Yule Marble
Encyclopedia
Yule Marble is a type of metamorphed limestone
found only in the Yule Creek Valley, in the West Elk Mountains
of Colorado
, just south of the town of Marble, Colorado
(39°4′20"N 107°11′22"W). Quarried today at 9,300 feet above sea level, Yule Marble is famous for its uniform pure white consistency, lacking, for the most part, the gray streaking commonly found in other marble
s. The Yule Marble deposit named for George Yule, a prospector who rediscovered the stone in 1874 is among the largest in the world. At 99.5% pure calcite
, it is one of the purest marbles ever quarried. It is Colorado's official state rock.
Yule's quality and uniqueness comes at a high price due to the cost of quarrying in a high altitude mountain environment. resulting in many boom and bust
periods since quarrying started in the mid 1880s.
The only remaining quarry, which started in 1905, supplied the marble for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
and the entire exterior of the Lincoln Memorial
. That operation was different from most for 1905 through 1941, it was part of an integrated operation owned by one company from cutting the raw stone out of the mountain, transporting to the finishing mill in Marble, creating a finished product and shipping finished marble out of Marble. The quarry itself is different from most marble quarries in the world for it is not a pit type operation (such as Carrara, Italy) but mined inside a mountain cliff. Today, in spite of the high price, market scope is changing from a purely domestic one (through 1941) to international with much of the production going to Italy to supply fabricators in Europe.
The quarry and town history also illustrates that single industry economies have mixed results. Yet had it not been for Yule Marble, the town would have died like other Colorado mining towns such as Crystal
and Schofield.
which is why it was chosen for a number of major national and state landmarks, most notably the Lincoln Memorial
Because of its aesthetic value, architect, Henry Bacon
successfully urged that it be used to clad the whole exterior of the Memorial, even though it was the most expensive.
The quarry had the capability to produce large blocks which is why Yule marble was selected for the Tomb of the Unknowns
(Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) in Arlington National Cemetery
. In 1931, the 56-ton block (on which six wreaths, three Greek figures and inscription was carved) was the largest single piece of marble ever quarried at that time.
Use of Yule marble has grown from local to national and today is international. The first major use was in the Colorado State Capitol
building in 1895. Yule marble quarried between 1907 to 1941 can be found in banks, mausoleums, libraries, schools, hotels, and government buildings from the west coast (Seattle south to Los Angeles) to the east coast including the Equitable Building skyscraper
in New York City. Today, the same marble is shipped largely to Italy to supply fabricators throughout Europe. Blocks also go to Saudi Arabia, Peru and other developing international markets. Finished marble is used for tile and slabs (walls, counter tops etc).
The forces that created Yule marble makes it distinct from all other American marbles being formed by contact metamorphism while those in Vermont
and Georgia
are the result of regional metamorphism, which is more associated with the orogeny
and erosion
of mountain ranges on a regional scale. Tennessee marble
is not true marble for it did not undergo metamorphism.While true marble is metamorphic. Tennessee marble is sedimentary, and is therefore classified as limestone.
Yule marble is also distinct because only this small area became marble even though Leadville
Limestone covered hundreds of square miles and magma activity occurred throughout this area. The other limestone that experienced magma activity was transformed into a dark-blue stone.
Yule marble is transformed Leadville Limestone
(Mississippian age formed 350 million to 324 million years ago) caused by contact metamorphism that occurred during the Tertiary period (34 million to 28 million years ago) following the intrusion and uplift of the nearby granitic Treasure Mountain dome. This local contact with the heat and pressure from the intrusion of hot granitic magma recrystallized the Leadville Limestone into a distinctive white marble. When the magma cooled, it to recrystallized turning into granite.
The uplift of the Treasure Mountain Dome (east side of Yule Creek Valley and the present quarry, established in 1905, on the west side) tilted the limestone up and away from the intrusion resulting in the marble bed dipping at an angle into the mountain. But because the metamorphism that formed the marble obscured most traces of bedding in the marble, it has been difficult to determine the angle of dip of the marble.
It is through seams caused by the dome uplift that the presence of noncalcite inclusions (mainly gray chert and lime) occurred rather than through metamorphic contact with the uplifted dome. Where the marble is in direct contact with the intrusive granite, the most consistent change in the marble is that it becomes extremely coarse grained; the grain size in the contact zone is 1.0–2.0 cm, whereas the average grain size in the main body of marble is 2.0 mm
The small grain size and tight bonding of Yule marble gives an appearance of smooth texture, a homogeneous appearance, and a luminous surface that polishes well. Being tightly grained may make it more durable than marbles of loosely bonded grains.
As of 1992 there were four grades of marble sold that had variances of grain size and density.
Valley in the spring of 1873 by geologist Sylvester Richardson. It was George Yule Yule was born 30 June 1835 in Grange Parish of Banffshire
, Scotland
. His parents were John Yule and Janet Thompson, and in 1896 he married Lizzie McBurney. He died 8 August 1910 in Gunnison County, Colorado
. (for whom the marble was later named), a prospector who "rediscovered" the marble in 1874. In the same year, an unknown person took some marble from which polished samples were made and appeared in Denver but failed to generate interest. The marble became lost again, and it took another 10 years to be rediscovered yet again by accident. By this time, prospectors who were searching for gold and silver, not marble started digging into Whitehouse Mountain where they encountered the 7-mile diameter Treasure Mountain Dome, which is solid marble.
(1893). The companies had different degrees of development and success with the quarry of John Osgood (on the west side of Yule Creek) having a major contract almost from the start for the new state capitol, in Denver, Colorado. (Osgood was also the president of Colorado Fuel and Iron, with major coal and coke operations in Redstone, Colorado
, 12 miles from the town of Marble). After this initial success, little production has accomplished by Osgood or the other two companies. In August 1904, the Strauss brothers started a quarry (east side of Yule Creek, in Treasure Mountain) but they had little marble production and no major contracts through their bankruptcy in 1917.
By 1905, the 1890 quarries were idle for all practical purposes. Because the four quarries had no more production to speak of they are not covered beyond 1904, leaving only the quarry started by the Colorado-Yule Marble Company in 1905. The marble deposit quarried by the CYMC had been owned by Osgood but never produced. Because of financial problems, Osgood sold the deposit to Channing Meek, who in turn sold it on 11 April 1905 to the newly formed Colorado-Yule Marble Company and subsequently became the company president.
A major problem was solved, that of no viable transportation to move large quantities of the stone out of Marble by building a railroad. In November 1906, the Crystal River and San Juan Railway (created by CYMC) completed a 6 mile railway line from Marble to Placita where it connected to the Crystal River Railway. The railway also increased the efficiency of getting supplies to the operation from outside the Crystal River Valley. The towns residents benefited by the railroad for transportation with the depot on the grounds of the mill site. In later years, livestock was transported out of the Crystal River Valley by the railroad.
The development also created a future problem that lead directly to receivership in July 1916 and bankruptcy in April 1917. While the spending created an operation using the best equipment and was technically efficient, a large debt was incurred that the company was unable to repay with marble revenue because of high operating costs (which also afflicted the operators prior to 1905). CYMC was already in financial trouble when a loan of $1,868,000 was approved in early 1913 and used to refinance the debt.
1905 development started the first of three quarry openings with #2 in 1905, #3 in 1907 and #1 in 1912. A fourth opening to the left of #3 (out of view) was started but did not become a producing quarry. Wooden derricks were located by and above the openings to lift blocks out of the quarries. The facilities to operate the quarry were completed by 1907-1908 with the boiler house (providing steam power for quarrying equipment) being the last major item (second building to the right of opening 2). In front of the boiler house is a 50 ton electric hoist and the hoist electric power house is to the right of the boiler house. Below the boiler house area near the bottom of the photo is the Pea Vine used to move marble from the quarry to the loading station several hundred feet away where it was placed on wagons for transport to the mill site. There are others facilities to the right of opening 1. To provide the needed electricity, the company built a hydro-electric plant with the generators located just east of the town limits and completed in July 1907.
