From Quarry to Cemetery Monuments

California Quarries that Supplied Stone for Yolo County, the Sacramento Area, & the San Francisco Bay Area (Continued.)

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Martinez Sandstone Quarry, Contra Costa County, California

The following quotation and photograph are from The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, 1906, pp. 115.

“Franklyn Sandstone Quarry…Wilson-Lyon Construction Company, 220 Market street, San Francisco, owner; William Haley, superintendent. It is 3 ½ miles southwest of Martinez, in Franklyn Cañon, just east of Franklyn station, on the Santa Fe Railway. The stone is fine-grained, light blue in color, and is very soft when green, but upon exposure it seasons well and makes a very firm building stone. It occurs in beds about 26 feet thick and dipping in a general northerly direction at an angle of 45 degrees. At the present the quarry face is nearly 100 feet from crest to bottom. The Santa Fe Railroad Company has run a switch to the quarry and the cars are loaded by means of an electric hoist and derrick. The waste rock is used for ballast and rubble. Any size dimension stone is obtainable but considerable waste is entailed in taking out large pieces. This stone was used in two new buildings in Martinez, and in the new schoolhouse in Redwood City. Twelve men are employed in the quarry.”

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Oro Grande Granite Quarries, San Bernardino County, California

The following quotation and photograph are from The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, 1906.)

“The Oro Grande Quarries have furnished considerable granite in the past few years, but they were not in operation during the summer of 1904. About two miles south of Oro Grande the Mojave river cuts a narrow cañon through the granite rock, which forms rocky hillsides on each side of the river…In several different places over this area small granite quarries have been operated, the product being mostly Belgian blocks. The quarries are in Secs. 28 and 29, T. 6 N., R. 4 W. Most of the work has been done on the surface boulders, but in a few places some work has been done in the solid ledge underneath the boulders. The quarrying has been done almost entirely by hand, and most of it has been on paving blocks, although some building and monument stone has been shipped.”

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Porterville (east of), Tulare County, California

The following quotation is from Report XV of the State Mineralogist, Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report Biennial Period 1915-1916, Part VI., 1919.

“California Granite Quarry. California Granite Company, 518 Sharon Bldg., San Francisco, owner; president, A. Pernu; secretary, A. Bocci; general manager, H. Beck. The quarry is situated 4 miles east of Porterville…Holdings consist of 100 acres. The biotite-granite is of medium coarse grain…The supply of granite is practically unlimited. Two quarry faces have been opened up on the southwest slope of the hill…Plant: 25 H.P. steam hoist, two derricks (10”x10”), Ingersoll-Rand compressor, also surfacing and polishing machines and air drills. Twenty-five men are employed.”

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Raymond / Knowles Granite Quarries, Madera County, California

Some of the best known granite quarries are located at Raymond and Knowles in Madera County. They were opened during the early 1890’s, and the granite was used in rebuild buildings in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. You can see the very large Raymond/Knowles quarries located east of Raymond on Google Maps by searching for: “raymond ca” If you would like to learn more about the Raymond/Knowles granite quarries and view photographs, you will find them in the Madera County, California, section of this web site.

The following quotation is from Report XIV of the State Mineralogist - Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report - Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part IV., by R. P. McLaughlin and Walter W. Bradley, Field Assistants (field work in July, 1913, and July, 1914), 1916:

Stone Industry in Madera County

“The well known ‘Raymond’ granite quarries near Raymond, in Madera County, not only are and have been for a number of years the most important mineral industry of the county, but they are also an important factor in the state's production. As has already been noted…, these deposits of workable building stone are located in the western edge of the Sierra foothills. There are two quarries about 1 mile apart, on the east side of a small valley, about 2 miles east of Raymond, which is the terminus of the Berenda-Raymond branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Both quarries are served by spur tracks from this branch line. It is now recognized that this stone is not excelled by any other building granite found either in this state or elsewhere. It is noted for its beautiful white color, the fineness and uniformity of its texture, its weathering qualities, and its freeness in working. As to this last named feature, it lends itself readily to all classes of fine structural carving.”

The three postcard photographs show the Raymond Granite Company quarry in the early 1900’s.

Below are views of the lower Raymond quarry and the upper quarry (1998). These quarries are owned and operated by Cold Spring Granite of Minnesota.

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