Minnesota DNR-Lands and Minerals Division. Native American Origins Long before any large-scale mining took place, American Indians in Minnesota used rock and mineral resources in their daily lives. Spear points, knives and scrapers were formed by flaking and chipping chert and flint. Ceremonial paints were made from grinding different colored rocks into powder. Clays were used to make pottery.
Legend has it that the stone was made from the flesh and blood of their ancestors.
The quarry in southwest Minnesota was considered sacred ground and where all Indians met in peace. Today, Pipestone National Monument, in Pipestone, is located on the site of the quarries. In 1820, the U.S. military used limestone to build Fort Snelling at the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. Early pioneers from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Scotland and Italy brought stone cutting skills with them to Minnesota. The first granite quarry was opened in the St. Cloud area in 1868.