By 1914 the quarry configuration had gone through several changes. Several buildings located to the right of opening 1 had relocated to opening 3, such as the machine shop (first building to the left of opening 2) offices (to the left of the machine shop) and the compressor house (first building on the right of opening 2 and left of the boiler house). The boarding house (not visible to the right of opening 1) was also relocated. A new structure (the Headtower, tall wooden derrick to the left of opening 3) was built by 1910. This (and a similar tower on the east side of Yule Creek) was part of the new 880 foot long cable system to lower quarried blocks 225 down to the new loading station and onto a railroad car towed by the electric tram finished in 1910. The electric tram replaced the Pea Vine.
The 1914 configuration remained largely as show in the photo above-right until the quarry closed in 1941. After closing, the equipment inside were removed and the wood structures fell apart. Today only the Headtowers from 1910 remain.
When the quarry reopened in 1990, the functions of the previous structures that were needed were located inside the quarry. One major 1990 alteration to the cliff was the blasting of a 16 foot by 16 foot access tunnel for access to the quarry interior.
In the early years, the quarry was three separate caverns inside the marble formation. By 1914 a tunnel connected the three quarries. As the quarry went further down into the marble the three caverns eventually joined into one. Though a marble quarry it has a common situation with coal mines and others being the need to constantly pump out water. With the marble dust created from the cutting, the floor is covered with marble mud. The interior temperature normally varies no more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
The composition of quarry personnel were mostly American born while the mill site employed more Italian born. The 1910 Census records 57 quarry workers with 50 American born, 4 Italian, 2 German and 1 Austrian. The marble mill employed 291 people of which 110 were American born and 120 born in Italy. The quarry nationality percentage probably changed after this when the maximum number of workers reached about 125. As a side note, of the 481 town residents that were employed in 1910, 326 (66%) worked in the marble operation.
Residence location had only a few in Marble with the 1910 Census recording 14 quarry employees and rest in Quarry Town. Built by the CYMC, Quarry Town came into existence shortly after November 1908 as a settlement of bunkhouses and shacks just to the west and north of Quarry 1. It was built to alleviate a housing shortage caused by hiring more workers for the first large CYMC contract, the Cuyahoga County Court House, in Cleveland, Ohio. Though intended for single men, the 1910 Census records 66 residents of which 44 were men, 9 women and 13 children. In the winter time, Quarry Town folk would ski down to Marble then return by holding onto an electric tram going up to the quarry (an early Colorado ski lift). Quarry Town was abandoned after the quarry closed in 1941 and today only a few scraps remain located behind the quarry fence.
Marble went dry during this time when alcohol prohibition was passed by the voters on 3 December 1908. Prohibition was backed by the company because drunkenness was affecting the operation. This left workers in Quarry Town and folks in Marble without a close liquor source which lead to bootlegging. For those purchasing liquor from a bootlegger there were no legal worries for the law only made it illegal to sell or give away liquor but it was not illegal to purchase alcohol.
Wages became a source of conflict during this period. In 1909, daily wages ranged from $5 to $8 but no overtime. (During the 1930s (the Great Depression
) they earned 40 cents an hours). A strike lasting three months started at the mill on 4 August 1909 and by the next day quarry workers started to join. The strikers were demanding an 8-hour day, time-and-a-half for overtime and double time on Sunday. The company management quickly won the support of the public. By September, only 20 men were working at the mill and even less at the quarry. The strike lasted until 2 November with the workers going back to work at reduced wages. Full operations were resumed within a week.
The civic mindedness of the workers and the company is demonstrated through their donations to build the all-marble Columbus Catholic Church in Marble (on Park Street, between West 3rd Street and West 2nd Street). The company was donating the marble and the workers their time to quarry, cut and build the church. The foundation was laid and a cornerstone ceremony was held in 1912. The quarrying though stopped in August 1912 when company president Channing Meek died of injuries received from an electric tram accident on the quarry road and his successor did not want to continue the marble donation. Today, much of the foundation is still present as is the cabin across the street to the right.
Lifting out of the quarry required a hole to be made through the block so a cable could be inserted to pull the block away so other cables could be attached for lifting out of the quarry. The lifting was done with wooden derricks above and outside of the quarry or the 50 ton electric hoist if in Quarry 2 (which was Quarry 3 during the boom period of 1905 to 1916).
Once out of the quarry a block was moved to a loading station for transport to the mill site. The first method (1906 thru 1909) was the 50 ton electric hoist lowering the block down and onto a Pea Vine cable-powered cart. The cart then moved on rails with downgrades to 54% to a loading station where block was transferred to a wagon for towing to the mill site. The wagons were first towed by teams of four horses then in 1908 by a 110 horse power steam tractor previously used for logging. The road to the mill site was built in the 1890s by John Osgood to his quarry which a just below the CYMC started quarry. By 1910, the method changed with the 50 ton hoist attaching a block to an overhead cable for lowering 225 feet to a new loading station. Here the block was placed on a flatcar for towing by an electric tram (designed General Electric) on standard gauge railroad track to the town of Marble and into the mill site. Electricity to power the tram came from the CYMC built hydro-electric plant located just east of the town.
Reaching the mill site, the marble went into an expansive finishing mill built by CYMC from 1907 through 1910. At its widest point the mill site was 150 feet and almost 1,400 ft long totaling 108,000 square feet. (the largest finishing mill in the world under one roof). Here the marble was transformed into a variety of objects for shipment throughout the country.
Shipment of the finished marble was done by the Crystal River and San Juan Railway(created by CYMC and completed November 1906). Railroad tracks were parallel with the mill site and the marble was rolled on a cart out a mill site building and into the railroad car. In some shops the railroad cars were brought into the shop for loading. The company railroad then transported the marble 28 miles north to Carbondale, Colorado, where the cars were connected to other railway trains.
The cutting rates of today are many factors greater than in 1911 when a wire saw was sometimes used before a block was removed. In 1911, such a saw was new technology and had a cut rate of about 2 inches an hour. A modern wire or chain saw can cut more than 50 inches in the same time.
and set off a quarrying boom. In spite of the increased quarrying, by 1913 the company was in financial trouble due to the huge start-up debt and high operating costs not generating enough revenue to pay down the debt. A loan of $1,868,000 was obtained in early February 1913 and used to refinance to debt. In spite of the financial difficulty orders kept coming in with the first contract of one million dollars for the Equitable Building
, New York City, in August 1913 for 1,200,000 square feet of marble. The most expensive contract in the history of Yule marble at nearly $1,100,000 was awarded 10 March 1914 for the complete exterior of the Lincoln Memorial
. The marble came out of Quarry 3 with the first finished shipment leaving Marble on 25 May 1914 and the final on 16 June 1916. Of the marble quarried, 600 marble blocks weighed 18-22 tons and the 36 columns required 107,000 cubic of marble.
As the quarry boomed, so did the town reaching its population peak from 1912 through 1914 of 1,400 to 1,500 residents, including a large number of skilled Italian
marble worker immigrants with most of them in the mill site. There were two newspapers, three hotels, movie theater, ice cream parlor, 5 ice houses, and 9 stables among other businesses.
. The war also caused a decline in the demand for marble. But it was financial going back to the start of the company in 1905 that brought on the bust. Even though the quarry had received a lot of contracts and some very lucrative, the operation (quarry, mill site and railroad) never made enough profit to pay off the start up funding. A final disposition of the quarry was not completed until 4 April 1921 due to various groups vying for the assets.
The town declined rapidly to a population of 50 people in 1920 according to the 1920 Census. The bank closed in 1918 as did the remaining newspaper. The last train left Marble in 1918.
Though the quarry was out of bankruptcy in April 1921, quarrying did not resume until April 1922 and with divided ownership. The bankruptcy settlement resulted in the Carrara Company owning the quarry and the tram line to the mill site while Yule Marble of Colorado owned the mill site and the railroad. Both companies realized the need to cooperate and functioned as an integrated operation and later merged into Consolidated Yule Marble Company, 24 April 1924. There were other changes of owner and operators with the Vermont Marble Company
, taking over as of November 1928. They in turn formed Yule Colorado Company on 14 December 1928 which continued up to the shut down at the end of 1941.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier marble (seven pieces in four layers) was cut from Quarry 3 at 125 feet below the opening. Only the main block is covered (with the wreaths, three Greek figures and inscription) because the history of the other six pieces is not known. The main block was worked by 75 men for one year until a 56 ton block came out of the quarry in late January 1931. When the block was cut from the mountain it weighed 124 tons. A wire saw was then brought in to cut the block down to 56 tons. Because of the weight, Vermont Marble Company sent to the quarry a special derrick that was reinforced and heavily rigged. The initial lift was just enough to clear the quarry floor so the block could hang for 15 minutes while the hoist was inspected for stress. The final cutting was done in Vermont and the carved at the Arlington National Cemetery
was by the Piccirilli Brothers
(who also carved the statue of Lincoln
for the Lincoln Memorial).From Murphy Marble
.
ostensibly ended it. In 1942 the mill site was taken apart and the railroad lines (from the quarry to Placita) were removed. A hoped for renewed marble demand did not happen after World War II ended. The quarry sat idle and the interior filled water.
