros.

Knox system, features of______ 65,152 

Kramer quarry, description of 199 

Krause quarry, description of 208-209

L.

Lac qui Parle County, granite produced in________ 18 

Lake County, diabase quarry in 148 

Lake Superior basin, origin of 44 

"Lake Superior brownstone," sources

of __________ 208-209 

Lakeland Township, limestone quarries in____ _ _ 194 

Lakeville Township, quarries in 160 

Lamoille, limestone quarry near 196-197 

Lanesboro, limestone quarries near 165 

Laumontite, occurrence of 148 

Laurentian time, rocks of ... 43

Page.

Le Sauk Township, gabbro in 64

granite and other rocks in_ _ 75-80

Le Sueur County, limestones in 175-181

sandstone in 210

Leatherman quarry, description of- 199-200

Lieb quarry, description of 186-187

" Lift holes," use of________ 33, 62, 64

Lillyblad quarries, description of 167-168

Lime, making of____ _ ____ 150

production of ___ 19

Limestone, argillaceous, durability

of___________ 151

distribution and character of- 149-153

finishers of____________ 218

method of quarrying- 152-153

occurrence of, by counties 153-201

operators of quarries in 215-217

properties of- 30

production of __ ____ 18

quarries in, early 14-15

in Minnesota, map showing- 148

use of, in structures_____ 212-213

Limonite, properties of_ _ 25

Lindesmith* quarry, description of- 189-190

Livingstone quarry, description of- 180-181

Luverne, quartzite quarries in _ 205

Lynden Township, granite in____ 80-81

M.

McClure quarry, description of_ 155 

McDonough quarry, description of 162 

McGee quarry, description of 192-193 

McGrath, granite outcrops near 144 

McGrath quarry, product of 201 

Magnetite, properties of- _ 24 

Mankato, quarries in _ 156-158 

Mankato Limestone & Fuel Co.

quarry, description of- 158 

Ma.quoketa shale, nature of 46 

Marble, finishers of- _ _ 218 

Kasota, quarries of 175-180 

operators of quarries in 215-217 

origin of 31 

use of, in structures_____ 212-213 

Marcasite, properties of 25 

Marketing of quarry products, conditions affecting _ __ 67,152 

Mayhew Lake Township, granite outcrop in_ _ 131 

Mayo, L., quarrying by 133 

Mazeppa, limestone quarries near- 191 

Melrose Granite Co. quarries, description of_________ 94-96 

granite outcrop south of 108 

Melrose Township, granite in 81 

Mendota Township, quarries in 159-160,

210-211

Mesabi region, granite in 145-146 

Mesozoic era, rocks of_ _ 46-47 

Mica, properties of 22 

Microcline, properties of__ 21 

Mille Lacs County, rock outcrops in_ 145 

Millville, limestone quarry near_ 191 

Minerals, physical properties of 19-20 

Minneapolis Stone Co. quarry, description of_____ 171-172
INDEX. 223

Minneapolis Trap Rock Co,, development by 149 

Minnesota Crushed Stone Co. quarry, description of 171 

Minnesota Flint Rock Co. quarry,

description of_ 202-203 

Monarch Granite Co. quarry, description of_ 96-97 

granite outcrop east of 106 

" Monarch red" granite, source of 97 

" Montello" granite, rock resembling__ ______ 118-119 

Montevideo area, granite in 69-70 

" Mora gray" granite, black knots

in_____ 61 

source of_ 143 

Morrison County, rocks in ^ 136-140 

tf .Morrison County gray" granite,

plate showing. 118 

" Morton." granite gneiss, nature of_ 49 

plate showing 68 

Mower County, limestones in 181-182 

Muscovite, properties of_ 22 

Myers quarry, product of 199

N.

