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Home > Alabama > List of Quarries in Alabama & Quarry Links, Photographs and Articles
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J. F. Millhouse has discovered an immense bed of cement rock near Selma, Ala., and it is probable that a company will be formed to erect a plant.
“About 5 miles southeast from Opelika, Lee county occurs a narrow strip of highly crystalline dolomite (see thin section Plate VI A). This dolomite is for the most part a beautiful pearly white stone. The belt in which the dolomite occurs is about a third of a mile wide and is known to extend for several miles in a northeast and southwest direction (see map of the area, Figure 30). This stone has been quarried extensively in the past for lime. The chief quarry is located near Chewacla in the NE of the SE. of S. 4, T. 18, R. 27-E. Quarries in this dolomite have been opened at several places in the past, including Echols’ Mills and Springvilla.
“Chemical Analysis shows the stone to be nearly pure dolomite.
“A light colored talc occurs in some of the layers in small streaks and spots and where present in considerable amount would interfere with the use of the stone for ornamental purposes. It is probable that there are portions of the deposits free from the talc impurity, and if prospecting proves this to be the case we would have here a first-class building stone.
“The Chewacla dolomitic marble is almost identical in appearance with the Cockeysville dolomitic marble of Maryland, so much used in and about Baltimore.”
Nix Quarries.
“In this Sycamore Division are found the two old Nix quarries, located to the northwest of Emauhee Creek in the NW. ¼ of SW. ¼ of S. 36 and in the SE. ¼ of SW. ¼ of S. 36, T. 20, R. 4-E., respectively, and also the recently developed quarry of the Alabama Marble Quarries Co., by Pace’s Branch in the SW. ¼ of NE. ¼ of S. 1, T. 21, R. 4-E.
“All three of these quarries are located toward the east side of the marble valley. The two Nix quarries are located on natural exposures on the slope of the east side of this valley, this natural exposure above the drainage being suitable for the early development of the marble industry when small capital only could be had and when large dimensional stone was not required. These quarries never received any great amount of development and have not been worked in recent years, due to the fact that sounder stone can be had in less exposed positions elsewhere.
“The southwest of the two Nix quarries shows an exposure of about 60 feet of marble. Below this there are about 25 feet concealed, then there is a small marble exposure at the foot of the hill in the road. The upper few feet of the marble is blue, changing below to white and white with blue lines. (See photograph, Plate XXI B.) A considerable quantity of the lower portion of the exposure is a beautiful sugary textured marble.
“The upper Nix quarry, about one-fourth mile northwest, has a less exposure of marble than the lower quarry, but the opening is made in the same upper layers of the deposit. In both quarries the overthrust, somewhat crumpled phyllite has the appearance of conformity. In both quarries also the slip direction on the beds, is a little west of north, and the chief joints trend a little north of east.
“The thickness of the deposit is apparently the same as at the Alabama Marble Quarries.”
Alabama Marble Quarries (Company)
“The Alabama Marble Quarries Co. has its opening at the bend of the marble valley along Pace’s Branch in the SW. ¼ of the NE. ¼ of S. 1, T. 31, R. 4-E. At this point the marble occupies the valley bottom and is covered by from 4-8 feet of soil. The main opening is toward the upper portion of the marble deposit on the east side of the valley about 150 feet from the marble-phyllite contact. This quarry has been considerably developed in the last few years. Plate XVI shows the quarry in 1915. This marble is similar in its nature to the marble in the thicker deposits further to the southwest in the Gantt’s Quarry district. Some of the beds in the quarry are exceptionally attractive in color. The chief source of unsoundness at this locality is found to be the ‘reeds’ (or minor slipping planes more or less parallel to the bedding direction) which are common in some of the layers. The main joints run slightly diagonal to the dip direction. A core 103 feet in length, taken from the quarry and the marble below the layers in the quarry, shows the deposit in this part to be largely a cream white marble slightly streaked and banded with pale gray and blue coloring. The probable thickness of the marble in this division is about 200 feet. Siliceous lenses occur in some layers but that this is not general is shown by the core which in its entire length passes through but one thin siliceous layer."
Sycamore Division - Extent of Division.
“The marble valley which is so poorly defined between the Bowie quarries and the great offset of the valley at Sycamore, reappears at a point about one mile directly east of Sycamore on the south border of the fault. From this point on to the crossing of the Tallaseehatchee Creek in S. 14, T. 21, R. 4-E., the marble valley is comparatively narrow and sharply defined, lying between the Talladega phyllite area on the eastern side, and a prominent though narrow phyllite ridge of probable Cambrian age on the western side.
“This portion of the marble area, of about 3 miles in length, I (the author, William F. Prouty) have designated as the Sycamore Division. The valley has a northwest-southeast trend from the northern point of beginning to near the opening of the Alabama Marble Quarries Co., in the NE. of S. 1, T. 21, R. 4-E., where the course of the valley gradually changes to a southwest trend for the remainder of the division. Just before reaching Tallaseehatchee Creek, the valley begins to widen and passes into the still wider portion of the marble valley lying to the southwest of the Tallaseehatchee Creek, designated as the Herd Quarry Division....”
[(Please note: For the section on the Nix Marble Quarries, see”
Sycamore (southeast of), Alabama - the Nix Quarries (Marble)]
[(Please note: For the section on the Alabama Marble Quarries Co. Marble Quarries, see:
Sycamore (southeast of), Alabama - the Alabama Marble Quarries Company Quarry in the Sycamore Marble DivisionQuarry)]
Valley to The West of This Division.
“Between the phyllite hill, which bounds the marble valley on the west through this division, the Cambrian shale and sandstone hills, which carry the gray iron ore, lies a well defined, and in some places broad valley. The east portion of this valley is higher than the rest and is underlain by shale which in places carries thin bed of magnesian limestone, similar to the formation found in the ridge just to the west of Averiett Springs. The lower part of this valley, which is best defined and broadest about Emauhee, carries for the most part dolomite, some beds of which, at least locally, are highly crystalline, light gray to white, and would seemingly make a very serviceable and attractive building stone. (Plate VI B shows photomicrograph of such dolomite from the L. & N. crossing of the Tallaseehatchee Creek.) Figures 22 and 23 also show characteristics of this building stone.”