The towns population also declined to about 30 people in 1943. After the war ended more moved out until there was only one person left. The population did revive some with 26 registered voters in 1956.
In 1988, Denver oilman Stacy Dunn and another associate undertook the reopening of the quarry forming the new Colorado-Yule Marble Company. Mr Dunn though was killed in a car accident before the opening. Getting the quarry to operating condition required pumping out millions of gallons of water among other repairs. On 15 September 1990, the first marble block to come out of the quarry since 1941 arrived in Marble. Riding in the truck was Elmer Bair, the 1931 motorman of the lead electric tram that brought down the body block for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in February 1931. But as with the original Colorado-Yule Marble Company 80 years before, the present named company went bankrupt in 1997. Since that time there have been several changes of operator.
Today only a few people of the 110 or so full time Marble residents make up the 15 - 20 quarry employees. The town does receive a monthly rent from the quarry company to use part of the old mill site grounds (West 3rd Street and the Crystal River) to store quarried blocks until they are shipped to customers.
In September 2002, George Haines, a retired entrepreneur and car dealer in Glenwood Springs read that the quarry crew "was getting ready to look for and replace the tomb's marble and that the (Veterans Administration) and Arlington were accepting bids on the replacement piece." With that he decided to pay the $31,000 for the replacement block. Arlington National Cemetery Superintendent John Metzler
requested a letter on the donation and was sent one. Mr Haines also arranged for free transportation to Arlington National Cemetery. In 2003 a prospective block was found and quarrying began. To record the activity, Ron Bailey photographed the event. When the block came free from the mountain, imperfections were found so the block was rejected. (The heart of the block was used for a statue of President George H.W. Bush). Another search started with a flawless block quarried and brought down to the storage are in Marble, in 2005. The repair or replacement of the Tomb has been a source of public controversy. See, Tomb of the Unknowns repair controversy and Damage and repair to the Tomb Monument.
Since 2005, the block has remained on the same yellow flatbed trailer in the north-west corner of the storage yard. Opposition to replacing the block had been growing. In 2007, the defense appropriation bill contained a specific provision preventing block replacement. In September 2009, the Army decided to repair instead of replace. The repairs of April 2010 failed after two months and were done in September 2011. A 21 October 2011 inspection by the Army Corps of Engineers and other experts pronounced the repairs successful.
Troop 357 of Lakewood, Colorado
of the Colorado General Assembly
, who in turn passed a bill that was signed by Governor
Bill Owens (R).
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
found only in the Yule Creek Valley, in the West Elk Mountains
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
The Elk Mountains are a high, rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of west-central Colorado in the United States. The mountains sit on the western side of the Continental Divide, largely in southern Pitkin and northern Gunnison counties, in the area southwest of Aspen, south of the Roaring...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, just south of the town of Marble, Colorado
Marble, Colorado
Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census.-History:The town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899...
(39°4′20"N 107°11′22"W). Quarried today at 9,300 feet above sea level, Yule Marble is famous for its uniform pure white consistency, lacking, for the most part, the gray streaking commonly found in other marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
s. The Yule Marble deposit named for George Yule, a prospector who rediscovered the stone in 1874 is among the largest in the world. At 99.5% pure calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
, it is one of the purest marbles ever quarried. It is Colorado's official state rock.
Yule's quality and uniqueness comes at a high price due to the cost of quarrying in a high altitude mountain environment. resulting in many boom and bust
Boom and bust
A credit boom-bust cycle is an episode characterized by a sustained increase in several economics indicators followed by a sharp and rapid contraction. Commonly the boom is driven by a rapid expansion of credit to the private sector accompanied with rising prices of commodities and stock market index...
periods since quarrying started in the mid 1880s.
The only remaining quarry, which started in 1905, supplied the marble for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
and the entire exterior of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
. That operation was different from most for 1905 through 1941, it was part of an integrated operation owned by one company from cutting the raw stone out of the mountain, transporting to the finishing mill in Marble, creating a finished product and shipping finished marble out of Marble. The quarry itself is different from most marble quarries in the world for it is not a pit type operation (such as Carrara, Italy) but mined inside a mountain cliff. Today, in spite of the high price, market scope is changing from a purely domestic one (through 1941) to international with much of the production going to Italy to supply fabricators in Europe.
The quarry and town history also illustrates that single industry economies have mixed results. Yet had it not been for Yule Marble, the town would have died like other Colorado mining towns such as Crystal
Crystal, Colorado
Crystal is a ghost town in a valley on the upper Crystal River in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, on a four-wheel-drive road between Marble and Crested Butte...
and Schofield.
Famous landmarks
Yule marble gives an appearance of smooth texture, a homogeneous appearance, and a luminous surface that polishes well ,which is why it was chosen for a number of major national and state landmarks, most notably the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
Because of its aesthetic value, architect, Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
successfully urged that it be used to clad the whole exterior of the Memorial, even though it was the most expensive.
The quarry had the capability to produce large blocks which is why Yule marble was selected for the Tomb of the Unknowns
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
(Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. In 1931, the 56-ton block (on which six wreaths, three Greek figures and inscription was carved) was the largest single piece of marble ever quarried at that time.
Use of Yule marble has grown from local to national and today is international. The first major use was in the Colorado State Capitol
Colorado State Capitol
The Colorado State Capitol Building, located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado, is the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. The building is intentionally reminiscent of the United States Capitol. Designed...
building in 1895. Yule marble quarried between 1907 to 1941 can be found in banks, mausoleums, libraries, schools, hotels, and government buildings from the west coast (Seattle south to Los Angeles) to the east coast including the Equitable Building skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in New York City. Today, the same marble is shipped largely to Italy to supply fabricators throughout Europe. Blocks also go to Saudi Arabia, Peru and other developing international markets. Finished marble is used for tile and slabs (walls, counter tops etc).
Geology
Weight (per cubic foot): 170 poundsThe forces that created Yule marble makes it distinct from all other American marbles being formed by contact metamorphism while those in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
are the result of regional metamorphism, which is more associated with the orogeny
Orogeny
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a severe structural deformation of the Earth's crust due to the engagement of tectonic plates. Response to such engagement results in the formation of long tracts of highly deformed rock called orogens or orogenic belts...
and erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
of mountain ranges on a regional scale. Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble is a type of crystalline limestone found primarily in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Long esteemed by architects and builders for its pinkish-gray color and the ease with which it is polished, this stone has been used in the construction of numerous notable...
is not true marble for it did not undergo metamorphism.While true marble is metamorphic. Tennessee marble is sedimentary, and is therefore classified as limestone.
Yule marble is also distinct because only this small area became marble even though Leadville
Leadville mining district
The Leadville mining district was the most productive silver-mining district in the US state of Colorado. It is located immediately east of the town of Leadville....
Limestone covered hundreds of square miles and magma activity occurred throughout this area. The other limestone that experienced magma activity was transformed into a dark-blue stone.
Yule marble is transformed Leadville Limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
(Mississippian age formed 350 million to 324 million years ago) caused by contact metamorphism that occurred during the Tertiary period (34 million to 28 million years ago) following the intrusion and uplift of the nearby granitic Treasure Mountain dome. This local contact with the heat and pressure from the intrusion of hot granitic magma recrystallized the Leadville Limestone into a distinctive white marble. When the magma cooled, it to recrystallized turning into granite.
The uplift of the Treasure Mountain Dome (east side of Yule Creek Valley and the present quarry, established in 1905, on the west side) tilted the limestone up and away from the intrusion resulting in the marble bed dipping at an angle into the mountain. But because the metamorphism that formed the marble obscured most traces of bedding in the marble, it has been difficult to determine the angle of dip of the marble.