Nason Co. quarry, description of 203 

National Quarry Co. quarry, description of___ 97-98 

Nelson quarry, description of 166 

New Richmond sandstone, nature

of___-'________ 45 

New Ulm Stone Co. quarry, description of____ ___ 202-203 

Newport Township, limestone quarries in_________ 194 

Nicollet County, granite in 74 

limestones in 182 

quartzites in__ ___ 202-203 

Nishihara, George S., acknowledg- . ment te____ __ 13 

Noreen quarries, description of__ 98 99 

North Mankato Stone Quarry Co.,

quarrying by_ __ 182 

North Redwood granite, nature of__ 48-49 

North Redwood Granite Works quarry, description of 72-73 

" North Star" granite, source of- 105 

Northfleld, limestone quarries at_ 188 

Northwestern Granite Co. quarries,

description of_ _ 99-100 

granite outcrop near 114-115

0.

Oak Dale Township, limestone quarries in__________ 194 

Old Rock Island quarry, description of_______ 119-120 

Ollvlne, properties of________ 23 

Olmsted County, limestones in__ 182-184 

Oneota dolomite, nature and occurrence of ___ 45, 153 

Opening of a quarry, form of____ 64-65

Page.

Ordovlcian period, rocks of_ 45-46 

sandstones of_______ _ 210-211 

Orthoclase, properties of _ 21 

" Ortonvllle" granite, nature and

occurrence of____ 48, 68-69 

plate showing____.__ __ 68 

Osendorf, Henry, granite outcrop on

land of________ 118-119 

Outcrops, difficulty of judging 75 

Oxides, properties of 24-25

P.

Paleozoic era, rocks of ___ 44-46

Palmer quarry, description of 164

product of _______ -. 201

Paving blocks, prdduction of_____ 63

Pegmatites, description of___ 49, 68 

Peterson, dolomite quarries near 165 

Phosphates, properties of 25 

Physical tests of building stones, results of________ 38-39 

Physiography of Minnesota 41-42 

Pike-Horning Granite Co., quarrying by _ 140 

Pilger quarry, description of- __ 174 

Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota, plate showing__ 209 

Pine County, sandstone in_____ 206-208

Pioneer Granite Co. quarry, description of_______ 115-116 

granite outcrops near_____ 107 

Pipestone, Indian, nature and occurrence of_________ 203

Pipestone County, quartzite in__ 203-204 

Plagioclase, properties of______ 21 

Platteville limestone, occurrence of_ 45-46 

Pleistocene epoch, glaciation in_ 47 

" Plug and .feather " method of splitting, description of___ 65-66 

Pokegama quartzite, nature and occurrence of______ 205 

Porosity of rocks, influence of, on

durability ______ __ 38

Porphyritic granite, nature and occurrence of ___ _ 53-54 

Prices of "St. Cloud" granite___ 67 

Production- of stone, various statistics of _ __ 17-19 

Pyrite, occurrence of _ __ 103 

Pyrrhotite* occurrence of _ __ 103

Q.

Quarries, opening proper for drainage of __ 147 

operators of ____ ______ 214-217 

and exposures, distinction between__________ 74-75 

Quarrying, methods of___ 64-67,152-153 

Quartz, blue, occurrence of_____ 102 

properties of___ __ _ 24 

Quartz monzonite, properties of__ 28 

Quartz schist, origin of ____ 31
224 INDEX

Page.

Quartzite, distribution and character of_______ 201-211 

operators of quarries -in______ ' 215

origin of______________ 31 

production of_ 18 

properties of 30 

quarries of, early _ 16 

use of, in structures 213

R.

