The Arizona Stone Industry, 1908

Home > Search > Site Map > Arizona > The Arizona Stone Industry, 1908

The Arizona Stone Industry, 1908

Excerpts from

Mineral Resources of the United States, Calendar Year 1908
Part II - Nonmetallic Products

Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1909.

Excerpts from the book are from the chapters on: 1) Slate, by A. T. Coons; and 2) Stone, by a. T. Coons.

Building Stone Distribution: "Distribution of the various kinds of building stone and the localities where the different varieties of stone are now being quarried or may be quarried in the future for Arizona are Onyx marble, limestone, granite, trappean and volcanic rocks, and sandstones."

Slate: "The slate production of the United States is practically confined to the northeastern part of the country, the scattered deposits other than in this section being not yet fully developed or not showing an equal commercial output. Almost all of these deposits are described in Bulletin No. 275 of the United States Geological Survey.

"A deposit of slate occurs about 6 ½ miles north of Phoenix, Maricopa County. This deposit is owned by the Phoenix Slate Company, of Phoenix, but has not been developed."

Granite: "In 1907 there were six States with an output (of granite) valued at over $1,000,000. In 1908 Maryland dropped below $1,000,000, and Maine exchanged places with Massachusetts, although the production was almost identical for the two States.Of the other States, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas increased in value of output, and Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia decreased."

Sandstone: "New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, with total values, respectively, of $1,774,843, $1,368,784, and $1,244,752 in 1908, were the leading sandstone-producing States.The next States in rank in 1908 were Washington, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin, with values of production ranging from $464,587 to $219,130.The greater number of sandstone-producing States showed a decreased value of output; but Washington and Arizona had a marked increase in value of output.The output of Arizona was valued at $396,358 in 1908; in 1907 it was $158,435, an increase of $237,923 for 1908. This was accounted for by the large quantity of stone, reported as a fine-grained sandstone, quarried and used at Roosevelt in the work on the irrigation dam."

Marble: "The Arizona Marble Company reports the opening and development of marble quarries near Bowie (Teveston post-office), Cochise County, Ariz. A description of the marble deposits in Cochise County is given in Bulletin No. 380 of the United States Geological Survey."

Onyx Marble: "It is of interest to note in connection with onyx marbles and cave onyxes that the best of the onyx is found in regions either formerly subjected to volcanic action or closely connected with hot springs or deposits associated with hot springs, like those in California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Lower California.

"The onyx marble of the United States, except perhaps that of California and Arizona, is not considered as good as the Mexican article in color or in fineness of texture and is more expensive for the reason that labor is cheaper in Mexico and that in Mexico the quarries have been opened long enough to have transportation facilities. In most cases in the United States the onyx is found in territory which is but little developed and in which both labor and transportation are high, and the deposits are owned by firms and individuals who have not the means necessary to develop them. The principal deposits in the United States are in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Connecticut, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington; cave onyxes, however, are found in nearly all of the large limestone-producing States.

"California and Arizona were the first States to report any production of onyx, but at the present time no material, except for samples is being taken out in these States.

"In Arizona the best known deposits are at Bigbug, Mayer, and Cave creek in Yavapai County. The colors of the Arizona quarries vary considerably, and the stone here is exceptionally beautiful."

[Top of Page]