It is through seams caused by the dome uplift that the presence of noncalcite inclusions (mainly gray chert and lime) occurred rather than through metamorphic contact with the uplifted dome. Where the marble is in direct contact with the intrusive granite, the most consistent change in the marble is that it becomes extremely coarse grained; the grain size in the contact zone is 1.0–2.0 cm, whereas the average grain size in the main body of marble is 2.0 mm
The small grain size and tight bonding of Yule marble gives an appearance of smooth texture, a homogeneous appearance, and a luminous surface that polishes well. Being tightly grained may make it more durable than marbles of loosely bonded grains.
As of 1992 there were four grades of marble sold that had variances of grain size and density.
Timeline
- Geologic Start - Geologic End: Beginning and ending of a geologic period with years as "Ga" = billions and "Ma" = millions
- Clock Start - Clock End: Geologic time on a 24 hour clock as hours:minutes:seconds:milliseconds;microseconds with 1 second = 3.14 million years (approximately)
| Geoloogic Start | Geologic End | Clock Start | Clock End | Geologic Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.78Ga | 1.65Ga | 14:30 | 15:12 | Colorado forms (oldest rocks found) |
| 350Ma | 324Ma | 21:52 | 22:16 | Leadville limestone formed in a shallow, warm sea that covered Central Colorado through the accumulation of calcite from the remains of marine life. Today that limestone, which became Yule marble, is 9,500 feet above sea level. |
| 300Ma | 248Ma | 22:23 | 22:41 | Ancestral Rockies start and eroded away and Marble was located at the edge of the Ancestral Rockies. Limestone was stripped away by erosion leaving the rest buried until 72 million years ago. |
| 248Ma | 70Ma | 22:41 | 23:36 | Area was a flat costal plain over which dinosaurs roamed and during the later part was covered by another shallow sea |
| 72Ma | 40Ma | 23:37 | 23:47 | 1st of 3 uplifts (Laramide) of present day Rockies but partially erodes |
| 34Ma | 28Ma | 23:48:57 | 23:50:54 | 2nd of 3 uplifts of the present day Rockies : Volcanic activity with magma intrusions pushing up from below crystallized the limsetone into marble. When the magma cooled it to crystallized turning into granite.' The upward push of the magma against the limestone resulted in the marble being tilted upward and way from the intrusion, resulting in the 7 mile diameter Treasure Mountain Dome. The town of Marble lies at the edge of the dome. |
| 25Ma | 5Ma | 23:51:52 | 23:58:20 | Colorado Mineral Belt forms |
| 10Ma | Present | 23:56:45 | 24:00:00 | 3rd of 3 uplifts of the Rockies - Colorado |
| 0.05Ma | Present | 23:59:59:01:6 | 24:00:00 | Development of Homo Sapien (modern human evolution Human evolution Human evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals... ) starts somewhere between 100,000 to 50,000 years ago. ("Clock Start" is 50,000 years) |
Discovered: 1873 to mid 1880s
Marble was discovered in the Crystal RiverCrystal River (Colorado)
The Crystal River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 40 mi long, in western Colorado in the United States. It drains a glacial valley, called the Valley of the Coal Miners, south of Carbondale which was historically known as a center of coal mining in southwestern Colorado...
Valley in the spring of 1873 by geologist Sylvester Richardson. It was George Yule Yule was born 30 June 1835 in Grange Parish of Banffshire
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His parents were John Yule and Janet Thompson, and in 1896 he married Lizzie McBurney. He died 8 August 1910 in Gunnison County, Colorado
Gunnison County, Colorado
Gunnison County is the fifth most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 15,324 at the 2010 census. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed...
. (for whom the marble was later named), a prospector who "rediscovered" the marble in 1874. In the same year, an unknown person took some marble from which polished samples were made and appeared in Denver but failed to generate interest. The marble became lost again, and it took another 10 years to be rediscovered yet again by accident. By this time, prospectors who were searching for gold and silver, not marble started digging into Whitehouse Mountain where they encountered the 7-mile diameter Treasure Mountain Dome, which is solid marble.
First quarries come and go: 1884 to 1905
The local miners never had the capital to develop quarries and in the 1890s they sold marble claims to three companies outside the Crystal River Valley. Word of the marble began to spread with glowing test results from London (1887), the St Louis Exposition (1890) and the Chicago ExpositionWorld's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
(1893). The companies had different degrees of development and success with the quarry of John Osgood (on the west side of Yule Creek) having a major contract almost from the start for the new state capitol, in Denver, Colorado. (Osgood was also the president of Colorado Fuel and Iron, with major coal and coke operations in Redstone, Colorado
Redstone, Colorado
Redstone is a census-designated place in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 130.The U.S. Post Office at Carbondale now serves Redstone postal addresses...
, 12 miles from the town of Marble). After this initial success, little production has accomplished by Osgood or the other two companies. In August 1904, the Strauss brothers started a quarry (east side of Yule Creek, in Treasure Mountain) but they had little marble production and no major contracts through their bankruptcy in 1917.
By 1905, the 1890 quarries were idle for all practical purposes. Because the four quarries had no more production to speak of they are not covered beyond 1904, leaving only the quarry started by the Colorado-Yule Marble Company in 1905. The marble deposit quarried by the CYMC had been owned by Osgood but never produced. Because of financial problems, Osgood sold the deposit to Channing Meek, who in turn sold it on 11 April 1905 to the newly formed Colorado-Yule Marble Company and subsequently became the company president.
Quarrying difficulties
Why so little success over the first 20 years? The Osgood operation was well financed but even he was afflicted by the problems associated with developing and operating a quarry in the Yule Creek Valley (9,000-9,500 feet above sea level, steep slopes, deep snow and snow-mud slides). These factors limited the amount of marble that could be brought from the quarry down to the town. Also the lack of transportation to move enough of the stone out of Marble added to the difficulties. All together, these factors resulted in high operating costs that could not be covered by marble revenue. The same problems would also affect the next quarry and its operators.Primary quarry: 1905 to Today
When the Colorado-Yule Marble Company (CYMC) arrived in Marble in 1905 they developed the last Yule marble quarry which is still in production today. The operation showed the unrealized promise of the previous 20 years with a 10 year boom in which marble was shipped to the east and west coasts with contracts reaching one million dollars. The marble boom also resulted in one for the town of Marble. While the CYMC overcame some quarry problems of the previous 20 years, the others (combined with new ones) ultimately lead to their bankruptcy in April 1917. Subsequent operations from 1922 through 1941 were on a much smaller scale with several different operators and dramatic fluctuations in quarrying until the next bust at the end of 1941. After almost 50 years the quarry reopened in September 1990. The 1905 problems of transporting marble out of the town have been largely solved (road and trucks) but the high costs of a mountain environment still exist today and there have been several operator changes with the last one in 2010.Integrated operation developed: 1905 to 1907
The quarry was part of the integrated operation created by the CYMC during 1905 into 1907 from cutting the stone in the mountain to transporting CYMC-finished marble out of the town by railroad throughout the country. The subsequent operators up through the quarry shut down in 1941 retained the integration. Once marble was out of the quarry, it was lowered onto transport for movement down to Marble, a descent of 1,500 feet and 3.9 miles with grades up to 54%. In Marble, the stone entered an enormous mill site and transformed into a variety of finished objects. The site was 150 feet at its widest point and almost 1,400 feet under one roof totaling 108,000 square feet. (It was the largest operation of its kind in the world). Finished marble was moved into railroad cars for shipment throughout the country.A major problem was solved, that of no viable transportation to move large quantities of the stone out of Marble by building a railroad. In November 1906, the Crystal River and San Juan Railway (created by CYMC) completed a 6 mile railway line from Marble to Placita where it connected to the Crystal River Railway. The railway also increased the efficiency of getting supplies to the operation from outside the Crystal River Valley. The towns residents benefited by the railroad for transportation with the depot on the grounds of the mill site. In later years, livestock was transported out of the Crystal River Valley by the railroad.
The development also created a future problem that lead directly to receivership in July 1916 and bankruptcy in April 1917. While the spending created an operation using the best equipment and was technically efficient, a large debt was incurred that the company was unable to repay with marble revenue because of high operating costs (which also afflicted the operators prior to 1905). CYMC was already in financial trouble when a loan of $1,868,000 was approved in early 1913 and used to refinance the debt.