Ramsey County, limestones In_ 184-185 

Rath quarry, description of___ 164 

" Red rock granite," source of_ 93 

" Redstone quartzite," mineral composition of __ 202 

source of_____________ 202 

Redwood County, granite produced

in____________ 18

rock in '. 74

Reformatory quarry, plate showing- 120

Renville County, granite in _ 72-74

granite in, production of 18

Reynolds Granite Co. quarry, descrip- -

tion of________ 141-142 

Reynolds (W. W.) quarry, description of_________ 164 

Rice County, limestones in____ 186-188 

" Richmond red" granite, plate

showing________ 118

Rift, direction and origin of__ 33-34, 91 

relation of, to cost of quarrying- 41 

Robbins quarry, description of__ 185 

Robinson Bros.' quarry, description

of-____ ____ 101 

Robinson (J. B.) quarry, description of________ 100-101 

Rochester State Hospital quarry, description of_______ 183

Rock County, quartzite in 205 

Rocks, average weight per cubic foot

of__ ____ 38 

classification of ____ 26 

crystalline, age and distribution

of __________ 47-57,64

igneous, kinds of ____ 27-29

origin of_____________ 26

metamorphic, kinds of_____ 31 

origin of 26 

sedimentary, kinds of _ _ 29-30 

origin of ________ 26 

specific gravity of_ _____ 38 

" Rockville " granite, nature and occurrence of _____. 52-53 

plate showing ______ 118

Rockville Granite Co. quarry, description of_ _ 83 

Rockville Township, granite in__- 52-53,

81-83

Rogers quarry, description of 172 

Rum River, rock outcrops on __ 145 

Run, direction and origin of_____ 33-34

relation of, to cost of quarrying __________ 41

S.

Page.

St. Augusta Township, granite in_ 52, 83-84 

St. Charles City quarry, product of- 201 

St. Cloud Granite Works quarries,

description of____ 101-102 

"St. Cloud gray " granite, age of 54-57 

nature and occurrence of 51-52 

plate showing _ _ 52 

uses of- _ 63 

" St. Cloud red " granite, age of 54-57 

nature and occurrence of _ 50^51 

plate, showing _ 52 

uses of ___ _____ 63 

St. Cloud reformatory, main building of, plate showing_ 121 

St. Cloud region, map of_____ 14 

St. Cloud Township, granite in 50, 

51, 53, 85-115

granite quarries in, map showing-___________ 16 

St. Croix River, Dalles of______ 149 

diabase and basalt outcrops on_ 149 

St. Joseph Township, granite in___ 52,

115-116 

St. Lawrence limestone, nature and

occurrence of 45,153

St. Lawrence quarry, description of_ 189

St. Louis County, gabbros in __ 148-149

granite in_ _.__ 145-147

quartzite in _______ 205

sandstone in _ __ _ 208-209 

St. Paul Cathedral, granite in_____ 82-83

St. Peter sandstone, occurrence of_ 45 

quarry in __ _______ 210-211 

St. Peter's Church quarry, Mendota,

description of- _ 160 

St. Wendall Township, gabbro in__ 64,

116-117

Sandstone, distribution and character of ___ 201,205-211 

finishers of- r 218 

operators of quarries in _ _ 215 

origin of___ __ _ 29-30 

production of - 18 

quarries of, early 16 

use of, in structures____ _ 213 

" Sap rock," production of _ 63 

Sank Center Township, granite in_ 117 

Sauk Rapids bridge, granite outcrops

near. 105, 133, 134 

Sauk Rapids Granite Co. quarries,

description of 126-128, 136 

" Sauk Rapids light gray " granite,

plate showing _ 68 

Sauk Rapids quarry, description of_ 129 

Sauk Rapids Township, granite outcrops in _ 131-134 

Sauk River, granite outcrops near_ 106 

Saulpaugh quarry, description of_ 119-120 

Schist, properties of 31 

Schroeder Brick & Lime Manufacturing Co. quarry, description of _ _ _ 189 

Schwab quarry, description of 102-103
INDEX. 225

Page.