“Tertiary Marble
“In the St. Stephens or Vicksburg limestone of the Tertiary formation, at Gainestown, St. Stephens and other localities, there are numerous occurrences of hard fossiliferous limestone which takes a good polish, and from its pleasing colors, red, yellow, gray, etc., should be good for decorative purposes. None of this marble has yet (circa 1916) been utilized, nor have any of the occurrences been investigated as their commercial possibilities.”
The Alabama Marble Quarries.
“‘The Alabama Marble Quarries’ owns a property in Talladega County, near Sycamore, located within a mile of the L.& N. R. R., on which there is an almost inexhaustible supply of high grade ‘Alabama Marble.’
“This property has been examined in a most thorough and scientific manner both by excavation and by borings made with a core drill. This investigation was made with a view of determining the length, breadth and thickness of the deposit. The result of the investigation has shown that the deposit is 400 feet wide and more than 2,000 feet long, and the deepest hole made with a core drill was 126 feet and this did not penetrate through the marble.
“Mr. Allen W. Haskell, a mining engineer employed to examine this property, reports that the prospecting done shows an unlimited amount of marble of a very superior quality as shown by the cores taken.
“Dr. Eugene A. Smith, State Geologist, after visiting the property, commenting upon Mr. Haskell’s report states ‘That the amount of available marble will be found to be greater than has been estimated.’
“Mr. James W. Carpenter, of New York city, one of the best known marble and quarry men in the United States, says, ‘This property equals if it does not excel any marble deposit that I have ever seen both in size and personal knowledge of practically every marble quarry in the United States.
“A calculation has been made upon only a portion of the property which has been most thoroughly explored by excavation and drilling and this portion shows by actual measurements 48,000,000 cu. ft. of marble, which is sufficient for a quarry with a capacity of 250,000 cu. ft. a year, which is a very large output. This portion of the property would last such a quarry 192 years. From this calculation it is easily seen that the marble on the property is practically inexhaustible.
“In regard to the quality of the marble will say that experts have examined the pieces taken from the surface and the drill cores and they pronounce it to be of the very finest quality extraordinarily sound and free from defects. The colors of the marble are White, cream-White and Blue and White mixed. The Cream-White is the most valuable. About 60 per cent. of the deposit is White and Cream-White.
“The cost of quarrying this marble will be approximately 25 cents per cu. ft., and the selling price of the marble at the quarry f.o.b. cars will range from $1.00 per cu. ft. to $7.00 and $8.00 cu. ft. The lowest grade of ‘Alabama Marble’ never brings less than $1.00 per cu. ft.
“Alabama is known far and wide for her wonderful deposits of coal, iron and limestone, her valuable tracts of timber lands and her great agricultural wealth. The marble industry is her latest and least developed.
“Georgia for many years has been producing large quantities of marble. The principal supply of marble for interior decoration, monumental. purpose and statuary have hitherto come from Vermont and from Italy.
“A few years ago Northern and Eastern capital opened up an old quarry near Sylacauga which has been worked in a small way before the Civil War. This Company has been shipping ‘Alabama Marble’ far in excess of their ability to supply. This marble is preferred by architects and builders to the Italian and Vermont marbles which are its only competitors. The demand has been so great that it was impossible to obtain ‘Alabama Marble’ for some of the for some of the largest buildings in this State where the owners wanted ‘Alabama Marble’ and were anxious to get it but could not for the reason that the whole supply had been previously contracted for. It is universally admitted that the ‘Alabama Marble’ is superior in color, strength and quality to the Vermont marble which constitutes the majority of the marble now being used in the United States for interior decoration. The Italian marble is next to the Vermont marble in quantity consumed in this country but is much superior to the Vermont in quality. The ‘Alabama Marble’ is certainly equal to the Italian in strength and quality and surpasses it in color, appearance and beauty.
“In the course of a few years there will be several large quarries in operation in Alabama and the marble business will constitute one of the great industries of the State, therefore, it behooves Alabamians to wake up and proceed to develop this great natural resource of the State, otherwise, these properties will be bought up before we realize it and our opportunity will have passed. With the wonderful growth of the United States the use of marble has been correspondingly increased. In public buildings, office buildings, libraries, banking rooms, soda founts and private residences a large amount of marble is used; in addition to this a large amount is required for the floors of the these (sic) in the form of mosaic or terrazzo being manufactured from the waste of the quarry, either being sawn into small squares for mosaic or put into a crusher and ground into pebbles for terrazzo. From this it is easy to see that if properly managed there ought to be practically no waste in a marble quarry.
“As an investment there are few industrial corporations that are as attractive as ‘The Alabama Marble Quarries.’ In the first place, as before stated, the corporation owns an almost inexhaustible supply of raw material that is concentrated into a comparatively small area, to:wit: 160 acres. This property will be in operation when the great saw mills of our State have passed away; when many of the coal mines now embracing a large area, will have been entirely exhausted, and much of the other wealth of Alabama consumed.
“The margin of profits is larger than that of the coal, iron or any other mining or quarrying proposition in this State. The demand for this marble is great and continues to increase, and there are no violent fluctuations in price of the product as in other industries. The product is not susceptible to damage from fire, or decay, and does not deteriorate from exposure to weather, consequently this proposition is in every respect a most desirable investment.
“‘The Alabama Marble Quarries’ is incorporated under the laws of Alabama with a capital stock of $300,000 which is divided as follows: $150,000 Preferred 7 per cent Cumulative Stock and $150,000 Common Stock. Par value $10 a share. The Company is now offering for sale $100,000 of this Preferred Stock all of which is to be used for actual development of the property.