Exterior
| Distance | Dimension | Area Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 500 feet | Opening Span | Right side of #1 to left side of #3 |
1905 development started the first of three quarry openings with #2 in 1905, #3 in 1907 and #1 in 1912. A fourth opening to the left of #3 (out of view) was started but did not become a producing quarry. Wooden derricks were located by and above the openings to lift blocks out of the quarries. The facilities to operate the quarry were completed by 1907-1908 with the boiler house (providing steam power for quarrying equipment) being the last major item (second building to the right of opening 2). In front of the boiler house is a 50 ton electric hoist and the hoist electric power house is to the right of the boiler house. Below the boiler house area near the bottom of the photo is the Pea Vine used to move marble from the quarry to the loading station several hundred feet away where it was placed on wagons for transport to the mill site. There are others facilities to the right of opening 1. To provide the needed electricity, the company built a hydro-electric plant with the generators located just east of the town limits and completed in July 1907.
By 1914 the quarry configuration had gone through several changes. Several buildings located to the right of opening 1 had relocated to opening 3, such as the machine shop (first building to the left of opening 2) offices (to the left of the machine shop) and the compressor house (first building on the right of opening 2 and left of the boiler house). The boarding house (not visible to the right of opening 1) was also relocated. A new structure (the Headtower, tall wooden derrick to the left of opening 3) was built by 1910. This (and a similar tower on the east side of Yule Creek) was part of the new 880 foot long cable system to lower quarried blocks 225 down to the new loading station and onto a railroad car towed by the electric tram finished in 1910. The electric tram replaced the Pea Vine.
The 1914 configuration remained largely as show in the photo above-right until the quarry closed in 1941. After closing, the equipment inside were removed and the wood structures fell apart. Today only the Headtowers from 1910 remain.
When the quarry reopened in 1990, the functions of the previous structures that were needed were located inside the quarry. One major 1990 alteration to the cliff was the blasting of a 16 foot by 16 foot access tunnel for access to the quarry interior.
Interior
| Distance (feet) | Dimension | Area Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 750 | Portal Span | Right side of #1 to 250 feet past the left side of #3 |
| 300 | Down | Through #3 as of today (1931 - 125 feet) |
| 225 | Depth | Through #3 as of today |
In the early years, the quarry was three separate caverns inside the marble formation. By 1914 a tunnel connected the three quarries. As the quarry went further down into the marble the three caverns eventually joined into one. Though a marble quarry it has a common situation with coal mines and others being the need to constantly pump out water. With the marble dust created from the cutting, the floor is covered with marble mud. The interior temperature normally varies no more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
| Summer | Winter |
|---|---|
| 40 (49 max) | 20 (-40 coldest) |
Workers: 1908 to 1917
| Quarry Employees | Present | 1905 - 1917 (max.) |
|---|---|---|
| 15-20 | 125 +/- |
The composition of quarry personnel were mostly American born while the mill site employed more Italian born. The 1910 Census records 57 quarry workers with 50 American born, 4 Italian, 2 German and 1 Austrian. The marble mill employed 291 people of which 110 were American born and 120 born in Italy. The quarry nationality percentage probably changed after this when the maximum number of workers reached about 125. As a side note, of the 481 town residents that were employed in 1910, 326 (66%) worked in the marble operation.
Residence location had only a few in Marble with the 1910 Census recording 14 quarry employees and rest in Quarry Town. Built by the CYMC, Quarry Town came into existence shortly after November 1908 as a settlement of bunkhouses and shacks just to the west and north of Quarry 1. It was built to alleviate a housing shortage caused by hiring more workers for the first large CYMC contract, the Cuyahoga County Court House, in Cleveland, Ohio. Though intended for single men, the 1910 Census records 66 residents of which 44 were men, 9 women and 13 children. In the winter time, Quarry Town folk would ski down to Marble then return by holding onto an electric tram going up to the quarry (an early Colorado ski lift). Quarry Town was abandoned after the quarry closed in 1941 and today only a few scraps remain located behind the quarry fence.
Marble went dry during this time when alcohol prohibition was passed by the voters on 3 December 1908. Prohibition was backed by the company because drunkenness was affecting the operation. This left workers in Quarry Town and folks in Marble without a close liquor source which lead to bootlegging. For those purchasing liquor from a bootlegger there were no legal worries for the law only made it illegal to sell or give away liquor but it was not illegal to purchase alcohol.
Wages became a source of conflict during this period. In 1909, daily wages ranged from $5 to $8 but no overtime. (During the 1930s (the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
) they earned 40 cents an hours). A strike lasting three months started at the mill on 4 August 1909 and by the next day quarry workers started to join. The strikers were demanding an 8-hour day, time-and-a-half for overtime and double time on Sunday. The company management quickly won the support of the public. By September, only 20 men were working at the mill and even less at the quarry. The strike lasted until 2 November with the workers going back to work at reduced wages. Full operations were resumed within a week.
The civic mindedness of the workers and the company is demonstrated through their donations to build the all-marble Columbus Catholic Church in Marble (on Park Street, between West 3rd Street and West 2nd Street). The company was donating the marble and the workers their time to quarry, cut and build the church. The foundation was laid and a cornerstone ceremony was held in 1912. The quarrying though stopped in August 1912 when company president Channing Meek died of injuries received from an electric tram accident on the quarry road and his successor did not want to continue the marble donation. Today, much of the foundation is still present as is the cabin across the street to the right.
How Yule Marble is quarried
At the start of quarrying in the mid 1880s, marble was blasted out for the original quarriers were miners that is what they knew. As to how much marble is left, with what is in Treasure Mountain, there is more than can ever be taken out.| Year | Per Ton | Per Cubic Foot | Sold by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | $94 - $129 | $8 - $11 ($182 - $250 in 2009 value) | cubic foot |
| 2011 | $1,000 - $1,764 | $85 - $150 | metric ton |
1905 to 1916
Cutting a block involved a channeling machine (consisting of several drill bits and powered by electricity or steam) made vertical holes from the top down. Next the bottom was cut drilling horizontal holes. The block was then freed from the mountainside by inserting wedges into the horizontal holes then inserting feathers until the block broke free. (Sometimes in winter water was poured into the holes so the expansion of the freezing water would break the block loose). Sometimes a wire saw would cut the quarried block inside the quarry into individual blocks before being lift out.Lifting out of the quarry required a hole to be made through the block so a cable could be inserted to pull the block away so other cables could be attached for lifting out of the quarry. The lifting was done with wooden derricks above and outside of the quarry or the 50 ton electric hoist if in Quarry 2 (which was Quarry 3 during the boom period of 1905 to 1916).
Once out of the quarry a block was moved to a loading station for transport to the mill site. The first method (1906 thru 1909) was the 50 ton electric hoist lowering the block down and onto a Pea Vine cable-powered cart. The cart then moved on rails with downgrades to 54% to a loading station where block was transferred to a wagon for towing to the mill site. The wagons were first towed by teams of four horses then in 1908 by a 110 horse power steam tractor previously used for logging. The road to the mill site was built in the 1890s by John Osgood to his quarry which a just below the CYMC started quarry. By 1910, the method changed with the 50 ton hoist attaching a block to an overhead cable for lowering 225 feet to a new loading station. Here the block was placed on a flatcar for towing by an electric tram (designed General Electric) on standard gauge railroad track to the town of Marble and into the mill site. Electricity to power the tram came from the CYMC built hydro-electric plant located just east of the town.
Reaching the mill site, the marble went into an expansive finishing mill built by CYMC from 1907 through 1910. At its widest point the mill site was 150 feet and almost 1,400 ft long totaling 108,000 square feet. (the largest finishing mill in the world under one roof). Here the marble was transformed into a variety of objects for shipment throughout the country.
Shipment of the finished marble was done by the Crystal River and San Juan Railway(created by CYMC and completed November 1906). Railroad tracks were parallel with the mill site and the marble was rolled on a cart out a mill site building and into the railroad car. In some shops the railroad cars were brought into the shop for loading. The company railroad then transported the marble 28 miles north to Carbondale, Colorado, where the cars were connected to other railway trains.
