Chapter IX.
Pennsylvanian (Coal Measures.)
“The stone in this system consists of both limestone and sandstone. It is found chiefly in the western and northern parts of the State. There are many quarries located in this formation, some of which are very large, as in the case of those at Warrensburg and Miami. In the previously described formations the most important quarries are in the limestone. In this, the largest quarries are in the sandstone....”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Pennsylvanian (Coal Measures) area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Bethany.
“Three limestone quarries, belonging respectively to W. H. Sperry, Gilbert Arney and R. L. Nelson, are operated in the vicinity of Bethany. They are located west and northwest of the city. At the Nelson and Sperry quarries the stripping is so heavy that it all but prohibits their operation. The Arney quarry has not as yet been worked far enough into the hill to have the full thickness of stripping. All the quarries are worked intermittently, supplying only the local demand for stone....”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Bethany area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Birmingham.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Birmingham area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Breckenridge.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Breckenridge area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Brookfield.
“Three small quarries are operated at Brookfield, known respectively as the Bottomly, McClintock and Morris. They are located east and southeast of the city. The stone in all these quarries is obtained from the same ledge and, in general, the character of the stone is the same.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Brookfield area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Butler.
“Two quarries are operated in the vicinity of Butler. One is a small limestone quarry owned and operated by J. T. Day.* All the stone from both quarries is used locally.”
(For description of this quarry see under Sandstone Quarries.)
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Butler area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
East Lynne.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the East Lynne area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Gallatin.
“Three quarries, known as the Cubberly, the Walker and the Brosins, have been opened in the vicinity of this city. They are in limestone of Pennsylvanian or Upper Carboniferous age. The quality of the stone is essentially the same in all these quarries.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Gallatin area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Hamilton.
“Two small quarries, known as the Rogers and the Stock, have been opened northeast of this city. They are situated at different horizons in the Upper Coal Measure strata.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Hamilton area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Harrisonville.
“Two quarries have been operated at Harrisonville, the stone being used exclusively for local consumption. One of these is owned and operated by John Lee, and the other by A. Conger. The stone is of Upper Coal Measure age and is very much alike in both quarries.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Harrisonville area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Higginsville.
“Two quarries have been opened south of Higginsville, neither of which was being worked when inspected. They are owned by the August Hoefer estate and Mr. Leslie McMeekin of Warrensburg. Neither quarry has been worked extensively.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Higginsville area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Independence.
“Two quarries, known as the Shaw and the Turner, are operated in the vicinity of this city. The Turner quarry supplies the local demand for building stone. The Shaw quarry is being (1902) operated to supply crushed stone used for macadam on the county roads.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Independence area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Jameson.
“Two quarries, known respectively as the George and the Prichard, are located near this village. The rock is limestone and belongs to the Pennsylvanian or Upper Carboniferous system.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Jameson area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Kahoka.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Kahoka area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Kansas City.
“The hilly character of Kansas City and her environs gives rise to many outcrops of rock with a correspondingly large number of quarries. In 1902, when the quarries in this locality were examined, there were thirty-two in operation, all or part of the year.
“The stone in all the quarries belongs to the lower beds of the Upper Coal Measures. The formation at this horizon consists of beds of limestone and shale of variable thicknesses. The rock is everywhere overlain with from one to forty feet of till and loess belonging to the glacial period.
“The following columnar section, furnished by Mrs. S. J. Hare, of Kansas City, gives the average thickness of the beds which outcrop in this locality:
0-40 ft. - Loess and till. A fine grained, yellowish, sandy clay.
11 ft. - Gray limestone.
1 ft. - Calcareous sandstone.
5 ft. - Sandy shale.
2 ft. - Conglomerate.
14 ft. - Shaly sandstone.
21 ft. - Sandstone and shale.
1 ft. - Ferruginous conglomerate.
3 ft. - Shale.
4 ft. - Limestone.
6 ft. - Sandy shale. (The section to this point was not examined, owing to the fact that it was in a large measure covered by buildings, etc. None of the stone above this horizon has been quarried.)
30 ft. - Fine grained limestone. Contains numerous geodes and small irregular veins of calcite. It consists of irregular beds which increase in thickness from the top to the bottom. These beds are exposed along the west bluff, 7th street to 24th street, along the east bluff from Garfield avenue to the eastern limits of the city, at 24th and Locust streets, at 27th street and Grand avenue, and at 3030 Summit street.
21 ft. - Blue shale. These beds are exposed at 27th street and Woodland avenue, 27th street and Woodland avenue, 23rd street and Fairmont avenue, 7th street and Walnut, 10th street and Baltimore avenue, 12th street and West bluff, North bluff, Garfield avenue east and 27th street and Grand avenue.