“The Company intends to furnish their quarry with the latest and most improved machinery. It will require several months for this machinery to be manufactured, delivered and installed. There is considerable other preparatory work to be done such as the building of employes houses, a spur track to the L. &. N. R. R., etc. In view of these facts the company does not need the whole amount of cash arising from the sale of this Preferred Stock at present, and prefers to have this amount in the installments payable as follows: Ten per cent. under subscription and the balance in nine equal payments, each payment not to be made in less than thirty days of the last payment. This method of payment for the preferred stuck (sic) will not only be satisfactory to the corporation but will also be convenient to the stockholders. Under this plan subscribers of the Preferred Stock will only pay $1.00 per share per month and at the end of a period of ten months they will have paid for the stock in full which will be delivered to them together with the Common Stock. Those desiring to subscribe for stock will fill in the attached blank and forward the same to T. J. Scott & Sons, Montgomery, Alabama.
“The Alabama Marble Quarries.
“I hereby subscribe for and agree to purchase (blank) shares of the Preferred Stock of ‘Alabama Marble Quarries’ of the par value of $10.00 per share, which I agree to pay for as follows: 10 per cent. of the par value of this subscription in cash on the execution to me of a contract by said Company binding it to issue said shares of Preferred Stock to me when the same are fully paid for, and also upon the execution to me of a contract by Gaston Scott of Montgomery, Alabama as trustee, (who now holds five thousand shares of the Common Stock of said Company as trustee to be delivered to the purchasers of Preferred Stock according to subscription for Preferred Stock, one share of fully paid and non-assessable Common Stock in said corporation for every two shares of said Preferred Stock so paid for by me in full; the balance of said payments I agree to make in installments of ten per cent. of the par value of this subscription in monthly installments for nine consecutive months from the date of the execution to me of said contract by said Company.”
(This document is not signed or dated.)
Alabama Marble Company
Location:
“This company is the main producer in the State, with quarry and mill at the location of the old Gantt’s opening in the NE. of NE. of S. 2, T. 22, R. 3-E. This location is about 2 miles a little southwest of Sylacauga, and is about a mile from the L. & N. Mineral Railroad, with which it is connected by spur track from Gantt’s Junction. This quarry has been in active operation since 1904. There were early operations in the quarry for some years before the way by Dr. Gantt, a sculptor and quarryman. For a time also before the resumption of the more recent marble industry, marble from this quarry was used as a flux material in the nearby furnaces.
Development:
“Quarrying operations have been chiefly conducted in the past from open pit, but at the present time the marble is being taken entirely from the two tunnels which have been put down with the dip along bed number three from the top of the quarry. This bed (see Plate XIII) is a line of weakness due to more active solution along an apparent thrust plane and has offered exceptional advantages in the construction of the development tunnels.
“The purpose of tunneling is to give added floor space for quarrying at smaller cost, in higher grade marble than could be done by stripping. This method of development by tunneling has been used successfully in many of the larger quarries, especially in Vermont.
“Structural Conditions:
“Toward the southwest end of the quarry there is to be seen a small anticlinal fold running diagonally across the strike. The origin of this particular fold is difficult to determine, and the time of its formation is also in doubt. There is, however, slightly more unsoundness in the marble affected by the fold which would suggest that the folding, or else the settling back of the marble along this folded zone, took place at a time later than the general period of metamorphism, or when the marble was in a less plastic state than we would expect it to be during recrystallization.
“A study of the joint systems in the quarry, and the cores taken from the tunnels, show that there are two directions of rather constant jointing diagonal to the strike, as well as locally developed joints more or less parallel respectively to the strike and the dip. A notable character of the diagonal jointing is its tendency toward radiation. In some cases there is a divergence of as much as 30 degrees in the direction of these joints. This tendency toward radiation in the jointing of the rocks is suggestive of torsional movements in the quarry. (See Figure 17 for jointing conditions in a portion of the quarry.)
“On account of the diagonal character of the jointing in the quarry, the marble at the present time is being taken out with the long direction of the blocks parallel to the diagonal jointing direction, instead of as was formerly done, directly down the dip. This new method of quarrying yields a higher percentage of sound blocks.
“The strike of the rocks in Gantt’s Quarry varies from about N. 50°-60° E. in the southwest end, to about NE. in the NE. corner. This change in strike is apparently due to the presence of the diagonal folds in the quarry. The slip direction, as is shown by grooves on some of the layers, indicates that the general direction of movement at the time of thrust faulting was N. 35° W.
“A study of thin sections of marble taken from the slip zone, (see Plate I A), shows a slight elongation of the crystals in the direction of movement. The width of the zone in which the elongation of the crystals occur, is apparently narrow.
Local Character of Marble Deposits:
“There are 15 beds which have been worked in the Gantt’s Quarry deposit. These vary in thickness from 4 feet to 11 feet. The character of the stone varies somewhat in the different beds. The varieties of the marble depend chiefly upon two factors: the amount of the greenish, yellowish or grayish schist and the coloring of the marble itself whether cream white or bluish toned.
“'The quarrying operations and prospecting in the neighborhood of Gantt’s quarry shows the present quarry to be located in a stratum of more or less white marble of about 175 feet thickness, which is underlain by a bluish or more or less dolomitic deposit. Overlying this 175-foot stratum are to be found about 75 feet of inferior marble, and again overlying this 75-foot stratum is another workable deposit, the thickness of which has not yet been definitely determined, but the cores already taken out towards the southeast show it to be at least as thick as the deposit which is now being worked. There is moreover considerable space between the last prospect hole southeast of Gantt’s Quarry and the phyllite hill. This space is probably in part occupied by marble.
“The area northwest of the quarry has not been carefully prospected. There are one or two exposures of rock, however, which tend to show that this area is largely underlain by dolomite and interbedded marble of doubtful economic value. (See cross-section of the marble area through Gantt’s Quarry, Figure 14.)
Use of Marble:
“No marble from this quarry is sold in block form, but it is worked up in the finishing plants of the company for use in filling the contracts taken by the company."
| (postcard photograph, #3, 13273N; A "Natural Color Card" made by E. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; postmark May 9, 1953) "The marble of this vicinity is beautifully colored in pastel shades of pinks, buffs, yellows, tans and light blues. A trip to these quarries is interesting and educational. Small lakes are formed in the deep caverns formed by the mining work." |
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| (colorized postcard photograph #3309; Santway Photo-Craft Company, Watertown, N.Y.; postmark June 5, 1941) |  |
Also see: Sylacauga (near), Alabama - Alabama Marble Company Quarry above.