Today
Methods for cutting a block can vary depending on the formation and other factors but usually involves three types of saws (wire and two chain types of which all three are diamond edged). The usual approach starts with a horizontal cut at the bottom after which metal rollers are inserted (on which to move the block away from the mountain after all sides have been cut). Next the back cut with a wire saw followed by chain saws to cut the vertical sides. A metal bag is then inserted behind the back cut and filled with water which pushes the block away from the mountain (on the metal rollers). The block is then rigged for lifting by forklift and placed on a haul truck and driven out of the mountain and down to the staging area on the grounds of the old mill site. (When the quarry opened in 1990 a 16 foot by 16 foot tunnel had been blasted through the mountain and into the quarry interior so marble could be driven out of the quarry).The cutting rates of today are many factors greater than in 1911 when a wire saw was sometimes used before a block was removed. In 1911, such a saw was new technology and had a cut rate of about 2 inches an hour. A modern wire or chain saw can cut more than 50 inches in the same time.
Boom: 1905 to 1916
By July 1907 the initial construction of the quarry and the rest of the system was finished but marble was being shipped out before this but only small amounts and advertising pieces. The first major contract came in late October 1907 to supply $500,000 worth of marble for the Cuyahoga County Court House, in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and set off a quarrying boom. In spite of the increased quarrying, by 1913 the company was in financial trouble due to the huge start-up debt and high operating costs not generating enough revenue to pay down the debt. A loan of $1,868,000 was obtained in early February 1913 and used to refinance to debt. In spite of the financial difficulty orders kept coming in with the first contract of one million dollars for the Equitable Building
Equitable Building
Equitable Building may refer to:* Equitable Building * Equitable Building * Equitable Building * Equitable Building * Equitable Building * Equitable Building...
, New York City, in August 1913 for 1,200,000 square feet of marble. The most expensive contract in the history of Yule marble at nearly $1,100,000 was awarded 10 March 1914 for the complete exterior of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
. The marble came out of Quarry 3 with the first finished shipment leaving Marble on 25 May 1914 and the final on 16 June 1916. Of the marble quarried, 600 marble blocks weighed 18-22 tons and the 36 columns required 107,000 cubic of marble.
As the quarry boomed, so did the town reaching its population peak from 1912 through 1914 of 1,400 to 1,500 residents, including a large number of skilled Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
marble worker immigrants with most of them in the mill site. There were two newspapers, three hotels, movie theater, ice cream parlor, 5 ice houses, and 9 stables among other businesses.
Bust: 1916 to 1921
The bust came when the company went into receivership on 18 July 1916 (ceasing operations 15 April 1917), barely one month after the final shipment of marble for the Lincoln Memorial. The bust came about from many factors such as the loss of skilled foreign craftsmen who returned to their native country to fight in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The war also caused a decline in the demand for marble. But it was financial going back to the start of the company in 1905 that brought on the bust. Even though the quarry had received a lot of contracts and some very lucrative, the operation (quarry, mill site and railroad) never made enough profit to pay off the start up funding. A final disposition of the quarry was not completed until 4 April 1921 due to various groups vying for the assets.
The town declined rapidly to a population of 50 people in 1920 according to the 1920 Census. The bank closed in 1918 as did the remaining newspaper. The last train left Marble in 1918.
Revival: 1922 to 1941
Out of bankruptcy in April 1921, the operation was on a much smaller scale than before the 1917 bust. The amount quarried was greatly reduced and experienced several fluctuations in output and changes in operators. The fortunes of the town also went up and down with the marble fluctuation as reflected by the changes in population by climbing to 600 by 1926 (550 as 1930) then dropping to 175 by 1933 with a rise to 225 from 1939 and into 1941.Though the quarry was out of bankruptcy in April 1921, quarrying did not resume until April 1922 and with divided ownership. The bankruptcy settlement resulted in the Carrara Company owning the quarry and the tram line to the mill site while Yule Marble of Colorado owned the mill site and the railroad. Both companies realized the need to cooperate and functioned as an integrated operation and later merged into Consolidated Yule Marble Company, 24 April 1924. There were other changes of owner and operators with the Vermont Marble Company
Vermont Marble Museum
The Vermont Marble Museum or Vermont Marble Exhibit is a museum commemorating the contributions of Vermont marble and the Vermont Marble Company, located in Proctor, Vermont, USA...
, taking over as of November 1928. They in turn formed Yule Colorado Company on 14 December 1928 which continued up to the shut down at the end of 1941.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier marble (seven pieces in four layers) was cut from Quarry 3 at 125 feet below the opening. Only the main block is covered (with the wreaths, three Greek figures and inscription) because the history of the other six pieces is not known. The main block was worked by 75 men for one year until a 56 ton block came out of the quarry in late January 1931. When the block was cut from the mountain it weighed 124 tons. A wire saw was then brought in to cut the block down to 56 tons. Because of the weight, Vermont Marble Company sent to the quarry a special derrick that was reinforced and heavily rigged. The initial lift was just enough to clear the quarry floor so the block could hang for 15 minutes while the hoist was inspected for stress. The final cutting was done in Vermont and the carved at the Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
was by the Piccirilli Brothers
Piccirilli Brothers
The Piccirilli Brothers were a family of renowned marble carvers who carved a large number of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.-History:In 1888, Giuseppe Piccirilli , a...
(who also carved the statue of Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue)
Abraham Lincoln is a colossal seated figure of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln sculpted by Daniel Chester French and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. It is situated in the Lincoln Memorial , on the National Mall, Washington, D.C., USA, and was unveiled in 1922...
for the Lincoln Memorial).From Murphy Marble
Georgia Marble Company
The Georgia Marble Company was founded in 1884 by Henry Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons leased out all the land in Pickens County, Georgia, that contained rich Georgia marble. Pickens County has a vein of marble long, half as wide and deep.-Company history:...
.
Bust: 1941 to 1988
Although there was some increased activity in the 1930s, World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ostensibly ended it. In 1942 the mill site was taken apart and the railroad lines (from the quarry to Placita) were removed. A hoped for renewed marble demand did not happen after World War II ended. The quarry sat idle and the interior filled water.
The towns population also declined to about 30 people in 1943. After the war ended more moved out until there was only one person left. The population did revive some with 26 registered voters in 1956.
Revival: 1988 to present
| From | To | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1999 | Bath Stonework's Bath Stone Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance... (of England) |
| 1999 | 2004 | Rex Loseby (Sierra Minerals) who was involved in the formation of Colorado Yule Marble Company but had pulled out. |
| 2004 | 2010 | Poly Corp (of Canada) |
| 2010 | Present | Luciani Locati Enrico & C.s.a.s (of Carrara, Italy) |
Today only a few people of the 110 or so full time Marble residents make up the 15 - 20 quarry employees. The town does receive a monthly rent from the quarry company to use part of the old mill site grounds (West 3rd Street and the Crystal River) to store quarried blocks until they are shipped to customers.
Replacement marble for Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Almost from the time the marble arrived in Arlington, cracks were noticed in the main block (wreaths, Greek figures and the inscription) and grew longer over time. By 1990, Arlington National Cemetery was studying options, one of which was replacing the damaged block.In September 2002, George Haines, a retired entrepreneur and car dealer in Glenwood Springs read that the quarry crew "was getting ready to look for and replace the tomb's marble and that the (Veterans Administration) and Arlington were accepting bids on the replacement piece." With that he decided to pay the $31,000 for the replacement block. Arlington National Cemetery Superintendent John Metzler
John C. Metzler, Jr.
John C. Metzler, Jr. , is an American civil servant who was Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, from 1991 to 2010. He achieved notoriety in the press at the end of his tenure due to the Arlington National Cemetery mismanagement controversy.-Early life:John C....
requested a letter on the donation and was sent one. Mr Haines also arranged for free transportation to Arlington National Cemetery. In 2003 a prospective block was found and quarrying began. To record the activity, Ron Bailey photographed the event. When the block came free from the mountain, imperfections were found so the block was rejected. (The heart of the block was used for a statue of President George H.W. Bush). Another search started with a flawless block quarried and brought down to the storage are in Marble, in 2005. The repair or replacement of the Tomb has been a source of public controversy. See, Tomb of the Unknowns repair controversy and Damage and repair to the Tomb Monument.