6 ft. - Fine grained, compact limestone having a variegated color, known locally as the ‘calico’ ledge. Outcrops along West bluff, East bluff, and 27th street and Grand avenue.
13 ft. - Red and yellow shale. At the quarry of the Lyle Rock Co., these shales are only eight feet thick.
9 ft. 6 in. - Known as the ‘building ledge.’ Consists of seven feet of thinly bedded, fine grained, gray limestone, underlain with a solid bed of light blue, fine grained limestone two feet six inches in thickness. Above this heavy bed the stone is very thinly bedded and shelly, and in most of the quarries has a yellowish or buff color due to weathering. The limestone at this horizon outcrops at the following places: 25th and Vine, 24th and Locust, 45th and Charlotte, 49th and Main, 36th street and Roanoke Boulevard.
4 ft. - Bluish black shale.
4 ft. - Yellowish, calcareous shale. Has somewhat the appearance of yellow ochre.
11-12 ft. - Coarse grained, very fossiliferous, gray to brown, oölitic limestone. Shows cross-bedding in the outcrop at the S. W. corner of 6th street and West Bluff. This bed splits easily along the stratification planes and makes very good rubble. It is quarried at the Lyle Rock Co. and the Johnson quarries. It is considered one of the most durable stones in Kansas City, although, when laid on edge it is liable to split along the bed. It outcrops at the following localities: 6th street and Bluffs; 12 (sic) street and Bluffs; Elmwood and North Bluff; and 2nd and Lexington.
1 ft. 6 in. - Blue shale. Outcrops at the Johnson and the Lyle Rock Co. quarries. At the latter quarry, it is only one inch thick.
6 ft. 6 in. - Solid, fine grained fossiliferous limestone. Contains small geodes and veins of calcite. Known, locally, as the ‘Bull ledge’ because of the difficulty in working it. The stone has a gray color except along the bedding planes, where it is buff. These beds outcrop at the following places: 2nd and Lexington and along North Bluff.
15 ft. - Dark colored shale. Outcrops at the same place as the ledge above.
12 ft. - Dark shale interstratified with thin beds of limestone. Outcrops at same localities as shale immediately above.
4 in. - Coal. Outcrops when visited were concealed by talus.
16 ft. 5 in. - Fine grained, siliceous, bluish gray limestone. Contains irregular nodules of black chert, mainly near the top. These beds outcrop along the ‘West’ bluff and at the base of the bluff near the Lyle Rock Company’s quarry.
5 ft. - Thin interstratified beds of shale and limestone.
3 ft. 6 in. - Fine grained limestone.
6 in. - Shale.
2 ft. 6 in. - Fine grained limestone.
6 in. - Shale.
5 ft. 6 in. - Fine grained, bluish gray to drab limestone.
5 ft. - Shale. color varies from a yellow to a dark brown. Outcrops at 29th and Southwest Boulevard.
4 ft. - Nodular and shelly limestone above the Bethany Falls. Outcrops at 24th and Fairmont streets.
18 ft. - Heavily bedded Bethany Falls limestone. The upper six feet is mottled, while the remaining lower portion has a uniform grayish color and is finely crystalline. Outcrops at 29th street and Southwest Boulevard; at the waters edge near the Missouri river bridge; and in the Sheffield quarries. The upper portion decomposes quite readily upon exposure to the atmosphere.
5 ft. - Dark colored, thinly bedded shale. Outcrops just west of the railroad near Southwest Boulevard.
“The beds in the quarries are practically horizontal. The major joints strike N. 45° W. They are persistent throughout the entire district and occur from seven to twenty feet apart. Frequently they are open and filled with red clay. They facilitate very greatly the quarrying operations.
“Hand tools are used almost entirely in quarrying. Most of the crushing plants which have been erected are modern in all respects. Most of the quarries are operated intermittently, depending upon the demand for stone. The cost of quarrying in some places is increased very greatly by a heavy stripping of loess.
“The Bethany Falls limestone was at one time used quite extensively for macadam. At present, however, it is only being exploited at the Sheffield quarries where the product is rubble. The oölitic bed and the so-called ‘Bull ledge,’ occurring below, are the lowest in the section that are being used to any extent for building. These ledges are being worked mainly in the quarries in the north part of the city. Commercially, the nine foot six inch limestone ledge, known as the ‘building ledge,’ is the most important. This is quarried in nearly all sections of the city where building stone is produced. In the past the lower two and one-half feet of this ledge has been used for curbing. However, the stratification planes, which are scarcely noticeable in the freshly quarried stone, make it unfit for this purpose. An examination of the curbing which has been in use in comparatively short time, shows the undesirable nature of this stone. At present it is only used for repairing curbing already laid. Most of the stone used for foundations and rustic masonry comes from the thin Yellow layers above this bed. The reddish and yellowish gray colors recommend it for rustic masonry. Many houses in Kansas City are now being constructed entirely out of this stone. The so-called ‘calico’ ledge, owing to its hardness and limited occurrence, is not quarried very extensively. This is perhaps the best limestone for macadam pavements which can be obtained from the quarries in the vicinity of Kansas City. The thirty-foot ledge of limestone outcrops at many of the higher points throughout the city, especially along the West bluff, just east of the Union depot. Some good building stone and heavy footing can be obtained from the lower beds, although the stone is at present used mainly for crushing.