Gantt’s Quarry Division - Extent.
“This division includes the area between the elevation passing through the southeast part of Sylacauga and the watershed in the marble valley just southwest of Gantt’s Quarry. This division is over seven miles in length. In this division the area of the marble-bearing rocks reach their maximum width of a little over 1 ¼ miles.
Condition in Sylacauga.
“The ridge which passes diagonally through Sylacauga with a N. 30° E. strike is apparently cut off toward the south side of the valley by a fault which runs parallel with the southeastern side of the marble valley. This diagonal ridge is apparently for the most part dolomite, but on its west slope several wells in the city of Sylacauga have exposed a good grade of white marble. This condition holds both in the NE. and the SW. of the SE. of S. 29, T. 21, R. 4-E. Marble is reported from other places within the city limits of Sylacauga, as for example near the L. & N. Railroad track by the cotton mill in the NE. of the SW. of S. 29, T. 21, R. 4-E., and near the Central of Georgia tracks in the SE. of the NW. of S. 29, T. 21, R. 4-E.
“The large spring on the north side of town is in dolomite, but not very far from the dolomite-marble line.
“Just outside of the city limits in the SE. of SE. of S. 20, T. 21, R. 4-E., and in the SW. of the SE. of S. 30, T. 21, R. 4-E., marble is known to occur in wells.
“The marble underlying the central and southwestern portion of Sylacauga seems for the most part to be rather deeply buried. The well by the cotton mill is reported to have reached marble at a depth below the surface of 30 feet.
“Samples of the marble from wells in Sylacauga are white to cream-white, saccharoidal, similar in texture and color to the marble now being so much quarried in this area.
“On a hill just to the south of a colored church in the NW. of the SW. of S. 32, T. 21, R. 4-E., the marble has been uncovered by the roadside with strike approximately parallel with the south side of the marble valley. It is very probable that this marble has been brought up in a fault which runs parallel with a larger fault on the southeast side of the marble valley.
Southwest of Sylacauga.
“Between Sylacauga and Gantt’s Quarry the marble valley is for the most part nearly level, the exceptions being slightly elevated areas of somewhat deeper red soil, which have a general trend diagonally across the valley with a strike of about N. 35° E., while the strike of the valley through here is about N. 75° to 80° E. There is apparently much good marble underlying these flatter and lower areas. It is thought, however, that much of it is under rather heavy cover. There has been very little prospecting in the lands between the quarries in the neighborhood of Gantt’s, and the wells which are above mentioned in the neighborhood of Sylacauga.
“To the west of Gantt’s Quarry the low land narrows and is completely cut off by a diagonal elevation about half a mile southwest of the quarry. This ridge forms a water-shed which divides the streams flowing north and east through Gantt’s Quarry from those which flow towards the southwest and west, (mostly underground) by Averiett Springs. It is probable that this more elevated portion carries a greater amount of cherty material and is more dolomitic in its nature than the rock forming the lower lands both to the northeast and southwest. In this portion of the area there are no exposures of marble.
“In the Gantt’s Quarry division we find the center of the marble industry of the State. There are two companies at the present time getting out and shipping marble in large quantities, and two other companies which have prospected and blocked out a large quantity of good marble. One of these companies has also opened a quarry pit on high grade marble preliminary to active operations.”
[To read the section on the Alabama Marble Company Quarry in the Gantt Marble District, see:
Sylacauga (near), Alabama - the Alabama Marble Company Quarry and Mill in the Gantt’s Marble District
[To read the section on the Marble City Quarry Company Quarry, see:
Sylacauga (near), Alabama - the Marble City Quarry Company Quarry in the Gantt’s Marble District]
[To read the section on the Moretti-Hanah Marble Company Quarry, see:
Sylacauga (near), Alabama - the Moretti-Harrah Marble Company Quarry in the Gantt’s Marble District]
“Supplemental and Back-Up Data.
“History. Like all shortlines, a glimpse into its history makes the EARY much more understandable. This line was originally part of the Anniston & Atlantic Railroad that opened between Anniston and Talladega in February 1884, and then was extended on to Gantt's Junction at the marble quarry there in 1886. The line shortly came under Louisville & Nashville ownership (in 1890), and in 1891, was extended from Gantt's Junction to Calera, crossing the Coosa River, and connecting with the South & North Alabama Railroad.
“Today, only the tracks from Gantts ("Gantt's" is correct, but almost all map resources refer to this location as "Gantts") Junction to Talladega remain intact. The line west of Gantts Junction was abandoned when Lay Dam was built on the Coosa River (a very large river, which surprisingly few people outside of the immediate area have ever heard of!). The dam impoundment flooded the rail bridge, and it was not economically feasible to replace it. To the east of Talladega, the line was abandoned in the early 1970's.”
| (color postcard photograph, 41417; Alabama Post Card Co., Bessemer, Ala. 35020; unmailed) "This quarry produces some of the best building stone in the nation. It is the largest marble quarry in the world." |
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Herd Quarry.
“The exposure of marble in the Herd Quarry is one of the few natural exposures in the marble area. It appears to be a fault block which forms a prominent knoll on the side of the slate mass to the east, and under which the marble dips at an angle of about 30°. The strike of the marble at this locality is about N. 60° E., and unless the strike of the marble changes considerably more toward the east, northeastwardly from here, which it does not appear to do, this particular marble bed must diverge from the slate hill which bounds it on the east at the quarry, and must extend out into the bottom lands a considerable distance to the northwest from the Talladega phyllite in the embayment which occurs a little to the northeast of the quarry. This divergence of strike of marble and line between valley and phyllite hill, suggests at this point a diagonal reverse fault between phyllite and marble.
“Immediately below the Talladega phyllite in the Herd Quarry, occurs a dark blue marble for several feet. Below this layer, as seen in the quarry itself for about 60 feet, and in a core taken from the quarry for about 100 feet, the marble has no heavy blue layers, but is white to white clouded, and white with blue veining. The general character of the marble is similar to that at Gantt’s Quarry. It has a sugary texture, and a number of schistose (talcose) layers. The blue clouding is not a constant bedding characteristic, as the marble is found to become blue or white as seen in different places in the same bed.