Since 2005, the block has remained on the same yellow flatbed trailer in the north-west corner of the storage yard. Opposition to replacing the block had been growing. In 2007, the defense appropriation bill contained a specific provision preventing block replacement. In September 2009, the Army decided to repair instead of replace. The repairs of April 2010 failed after two months and were done in September 2011. A 21 October 2011 inspection by the Army Corps of Engineers and other experts pronounced the repairs successful.
State rock
On March 9, 2004, Yule Marble became the official state rock of Colorado. The designation was the result of petitioning by Girl ScoutGirl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
Troop 357 of Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
of the Colorado General Assembly
Colorado General Assembly
The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado.-Constitutional definition:The Colorado Constitution establishes a system of government based on the separation of powers doctrine with power divided among three "departments": executive, legislative and judicial...
, who in turn passed a bill that was signed by Governor
Governor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
Bill Owens (R).
Site access
Because it is a working mine, casual visitors are not permitted. Marble pieces are available for purchase, however.Structures with Yule marble
A partial list of structures containing Yule marble, 1905 to 1941, from the quarry started by the Colorado-Yule Marble Company. (The Colorado state capitol was built 1893 to 1895 from the quarry of John Osgood).| State | City | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Kingman | Mohave County Court House Mohave County Courthouse and Jail Mohave County Jail is at 310 North Fourth Street in Kingman, Arizona. The jail was built in 1909-10 and is of Classical Revival architecture style. Pauley Jail Co. were the architects and John Mulligan was the contractor. The new jail replaced the old jail, because the prisoners were breaking out... |
| Phoenix | Adam's Hotel $2,500 | |
| Arkansas | Hot Springs Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County... |
Rammelsburg Bathhouse; $9.500 |
| Little Rock | Arkansas State Capitol Building | |
| California | Los Angeles | Athletic Club Los Angeles Athletic Club Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year.... ; $4,800 |
| Bankers Trust Building; $200,000 | ||
| Builder Home Association Building | ||
| Citizen's National Bank | ||
| County Fair Grounds Los Angeles County Fair The inaugural Los Angeles County Fair, now known as the L.A. County Fair, opened Oct. 17, 1922, and ran for five days through October 21, 1922, in a former beet field in Pomona, California. Highlights of the Fair’s first year were harness racing, chariot races and an airplane wing-walking... |
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| Herald Examiner Building Los Angeles Herald-Examiner The Los Angeles Herald Examiner was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published Monday through Friday in the afternoon, and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. It was part of the Hearst syndicate. The afternoon Herald-Express and the morning Examiner, both of which had been publishing in... |
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| Fidelity Building | ||
| Goodfellow Office Building | ||
| Hellman National Bank; $6,000 | ||
| Merchants Fireproof Building | ||
| Merchants National Bank; $50,000 | ||
| Merritt Building | ||
| Pan-American Building | ||
| Judson D. River residence (fireplace mantel) | ||
| Trinity Auditorium Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September... |
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| Oakland | Tribune Building | |
| Pasadena | Forest Lawn Chapel & Crematory; $10,000 | |
| Huntington Park Memorial (hospital) | ||
| Post Office Pasadena Civic Center District Pasadena Civic Center District is a historic district in Pasadena, California roughly bounded by Walnut and Green Streets and Raymond and Euclid Avenues. Construction of the civic center was funded with a $3.5 million bond issuance in 1923. The plan was created by the Chicago firm of Bennett,... ; $25,000 |
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| Federal Building Richard H. Chambers United States Court of Appeals The Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals is an historic building originally constructed as a Spanish Colonial Revival style resort known as the Vista del Arroyo Hotel and Bungalows located at Pasadena in Los Angeles County, California... |
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| San Francisco | American Marble & Title Co | |
| City Hall San Francisco City Hall San Francisco City Hall, re-opened in 1915, in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, is a Beaux-Arts monument to the City Beautiful movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the 1880s to 1917. The structure's dome is the fifth largest in the world... |
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| Irvine Sarcophagus | ||
| Municipal Building | ||
| Saint Francis Hotel | ||
| Sub-Treasury Building Pacific Exchange The Pacific Exchange was, until 2001, a regional stock exchange with a main exchange floor and building in San Francisco, California, USA and a branch in Los Angeles, California, USA. Its history began with the founding of the San Francisco Stock and Bond Exchange in 1882 and the Los Angeles Oil... ; $21,000 |
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| Trinity Natatorium | ||
| San Simenon San Simeon, California San Simeon is a census-designated place on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California. Its position along State Route 1 is approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, each of those cities being roughly 230 mi away... |
Hearst Mansion Hearst Castle Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to... |
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| State wide | 40 School Buildings | |
| Colorado | Denver | Barth Mausoleum |
| Broadway Bank | ||
| Capitol Life Insurance Building | ||
| Cheesman Memorial Cheesman Park, Denver Cheesman Park is an urban park and neighborhood located in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, United States.-Geography:Cheesman Park is located in central Denver, southeast of downtown... |
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| City and County Building Civic Center, Denver Civic Center is a neighborhood and park in Denver, Colorado. The area is known as the center of the civic life in the city, with numerous institutions of arts, government, and culture as well as numerous festivals, parades, and protests throughout the year... |
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| Colorado Life Insurance Building | ||
| Colorado National Bank; $85,000 | ||
| Colorado State Capitol Building (from Osgood Quarry) | ||
| Colorado State Museum; $118,200 | ||
| Daniels & Fisher Tower Daniels & Fisher Tower The Daniels & Fisher Tower is a distinctive Denver, Colorado landmark. Built as part of the Daniels & Fisher department store in 1910, it was the tallest between the Mississippi and California at the time of construction, at a height of 325 feet . The building was designed by the architect... |
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| Denver Gas & Electric | ||
| Denver Post Office; $533,000 | ||
| Empire Building | ||
| Federal Reserve Bank Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Denver Branch The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Denver Branch is second largest of three branches of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The branch which is in Denver opened on January 14, 1918 at 17th Street before moving in 1968 to 16th Street Mall.... |
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| Fitzsimmons Army Hospital Fitzsimons Army Medical Center The Fitzsimons Army Medical Center was a medical facility of the United States military during the 20th century located on in Aurora, Colorado... |
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| Foster Building ; $20,000 | ||
| Hamilton National Bank; $20,000 | ||
| Immaculate Conception Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Denver of Roman Catholic Church. It is located at the corner of Logan St. and Colfax Avenue in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood of central Denver. The cathedral has a capacity of 800 persons and hosts... |
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| Metropolitan Building ; | ||
| New Customs House United States Customhouse (Denver, Colorado) The Federal Building and United States Custom House, Denver, Colorado is a historic courthouse and federal office building located at Denver, Colorado. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.-Building history:... |
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| Old Customs House | ||
| Pioneer Building | ||
| Saint James Hotel | ||
| Shubert Theater (aka Denham Theater); $22,000 | ||
| Symes Building | ||
| Thatcher Memorial Vault | ||
| Union Station; $10,000 | ||
| Glenwood Springs | Citizens National Bank; $899 | |
| Federal Building (floors) | ||
| Taylor Mausoleum | ||
| Greeley | Post Office | |
| Gunnison | Post Office | |
| La Junta | Santa Fe Office Building; $3,550 | |
| Marble | High School | |
| St Paul's Church, font (now in St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Glenwood Springs, Colorado) | ||
| St Paul's Club House, fireplace | ||
| Pueblo | Vail Hotel Vail Hotel Vail Hotel is located in Pueblo, Colorado. Named after Pueblo newspaperman John E Vail, the hotel constructed in 1910 was considered to be the most modern hotel west of Chicago at that time.... ; $2,182 |
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| District of Columbia | Barnes Hospital; $15,000 | |
| W. Seely Hutchinson; $1,619 | ||
| Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior... ; $1,080,000 |
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| Real Estate Trust Building; $5,540 | ||
| Washington Monument Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington... (Colorado Memorial Stone) |
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| Idaho | Pocatello | Post Office and Courthouse (1911) |
| Illinois | Chicago | Field Building LaSalle National Bank Building LaSalle National Bank Building is an art deco office building at 135 South LaSalle Street in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, USA.... |