“The following are short descriptions of the individual quarries of Kansas City, and vicinity:”*
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Kansas City area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Maysville.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Maysville area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Milan.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Milan area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Mooresville.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Mooresville area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Nodaway.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Nodaway area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Parkville.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Parkville area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Plattsburg.
“Two quarries, known as the Attebury and the Trimble, are located near Plattsburg. These are only operated when there is a local demand for stone. All the hills in this vicinity have outcroppings of similar stone, and a number of other openings have been made by different parties for the purpose of filling special contracts. The strata belong to the Upper Coal Measures and consist mainly of limestone and shale.”*
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Plattsburg area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Princeton.
“Two quarries have been opened in the Bethany Falls limestone on the hills about two and one-half miles south of Princeton. At this place the beds are comparatively massive and the stone has been used quite extensively for bridge abutments and other heavy constructional work. The quarries are owned by Dr. F. R. Fullerton and Mr. T. W. Ballew, both of Princeton.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Princeton area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Richmond.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Richmond area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Savannah.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Savannah area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
St. Joseph.
“The Pennsylvanian or Upper Coal Measures in the vicinity of St. Joseph consist of alternating heavy beds of shale and limestone overlain with a variable but generally thick deposit of loess.
“Limestone occurs at three different horizons. The upper two are the only ones quarried in this vicinity. The uppermost or surface ledge consists of from sixteen to eighteen feet of limestone which splits into beds from four to twenty-four inches in thickness. Underneath this occurs a heavy bed of clayey shale. Underneath the shale occurs a massive bed of finely crystalline limestone, eighteen feet in thickness. Another bed of shale of about fifty feet underlies this limestone. This in turn is underlain with four feet of finely crystalline limestone. This bed is underlain by blue shale.
“The middle limestone horizon is the most important and is the one from which most of the stone is quarried.
“The principal output is crushed stone, although the upper portion of the middle ledge has been used to some extent for rubble.
“The following are the quarries which are being operated in the vicinity of St. Joseph: Farmer & Dunn, Roth, Eagle Contracting Co. and Helsley Bros. With the exception of the last named, these quarries are all in the northern part of the city. The Helsley Bros. quarry is located about two and a half miles north of St. Joseph. The following is a brief description of each.”*
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the St. Joseph area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Trenton.
“Two quarries are being worked in the upper strata of the Lower Coal Measures near Trenton, Grundy county. The output is entirely rough rubble stone, used locally for foundation work. The quarries are operated by David Payne and M. P. Cole.”*
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Trenton area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Butler.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Butler area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Clinton.
“The town of Clinton is underlain by rocks of Lower Coal Measure age. The principal stone quarried at this place is a soft sandstone which outcrops near the edge of the town. The limestone layers are not thick enough to be of value for building stone. A number of quarries have been operated in the past at various points west and northwest of the city, but have been abandoned on account of excessive stripping. The quarries now in operation are the Harness, the Gilleau, the Swadner, the Craig and the Ehler. All of these quarries, with thee exception of the Harness, are located near the northwest limits of the city.
“An inspection of foundations and monument bases, built out of this stone, shows a considerable variety in its quality. That which contains shale seams is least durable. An inspection of steps shows that the stone is quite easily abraded.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Clinton area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Collins.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Collins area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Kahoka.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Kahoka area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Lamar.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Lamar area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Liberal.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Liberal area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Marshall.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Marshall area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Miami.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Miami area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Montrose.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Montrose area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Rich Hill.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Rich Hill area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Warrensburg.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual sandstone quarries located in the Warrensburg area of Missouri will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Part II. Sandstone.
Butler.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Butler area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Clinton.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Clinton area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Collins.
“There are two quarries in the vicinity of Collins, in both of which the stone is sandstone of Upper Carboniferous age. These quarries are known as the Martin and the White.”*
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Collins area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Kahoka.
“Three quarries are operated intermittently in the vicinity of this place to supply the local demand for building stone. These quarries are owned respectively by Mr. Wm. Casey, Mr. Story and Fulton & Creger.”*
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Kahoka area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Lamar.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Lamar area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Liberal.
“The Lower Coal Measure sandstone, which outcrops in the vicinity of Liberal, is quarried both north and south of the city. The beds are thick and massive and break into very regular blocks. Stone can be obtained of any desired dimensions.