“As would be expected from the position of the quarry (the rock is unusually exposed to the weathering agents) and from the fact that the marble has faulted up, there is much unsoundness in the stone, as is shown by rather numerous joints, slicks, and cutters. The thickness of the deposit at this quarry is not known, but the surface indications would lead one to believe that it is at least 200 feet, and probably more....”
Faulting.
“From the similarity of the marble in the Herd and Hickman quarries, and the presence of the phyllite hill between with similar strike, it appears that the measures are here repeated by strike faulting. This is further borne out by the fact that the phyllite hill which forms the ridge between the two quarries, dies out both to the northeast and to the southwest. The disappearance of this hill is accounted for by decreasing throw of the fault, both to the northeast and to the southwest, so that the marbles which, in the locality of the quarries, are separated by the phyllite hill become again united. In the short course of this hill of about a mile, the hill has been offset by at least 4 nearly north and south parallel faults, two of which bound the Herd Quarry. (For probable conditions in this locality see Figure 24.)....”
Herd Quarry Division - Extent.
“Under this heading is included in the area lying between Tallaseehatchee Creek on the northeast and the elevation passing diagonally across the marble valley through the southeastern portion of the town of Sylacauga on the southwest. The only development of marble which has taken place in this area is at the old Herd Quarry in the NE. of the NE. of S. 22, T. 21, R. 4-E., and in another quarry about a quarter a little north of west, frequently spoken of as the Hickman Quarry.
[Please Note: For the sections on the Herd and Hickman quarries, see the individual entries on those quarries:
Sylacauga (northeast of), Alabama - Herd Marble Quarry (Marble)
Sylacauga (northeast of), Alabama - Hickman Marble Quarry (Marble)]
Faulting.
“From the similarity of the marble in the Herd and Hickman quarries, and the presence of the phyllite hill between with similar strike, it appears that the measures are here repeated by strike faulting. This is further borne out by the fact that the phyllite hill which forms the ridge between the two quarries, dies out both to the northeast and to the southwest. The disappearance of this hill is accounted for by decreasing throw of the fault, both to the northeast and to the southwest, so that the marbles which, in the locality of the quarries, are separated by the phyllite hill become again united. In the short course of this hill of about a mile, the hill has been offset by at least 4 nearly north and south parallel faults, two of which bound the Herd Quarry. (For probable conditions in this locality see Figure 24.)
Northeast of the Quarries.
“Within a half mile to the northeast and east of these quarries, the valley opens out to the width of over one-half mile, due to a local southward embayment of the Talladega phyllite, previously mentioned. In less than a mile to the northeast from the quarry, or a little to the west of the crossing of the Tallaseehatchee Creek, the valley is again narrowed by the closing in of the phyllites, both to the northeast and southwest.
“In the bottom lands between the Herd Quarry and Tallaseehatchee Creek, there are several exposures of marble. In the NE. of NW. of S. 23, T. 21, R. 4-E., a prospect pit shows a sugary marble with alternating blue and white bands. This marble has a strike of about N. 50° E. and a dip of about 30° E. to the east of this exposure about 100 feet, as I am told by an old resident, another exposure of marble with similar color could at one time be seen, which showed a strike direction a little more toward the north than the one just mentioned. In the N. ½ of S. 14, T. 21, R. 4-E. along Crooked Creek before it enters the Tallaseehatchee Creek, I am told there used to be several exposures of marble apparently similar to the marble last mentioned, and also like the marble which can now be seen on the west side of the marble valley at the crossing of the Tallaseehatchee Creek near the south line of S. 11, T. 21, R. 4-E. This is an exposure of sugary textured marble with bluish clouding and banding in a white background.
Southwest of the Quarries.
“About half a mile due west of Herd Quarry, or about a third of a mile southwest of the Hickman Quarry near Crooked Creek in the springy bottom land, can be seen a bluish marble, which is similar in appearance to the layer found immediately underlying the Talladega phyllite in both the Hickman and Herd quarries. From its location it is thought to be the same layer as that seen in the upper portion of the Hickman Quarry. It is also very probable that the springs at this point are caused by issuance of the ground water along the plane of the strike fault above-mentioned.
“The bottom land along Crooked Creek southwest from the quarries is apparently largely underlain by marble, as is also probably the case in the valley to the northeast of the quarries. The marble valley is approximately one-third mile in width for about a mile to the southwest of the Herd Quarry. At this point it widens on account of the dying out of a ridge of Cambrian ‘slate,’ which has a trend diagonal to that of the valley. Marble is known to occur in the bottom land in several places in S. 28, just to the east of Sylacauga. At the large spring in the SW. of the NE. of S. 28, T. 21-S., R, 4-E., it is approximately 9 feet below the surface and has an apparent strike of about N. 30-E. Other pits in the NE. of the SW. of S. 28 also show a marble at about the same depth as that at the spring. The material overlying the marble is apparently for the most part transported, as is shown by the material taken from the pits mentioned, which consists of gravel, sand and clay-loam. In one case a tree trunk was found at the bottom of the pit overlying the marble. The marble which occurs in these pits or springs is similar to that which occurs in the immediate neighborhood of the Herd Quarry, a white saccharoidal marble with some bluish bands and mottling.
“At the Sylacauga City spring, in the NE. corner of S. 32, T. 21, R. 4-E., there is poorly exposed a somewhat siliceous layer of marble with strikes apparently in a northeast direction.
“It can be said in general of the area lying between the Tallaseehatchee Creek and the hill which crosses the valley, cutting through the southeast side of Sylacauga, that there are, beside the two well-known quarries, sufficient exposures of the marble by pit or outcrop in spring or by branch to warrant extended prospecting. It is thought further that the marble lying in the bottom lands apparently undisturbed by faulting, and protected by soil cover from weathering agencies, will be found much less unsound than that which is exposed in the Herd Quarry where weathering agencies have been most active.”
Hickman Quarry.
