Skip to main navigation COMPANY OUR WORK CAREERS NEWSROOM LOCATIONS INVESTORS Show Search Form 1800s 1900s 1900s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1920s 1930s 1930s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1950s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2000s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2020s 1800S Granite’s Foundation Granite’s headquarters in Watsonville, California, sit on what prospectors more than 100 years ago considered a gold mine of a different color. Granite Construction Company’s foundations lie in the lure and promise of the Wild West during the 1800s. Risking life and limb for fortune, tens of thousands of wildcatters flooded California bringing on the great Gold Rush during the mid-1800s. When the Transcontinental Railroad connected California with the rest of the nation in 1869, agricultural visionaries in Santa Cruz County began exploring ways to link into this vast rail system. While doing so, an unexpected discovery was found in the earth: granite. Granite is a combination of quartz and feldspar grains that have been slowly fused together over time. Quartz offers strength, luster and the glue that holds the material together, while feldspar brings color and a resistance to discoloration. Combined, quartz and feldspar are stronger than steel. Cities like San Francisco and towns like Watsonville, CA, began planning their futures on granite foundations. The aggregate was in high demand. Wildcatters of another sort began speculating on granite rather than gold. COMPANY Leadership History Our Offices Safety Sustainability Contact Us OUR WORK Transportation Water Specialty Materials OUR BRANDS Intermountain Granite Inliner Layne More + CAREERS Professionals Craft + Skilled Trades Students + Graduates NEWSROOM News + Media Awards + Recognition QUICK LINKS CA Privacy Policy Human Rights Statement Human Rights Statement Spanish Supplier Code of Conduct Supplier Code of Conduct Spanish © 2021 Granite Construction Inc. All Rights Reserved California Transparency in Supply Chain Act | Privacy Policy Credits Facebook Icon Twitter Icon LinkedIn Icon Instagram Icon Youtube Icon