| Otis Building | ||
| Rosehill Mausoleum; $50,000 | ||
| Telephone Building; $76,000 | ||
| Rockford | Mausoleum; $1,000 | |
| Indiana | Crawford | Davis Mausoleum |
| Evansville | First National Bank) | |
| Morocco | Mausoleum; $8,000 | |
| South Bend | Studebaker Building Studebaker Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the... |
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| Iowa | Davenport | Davenport Hotel Davenport Hotel (Davenport, Iowa) The Davenport Hotel is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently an apartment building called The Davenport-History:... ; $30,000 |
| Plover | Lind Mausoleum | |
| Smithland | Rice Tomb; 120,000 lbs., $10,000 | |
| Kansas | Independence | Court House Post Office; $3,000 |
| Wichita | Public Library; $2,000 | |
| Windfield | Mausoleum | |
| Kentucky | Paducah | Mausoleum; $7,000 |
| Louisiana | Shreveport | Commercial National Bank Peter Youree Peter Youree was an American businessman and banker from Shreveport, Louisiana, who in 1910 built his city's first skyscraper, the ten-story Commercial National Bank Building. He also financed the construction of his massive Youree Hotel — later called the Washington Youree Hotel — in downtown... ; $12,500 |
| Massachusetts | Cambridge | Widener Library (Harvard University) Widener Library The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard... |
| Kansas | Independence | Courthouse Post Office; $3,000 |
| Michigan | Detroit | Office Building - 43 story |
| Minnesota | Minneapolis | McKnight Building; $18,582 |
| Missouri | Independence | Mormon Auditorium Temple Lot The Temple Lot, located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, is the first site to be dedicated for the construction of a temple in the Latter Day Saint movement... |
| Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
Chambers Office Building; $10,000 | |
| Community Mausoleum | ||
| Rialto Building; $28,000 | ||
| Saint Louis | German-American Institute | |
| German Savings Bank | ||
| Monward Realty Building; $30,000 | ||
| Montana | Billings | Montana Power House |
| Helena | Montana State Capitol Montana State Capitol The Montana State Capitol is the state capitol of the U.S. state of Montana. It houses the Montana State Legislature and is located in the state capital of Helena at 1301 East Sixth Avenue. The building was constructed between 1896 and 1902 with wing-annexes added between 1909 and 1912.-History:A... |
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| Great Falls | Rainbow Hotel | |
| United Savings and Trust | ||
| Nebraska | Broken Arrow | I.O.O.F. Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were... Building |
| Columbus | Evans Hotel; $10,000 | |
| Greeley | Greeley County Greeley County, Nebraska -History:Greeley County was formed in 1871. It was named after Horace Greeley, a newspaper editor and politician of the mid-19th century.-Demographics:... Court HousePhotos of the exterior of the courthouse can be seen at Category:Greeley County Courthouse (Nebraska). However, all marble work is on the interior of the building. The National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the courthouse discusses the use of marble, but does not state its provenance. See also, for general context in the town. |
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| Hastings | Masonic Temple; $1,125 | |
| Lincoln | Bencroft Ward School (University of Nebraska at Lincoln) | |
| Chaplin Building | ||
| Lincoln High School; $23,500 | ||
| Omaha | Brandeis Subway Building | |
| Douglas County Court House; $111,000 | ||
| Fontenelle Hotel Hotel Fontenelle Hotel Fontenelle was an upscale commercial hotel once located at 1806 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by noted architect Thomas Rogers Kimball in the Late Gothic Revival style, it was built in 1914 and demolished in 1983... |
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| Forest Lawn Chapel & Crematorium | ||
| Union Pacific Building Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman.... ; $25,000 |
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| West Lawn Mausoleum; $104,000 | ||
| Woodmen of the World Building Woodmen of the World Building (Omaha, Nebraska) The Woodmen of the World Building in Omaha, Nebraska is a former building that was located at 1323 Farnam Street, in Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1912, the Woodmen of the World leased office space there until 1934 when they relocated to the Insurance Building... ; $64,000 |
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| Saint Paul | Howard County Court House; $10,000 | |
| Sidney | First National Exchange Bank | |
| New York | New York City | Cambridge Building |
| Equitable Life Building | ||
| Metropolitan Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the... |
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| Municipal Building Manhattan Municipal Building The Manhattan Municipal Building, at 1 Centre Street in New York City, is a 40-story building built to accommodate increased governmental space demands after the 1898 consolidation of the city's five boroughs. Construction began in 1907 and ended in 1914, marking the end of the City Beautiful... |
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| Syracuse | Third National Bank of Syracuse Third National Bank (Syracuse, New York) The Third National Bank, also known as the Community Chest Building, is located on James Street in Syracuse, New York. It was designed by architect Archimedes Russell in 1885. It is significant for its architecture and for its role in commerce in Syracuse in the late eighteenth century. It was... |
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| Schenectady | Cross and seal design | |
| Ohio | Belefontaine | Post Office; $707 |
| Cleveland | City Hall Cleveland City Council Cleveland City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Cleveland in Ohio. Its members are elected from 19 wards to four-year terms. The number of council members has decreased over the years... ; $125,000 |
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| Cuyahoga County Courthouse Cuyahoga County Courthouse The Cuyahoga County Courthouse stretches along Lakeside Boulevard at the north end of the Cleveland Mall in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The building was listed on the National Register along with the mall district in 1975. Other notable buildings of the Group Plan are the Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S... ; $500,00 |
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| Jayville | Abbottsville Memoria | |
| Sidney | First National Bank | |
| Versailles | Mausoleum; $6,000 | |
| Wooster | Post Office; $777 | |
| Youngstown | Mahoning County Court House | |
| Oregon | Portland | Bedell Building Bedell Building The Bedell Building, also known as the Cascade Building, is a building located in downtown Portland, Oregon listed on the National Register of Historic Places.... |
| First National Bank Building First National Bank (Portland, Oregon) The First National Bank is a building located in downtown Portland, Oregon, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.... |
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| Northwest National Bank | ||
| Oklahoma | Enid | High School |
| Tulsa | Studebaker Company Building | |
| Tulsa County Court House (demolished); $4,360 | ||
| Tulsa High School | ||
| Rhode Island | Providence | Providence County Court House |
| South Dakota | Aberdeen | United States Post Office and Courthouse |
| Tennessee | Memphis | Commercial Trust & Savings Bank |
| Texas | Houston | Southern Pacific Building (today - Bayou Lofts); $13,000 |
| Union National Bank (today Hotel Icon); $1,000 | ||
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Boston Building Samuel Newhouse Samuel Newhouse was a Utah entrepreneur and mining magnate.He was born in New York City of European Jewish immigrant parents and grew up in Pennsylvania. He studied law there before going to Colorado in 1879... |
| Denver & Rio Grand / Western Pacific Railroad Station Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot (Salt Lake City) The Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot, commonly referred to as the Rio Grande Depot, in a former railroad station on the western edge of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The depot was constructed by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1910, and was listed on the National Register of... (Union Building) |
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| Holmes-Knox Building | ||
| Latter Day Saints Gymnasium | ||
| Newhouse Hotel Samuel Newhouse Samuel Newhouse was a Utah entrepreneur and mining magnate.He was born in New York City of European Jewish immigrant parents and grew up in Pennsylvania. He studied law there before going to Colorado in 1879... ; $10,000 |
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| Utah State Capitol Utah State Capitol The Utah State Capitol is the house of government for the U.S. state of Utah. The building houses the chambers of the Utah State Legislature, the offices of the Governor of Utah and Lieutenant Governor of Utah, along with other supporting offices for the Government of Utah... ; $167,000 |
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| Stock & Mining Exchange | ||
| Virginia | Arlington | Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (aka Tomb of the Unknowns) |
| Washington | Seattle | Union Bank Hoge Building The Hoge Building is a 17 story building constructed in 1911 by, and named for John D. Hoge, an attorney and real estate investor, on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Street in Seattle, Washington. The building was constructed primarily of tan brick and terra cotta built over a... ; $698 |
| Walla Walla | Court House; $10,000 | |
| Wisconsin | Oshkosh | Private Vault; $309 |
| Wyoming | Sheridan | Bank Building |
External links
- Ron Bailey's website with extensive photos (and text) he has taken of the quarry
- Colorado Geologic Survey (photos and Quarry FAQ)
- November 2004 Tomb of the Unknowns (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier), Arlington National Cemetery; digitally measured by scanning the exterior, by Direct Dimension Inc, Owings Springs, Maryland
- Matthews, V. "Yule Marble." Pictorial presentation by Colorado Geological Survey and Colorado Department of Natural Resources