“Immediately to the northwest of the Herd Quarry occurs a phyllite hill running parallel with the strike of the marble, and on the northwest side of this hill, about a quarter of a mile northwest of the Herd Quarry, is an exposure of marble. At one time this deposit was quarried and used for flux in the iron furnaces at Talladega. A railroad spur entered this quarry from the northeast along Crooked Creek. There are at this place about 30 feet of marble exposed with a strike of about N. 70° E., and a dip of about 25° to the southeast under the phyllite ridge which intervenes between the two marble quarries. The marble in this quarry appears to be the same as the top portion of the marble in the Herd Quarry just referred to. At the top there is the blue layer and below the whiter marble. In this quarry the contact between phyllite and marble is very well shown. This contact is a very irregular one (Plate XXII A), and there is strong evidence that the phyllite has been thrust-faulted over the marble, as is evidenced by slickensiding of the phyllite in the direction of dip, by fault breccia and by lenses of phyllite enclosed in marble near the contact.
“As the valley extends from 4 to 5 hundred feet to the northwest of the Hickman Quarry across the strike before encountering a phyllite on the west side of the valley, it is thought that the marble underlies most of this area.
Faulting.
“From the similarity of the marble in the Herd and Hickman quarries, and the presence of the phyllite hill between with similar strike, it appears that the measures are here repeated by strike faulting. This is further borne out by the fact that the phyllite hill which forms the ridge between the two quarries, dies out both to the northeast and to the southwest. The disappearance of this hill is accounted for by decreasing throw of the fault, both to the northeast and to the southwest, so that the marbles which, in the locality of the quarries, are separated by the phyllite hill become again united. In the short course of this hill of about a mile, the hill has been offset by at least 4 nearly north and south parallel faults, two of which bound the Herd Quarry. (For probable conditions in this locality see Figure 24.)"
Marble City Quarry Company.*
[* Page 77 footnote: The Madras Marble Co., of 120 Broadway, N. Y., has recently taken over the holdings of the Marble City Quarries Co. (circa 1916)]
Location.
“This company is located in the NE. of the NE. of the SW. of Section 36, T. 21, R. 3-E. The quarry opening of this company is immediately to the northeast of the quarry of the Moretti-Harrah Marble Co., being only a few yards distant across the property line. The opening is on the same layers that are being worked in the Moretti-Harrah Marble Co.’s quarry.
Character and Thickness of Marble.
“At the present writing only enough blocks have been taken out to demonstrate the character of the marble which is similar to that in the other quarries located on these beds, but extensive core drilling of the tract to the east of this opening and to the east of the Moretti-Harrah Marble Co.’s quarry has been carried on with the result that a large amount of high grade marble has been blocked out. The marble for the most part in this immediate area is about 8 feet below the surface though in places erosion is much deeper, especially is this true in the area not far from the stream which passes through this and the adjoining property. Prospecting on this property with diamond drill and quarry opening reveals four divisions in the marble: a top, high grade marble whose upper limit has not been determined, 75 feet; second a layer of marble with more chloritic schist and some pyrite, about 7 feet; third a layer of high grade marble in which the quarry is opened, about 130 feet; and fourth a lower layer into which the drill passed about forty feet and which carries considerable schist. Analyses of the marble from the first third and fourth layers are as follows:
(Column headings for table below: a, b, c)
Silica 0.45, 0.27, 0.27
Alumina Trace Trace Trace
Iron oxide 0.05, 0.05, 0.05
Lime CaO 55.01, 55.12, 55.16
Magnesia MgO 0.42, 0.27, 0.39
Sulphuric anhydride 0.01, 0.01, 0.02
Carbonic CO2 43.28, 43.30, 43.40
“a. First bed of marble sample taken from core from 37 feet below surface to 50 feet below surface exclusive of the schistose bands.
“b. Third bed of marble, sample taken from core 74 feet to 99 feet below the surface, all inclusive.
“c. Lower layer of marble, sample taken from core from depth 69 feet to 83 feet below the surface, all inclusive.
“The above analyses taken from the report on the marble property by Ricketts and Banks, shows the marble to be exceptionally pure. The cross-section (Figure 15) applies to this area.”
Moretti-Harrah Marble Company - General Setting.
“The quarry of this company is located about three-fourths of a mile north 33° E. from Gantt’s Quarry in the NW. of the NE. of SW. of S. 36, T. 21, R. 2-E. The quarry was opened in 1912 in the proximity of a bold spring which flowed from the marble, exposing it at this point. Operation of the quarry has been continuous since it was opened, and it is now (circa 1916) being developed in an opening about 280 feet long and 90 feet wide. (See photograph Plate XVI.)
“A spur track, one-half mile in length, connects the quarry with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. All the marble from this quarry is shipped to New York City in block form, and is loaded direct from the quarry to the car by derrick, or, in case the blocks are rough, they are first trimmed by means of a wire saw apparatus before they are loaded for shipment.
“The electrical transmission line of the Alabama Power Co. passes directly by the quarry, as it does also by the other marble quarries in the southwestern part of the marble area, thus cheap electrical power can be had to take the place of the steam plants, or to be used as an auxiliary.
Character of Marble.
“Marble in this quarry is of excellent grade. Much of it is a beautiful cream white, and is thought to correspond to some of the lower layers in the Gantt’s Quarry of the Alabama Marble Co. (For photomicrograph of this marble see Plate II A.) This identity of the marble in the two quarries can be explained by a gradual change in the strike of the marble between the two quarries. This seems very probably the case, since the strike of the marble in the east end of Gantt’s Quarry is about N. 40 ° E., and in the Moretti-Harrah Company’s quarry about N. 28° E., with the bearing from the Gantt’s Quarry to the Moretti-Harrah Quarry, as already stated, N. 33° E. The identity of these marbles could also be explained by an offset of fold and sudden change of strike somewhat between the two quarries.
Structural Conditions.
“The dip of the marble in the Moretti-Harrah Quarry is slightly less than in the Gantt’s opening, being on an average a little less than 30°. The jointing planes run for the most part with the dip and strike, but there are occasional well-defined diagonal joints which have a tendency to decrease the amount of available sound blocks taken out with cuts parallel to and perpendicular to the strike.