Sciota Township, quarries in 160 

Scott County, limestone in______ 188-189

sandstone in__ _ 210 

Shakopee dolomite, occurrence of 45 

Shale, properties of 30 

Sheeting planes, occurrence of 33

position and spacing of- 62

relation of, to cost of quarrying. 41 

Sherburne County, granite in 50,

51,119-124

granite in, production of 18 

Shultz quarry, description of 164 

Sibley, Gen., house of, plate showing. 150

house of, stone used in __ 160 

Silicates, properties of J__ 20-30 

Simmers, A. M., acknowledgment to_ 14 

Simmers & Campbell quarries, description of_____ 103-105

granite outcrops near _. 106-107 

Singer quarry, product of______ 192

Slate, nature and occurrence of__ 211

origin of_______________ 31 

outcrops of, at Thomson, plate

showing________ 206 

" Slick seams," occurrence of__--_ 114 

Snake River, granite outcrops on_ 144 

Soper, E. K., acknowledgment to__ 13 

Sphene, properties of _________ 23 

Staples quarry, description of ___ 204 

State Reformatory quarries, description of________ 120-121 

Stearns County, gabbro in 64 

granite in____ 50, 51, 52, 53, 75-119 

production of________ 18 

Steele County, limestone in____ 189-190 

Stillwater City quarry, description

of___________ 193-194

Stone, methods of studying __ 35

properties of____________ 35-38

utilization of ___________ 16-17

Streak of minerals, identification by_ 20

Streitz Bros, quarry, description of_ 105

Strength of building stones, testing

of_____________ 37-38 

Stripping, methods of_________ 64 

Structures in which Minnesota stone

was used, list of__ 211-213 

Sulphides, properties of ______ 25 

Surface alteration of rocks, conditions governing ____ 62-63 

Surface 12 by 15 feet obtained by a 

single blast, plate showing___________ ° 61 

Swanson & Hagstedt quarry, description of________ 128-129 

granite outcrops near______ 136 

Syenite, composition of________ 28

T.

Talc, properties of___________ 23 

Talcott, Castle & Co., quarrying by__ 136 

Taylors Palls, sandstone quarry

near____________ 210

95545° 18 Bull. 663 15

Page.

Taylors Falls Trap Rock Co., crushing plant of _ 149 

Texture of rocks, Importance of__ 36 

Thompson quarry, description of_ 200 

Thomson, slate near __ __ 211 

Topography of Minnesota_ 41-42 

Transportation, means of____ 66-67, 87 

See also under the several quarries.

Trap rock, operators of quarries in__ 215 

Two Harbors Rock Crushing Plant,

description of _____ 148

U.

Undersander, John, granite outcrop

on land of __ - 116

United Granite Co. quarry, description of__________ '75-77

United States Government quarry,

description of 173,196-197

University of Minnesota campus 

quarry, description 

of___________ 170-171

W.

Wabasha County, limestones In_ 190-192 

Wakefield Township, granite in__ 117-119 

Waldee quarry, description of___ 184 

Warman Creek Granite Co. quarry,

description of ____ 142-143 

"Warman Creek gray" granite, plate

showing_________ 118 

Warren River, glacial, erosion by_ 48 

Washington County, limestones

in___________ 192-194 

Waste rock, utilization of 67 

Watab Township, dlorite in_____ 64 

rock outcrops in_______ 134-136 

Watonwan County, quartzite in 205 

" Waupaca" granite, rock resembling__________ 118 

Wedging, method of_____ 65 

Whalen, dolomite quarries near__ 165 

Whitaker, H. C., acknowledgment to 13 

" White knots," occurrence of __ 102, 134 

Whitney quarry, description of_-l 139-140 

Widell .Co. quarry, description of_ 155 

Willard, W. W., analysis by_____ 51 

Willard quarry, description of___ 156 

Williams, M. M. acknowledgment to 14 

Williams quarry, description of_ 136-137 

Winchell, N. H., acknowledgment to_ 14 

Winona County, limestone In___ 194 201 

sandstone, in___________ 209 

Wolter quarry, description of__ 200-201

y.

Yellow Medicine County, granite and

gneiss in_________ 71-72

Z.

Zircon, occurrence of_. 

properties of _.

133

23

o