“In some of the layers there is marked evidence of drag-folding. (See Figure 18; also Plate XXVI B.) This is seen in the arching of the lines of schist or color in the blocks. Frequently there is a difference of as much as 15° between the line of schist in the block and the apparent bedding plane, which is the plane of parting taken advantage of in removing the marble.
Neighboring Marble Land.
“Prospecting has been done to the south and southwest of the present quarry, and a good supply of high grade marble is known to be available. The soil cover through here averages from 5 to 7 feet in thickness, and for the most part a buff-colored, more or less gravelly clay-loam which has been in large part transported by the surface streams.
“Prospecting to the west of the Moretti-Harrah Marble Co.’s quarry shows that the marble is bordered in that direction by a dolomite similar to the one bordering the marble on the west at the Alabama Marble Co.’s quarry (Gantt’s Quarry). To the southeast of the quarry the comparatively level land continues for a mile or more (see cross-section, Figure 15). To the east of this quarry is the property of the Marble City Quarry Co., whose land has been thoroughly core drilled, mention of which will be made elsewhere. Immediately to the south of the property of the Moretti-Harrah Co. a number of borings into the marble have been made on the property of Sidney Hiller.”
Modern Memorial Designs: America's Most Beautiful White Marble, written and published by Moretti-Harrah Marble Corp., Sylacauga, Alabama, 1936.
“Sawing
“Because of the peculiar structure of Alabama marble, and the fact that many of the layers are not of very great thickness, by far the greater portion of it has to be sawed practically parallel with the beds. There are white marbles which can be sawed in any direction with equally good results, but this is not true of Alabama marble. Where it is used in heavy pieces, showing ‘returns,’ this involves especial consideration and selection of stock, which must always be carefully attended to.
“The marble saws with about the same faculty as Italian marbles, and experience so far indicates that the best abrasive is sand. While it can be sawed more rapidly with crushed steel or shot, as the marble finds its principal use in interior work, the presence of shot and crushed steel in it is objectionable for reasons well known to every marble manufacturer. For the benefit of the layman, it may be explained that a slab with a little bit of shot or steel adhering to it, going through subsequent processes, is almost sure to be badly scratched at a later stage when it is otherwise almost finished. This necessitates re-finishing and a reduction in thickness, which often disqualifies the slab and causes its rejection.
Finishing
“Nothing very unusual is required in handling Alabama marble except a perfect familiarity with the stone and an instinctive knowledge of how to use it so as to produce a satisfactorily uniform effect, notwithstanding the somewhat erratic distribution of the clouding and veining. In the various finishing processes, cutting and turning are the only ones that present special difficulties, and these difficulties are practically eliminated by the use of carborundum, instead of steel tools. Owing to the greater hardness of the marble, it probably costs somewhat more to cut it, even with carborundum, but the marble itself has a margin of superiority over most of its competitors which enables it to bring, on the whole, a little higher price, which in general, should be sufficient to offset the increased cost of working.”
Taylor’s Mill Division - Extent and Exposures
“This area includes that portion of the marble valley stretching from the northeastern terminus of the field to opposite Berney’s Station, a strip about 9 miles in length. All the known exposures of marble in this division occur in a restricted portion between Taylor’s Mill and the A., B. & A. Railroad. All these exposures are found on the northwest side of the valley and their outcrop is in each case partly due to a local disturbance or fold.
“One of the four marbles quarries which have been developed in the area is at the present time being worked (circa 1916). These quarries with their respective locations are as follows:
“1. Lower Leak Quarry, (in SE. ¼ of S. 12, T. 19, R. 5-E.).
“2. Upper Leak Quarry, (in SW. of NW. of S. 7, T. 19, R. 6-E.).
“3. McKenzie Blue Quarry (E. ½ of N. ¼ of S. 7, T. 19, R. 6-E.).
“4. McKenzie White Quarry (W. ½ of NE. ¼ of S. 7, T. 19, R. 6-E.).
“All four quarries appear to be in the same lead of marble, although the openings are made on different beds in this deposit, giving the different quarries distinctive coloring of the stone. This difference is most marked in the two McKenzie quarries, the one to the east showing a larger amount of white marble than does the one to the west, which has been operated mainly on light blue layers.
Figure 20. Marble from the Alabama Carrara Marble Company’s quarry showing extreme interlocking character of crystals. This is perhaps an explanation for the toughness of the stone and its high sonorousness. Maximum grain .2 m.m.; minimum grain .02 m.m.; average grain .08 m.m. Magnified 50 diameters. (This figure will not be included at this time.)
“The character of the marble from all these quarries differs markedly from that of any other quarry in the marble area in having a less sugary (saccharoidal) and a more calcedonic texture.
“The greater amount of blue coloring and the fineness of the grain of the marble from these quarries is probably due to the lessened action of metamorphism and the consequent lessened recrystallization in this portion of the field. It appears to be true that the more extended recrystallization of any marble, the whiter will it become on account of the lessened dissemination of the coloring matter.
“Marble slabs taken from the mill at the McKenzie quarries (see Plate XXXVI) show very high sonorousness giving sharp, clear sound when struck with hammer). No official tests of the physical properties of the marbles from this portion of the field have been made, but careful study of the stone under the microscope, (see thin section, figure 20) indicates that the strength and durability of the stone is unusually high.
“The marble from these quarries has been considerably used for monuments, statuary, and wainscoting, and to some extent for exterior work, for which it is excellently adapted. The light blue variety is found to be exceptionally strong and free from cracks, and can be gotten out in large blocks. Its texture and color make it a novelty.
“In some of the undeveloped marble exposures in this portion of the field, overthrust faulting and accompanying slipping of the marble, have given rise, locally and in certain of the beds, to well marked schistosity (Plate XXVII B), the calcite grains, as in Plate III B, being considerably flattened and elongated in the direction of slipping.
Figure 21. Elongation of the crystals is apparent as is also their interlocking character. Marble from quarry of the Alabama Carrara Marble Co. Magnified 50 diameters. (This figure will not be included at this time.)
“Of the two sets of joints those which run parallel with the strike direction are the most pronounced. From a number of analyses it appears that the marble from these quarries is uniformly higher in silica than the marble from the quarries to the southwest of here. A microscopic study of thin sections, however, shows the silica to be well distributed through the marble, and in consequence it has slight effect on the polish of the stone.
“Of the four quarries in the area only two have been developed in recent years, the McKenzie Blue and the McKenzie White quarries.
Southwest of Taylor’s Mill
“For a mile or more to the southwest of Taylor’s Mill there is a well-defined valley containing much alluvial soil. This valley is probably underlain in part at least by marble, though it is doubtless rather deeply covered. This valley grows narrower until about 3 miles southwest of Taylor’s Mill it is almost inched out by the converging slate hills. From this point on to the southwest the valley widens gradually to the point of offset directly so the east of Berney’s Station.
“McCalley* refers the marble exposed in this division to the top of the Siliceous Knox Dolomite. There is, however, no fossil evidence in the deposit, so far as seen, to make this correlation at all certain.”
(* Page 60 footnote: The Valley Regions of Alabama, Part II, p. 592.)
“(The Taylor’s Mill Division) includes that portion of the marble valley stretching from the northeastern terminus of the field to opposite Berney’s Station, a strip about 9 miles in length. All the known exposures of marble in this division occur in a restricted portion between Taylor ’s Mill and the A., B. & A. Railroad. All these exposures are found on the northwest side of the valley and their outcrop is in each case partly due to a local disturbance or fold.
“One of the four marbles quarries which have been developed in the area is at the present time being worked (circa 1916). These quarries with their respective locations are as follows:
“1. Lower Leak Quarry, (in SE. ¼ of S. 12, T. 19, R. 5-E.).
“2. Upper Leak Quarry, (in SW. of NW. of S. 7, T. 19, R. 6-E.)....”
“All four quarries appear to be in the same lead of marble, although the openings are made on different beds in this deposit, giving the different quarries distinctive coloring of the stone. This difference is most marked in the two McKenzie quarries, the one to the east showing a larger amount of white marble than does the one to the west, which has been operated mainly on light blue layers.”
Upper Leak Quarry
“The opening for this quarry was made some years ago, but it has not been worked in recent years. This opening shows about the same marble as that exposed in the McKenzie Blue Quarry.
The Lower Leak Quarry
“This quarry, like the Upper Leak Quarry, has not been worked in recent years, and never was extensively developed. The blue and white layers of marble are exposed here near the road, showing a steep dip to the southeast. Overlying the marble, apparently unconformably, occurs a dark blue limestone, dipping to the southeast with a much less angle.”
“(The Taylor’s Mill Division) includes that portion of the marble valley stretching from the northeastern terminus of the field to opposite Berney’s Station, a strip about 9 miles in length. All the known exposures of marble in this division occur in a restricted portion between Taylor ’s Mill and the A., B. & A. Railroad. All these exposures are found on the northwest side of the valley and their outcrop is in each case partly due to a local disturbance or fold.
“One of the four marbles quarries which have been developed in the area is at the present time being worked (circa 1916). These quarries with their respective locations are as follows...:
“3. McKenzie Blue Quarry (E. ½ of N. ¼ of S. 7, T. 19, R. 6-E.).
“4. McKenzie White Quarry (W. ½ of NE. ¼ of S. 7, T. 19, R. 6-E.).
“All four quarries appear to be in the same lead of marble, although the openings are made on different beds in this deposit, giving the different quarries distinctive coloring of the stone. This difference is most marked in the two McKenzie quarries, the one to the east showing a larger amount of white marble than does the one to the west, which has been operated mainly on light blue layers.
McKenzie Blue Quarry
“This quarry is located a little over a quarter of a mile northeast from the Upper Leak Quarry, with opening on the side of a small marble ridge. An anticlinal fold with north and south direction of axis passes through this quarry and gives diversity of strike. The quarry opening is for the most part in the blue layers of marble. The light-blue bed, lying below a white and above a dark-blue layer has been found to yield material of large dimension, free from unsoundness. From this layer Mr. Moretti carved the figures exhibited at the Jamestown Exposition. The color and texture of this light blue marble are both novelties, and the stone is very tough and durable.
“A marble mill (Plate XXXVI) with saws and rubbing bed has been operated for some time until recently at the McKenzie Blue Quarry, the products being shipped from a spur of the A., B. & A. Railroad.
McKenzie White Quarry
“About 1,000 feet east of the Blue Quarry is the McKenzie White Quarry, with its opening chiefly in white layers of marble. This quarry has been little developed. It appears that the beds worked in the Blue Quarry are above the white layers here shown. The strata in the White Quarry are practically horizontal. The opening which is made in this quarry both above and below the thin white layer, shows most of the marble to be blue or white streaked with blue. The cream-white, crystalline layers are seldom more than 20 to 30 inches, not thick enough to be worked except as a by-product of the blue marble.
Thickness of Marble
“The thickness of the marble deposit at the McKenzie Quarry is not definitely known. The borings made in the quarry reveal about 90 feet of marble, but the top layers of marble as exposed in the quarry are separated from the slate ridge to the southeast by a narrow flat bottomed valley, which without doubt is in part underlain by marble.”
"T. H. Wildman has opened a marble yard at Tuscaloosa, Ala."
“Mineral exploration in Alabama continued to focus on industrial resources with several large expansions and new operations in recent years...Vulcan Materials Co.'s new Tuscaloosa quarry recently began operation near Vance to meet demand for crushed stone in a high-growth area (Nicholson, 1997)....”
“There are several places in the State where black marble is known to occur, although it has never been worked commercially, for the reason that there is very little market for this stone at the present time. Most of the so-called ‘black marble’ is not a marble at all but is a very dark gray limestone which takes a nearly black polish. (For the character of the grain of this marble see Plate V B.)....
“Between Anniston and Jacksonville and about two miles northeast of Weavers, near the pike, there is an exposure of black marble practically identical in its nature to that already mentioned as coming from west of Piedmont. In both the above-mentioned localities white calcite veins and streaks occur in the marble, adding greatly to its beauty.”
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