“Three quarries are operated at this place, two of which are owned by ‘The Liberal Stone and Coal Co.’ and the third by W. H. Curless. The stone is essentially the same at the three quarries, excepting at the north quarry of the Liberal Stone and Coal Co., where it has been impregnated with bitumen or asphalt. The stone has been used mainly for buildings (local), bridge abutments, sidewalks and curbing.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Liberal area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Marshall.
“The only quarries in the vicinity of this city are owned by A. Olson and Joseph Dean of Marshall. They are both located in sandstone of Coal Measure age. Both were worked quite extensively at one time, but at present they have been almost abandoned. Most of the stone now used in Marshall is shipped from Napton where quarries have been opened in the Burlington limestone.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Marshall area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Miami.
“One of the largest sandstone quarries operated in the State is operated one and one-half miles west of Miami, where a heavy bed of Pennsylvanian (Coal Measure) sandstone has been extensively developed.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Miami area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Montrose.
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Montrose area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Rich Hill.
“The Lower Coal Measure sandstone at Rich Hill supplies the local demand for stone used in rough masonry. Two quarries, located near the northern limits of the city, are owned and operated by Robinson Bros. and Geo. Ames.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Rich Hill area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Warrensburg.
“Two of the largest sandstone quarries in Missouri are located at Warrensburg, Johnson county. The importance of these quarries is, in a large measure, attributable to the occurrence at this place of a considerable thickness of massive sandstone of Lower Coal Measure age. As a rule, the Lower Coal Measure formation consists of thin beds of alternating sandstone, limestone and shale. As a result, very few important quarries have been opened in this formation. The quarries at this place, and at Miami, are the only ones of any magnitude.
“The sandstone at Warrensburg appears as a local thickening of the strata, following a sinuous north and south line. The deposit is narrow, thinning rapidly both to the east and west. Broadhead* believed this sandstone to be at the same horizon as that occurring at Miami and Butler, Missouri. Lithologically, the sandstones at these three localities are very similar. The Warrensburg and Miami stones are almost identical in composition, as will be seen by comparing their chemical analyses. The only detailed examination of this sandstone was made by Winslow in 1890 and 1891, in the preparation of the Higginsville sheet, which includes an area in Lafayette county just north of Warrensburg. The following extract from this report is the best explanation of the occurrence of the stone which has thus far been made:**
(* Page 272 footnote: Missouri Geol. Sur. 1872, p. 42.)
(** Page 273 footnote: Missouri Geol. Sur. Areal Geology, Vol. IX, p. 51.)
“‘The true stratigraphic and structural relations of this formation, however, seem not to have been recognized. It appears generally to have been considered of Lower Coal Measure age, and to have been correlated with the inter-stratified sandstones of the Lower Coal Measures, referred to on other pages of this report. The peculiar conditions of occurrence of this formation have, however, received no satisfactory explanation in print, to the writer’s knowledge.*
(Page 273 footnote: “In a letter to the writer of February, 1890, Prof. Broadhead explains the peculiar altitude or position of the sandstone in Lafayette county as due to a bulging of the Lower Coal Measures, and this was probably the explanation accepted by the earlier surveys. In more recent writings, Prof. Broadhead abandons the older view in the light of this later acquired evidence.”)
“The theory here advanced concerning this deposit is that it is of fluvial or lucustrine origin, that it fills a channel which was eroded in the surrounding, regularly deposited strata, during a temporary emergence of these strata from beneath the waters of the Coal Measure swamp. The leading reasons for this conclusion are briefly the following:
- The great thickness of the deposit.
- Its long and narrow shape.
- The superposition of the sandstone upon the Middle Coal Measure rocks.
- The inclusion of fragments of adjacent rocks.’
“This was one of the first stones to be extensively quarried in this State, and at one time constituted one of the principal building stones in St. Louis. A number of quarries were opened in this stone at an early day, but all except two have long since been abandoned. Three quarries are owned and operated by Jacob Pickel of Warrensburg and Lawrence Bruce of St. Louis.”
(Please Note: The section of this book that lists and describes the individual limestone quarries located in the Warrensburg area will not be included in this section. Please see the Missouri Quarry Section of this web site for the information on each specific quarry, which is listed according to location.)
Chapter X.
Areas From Which Stone Suitable For Different Uses May Be Obtained.
“It is impossible for a stone to possess all of those qualities which would make it suitable for all the different uses to which stone is put. The property known as cleavage, which makes a stone sometimes suitable for roofing slate, makes it unfit for use in the walls of a building. The different uses call for different properties, and a stone must be selected with respect to the purpose for which it is to be used. If greater attention were paid to the suitability of stone, used for different purposes, our buildings and other stone constructions would be far more permanent than they are today.”
Buildings.
“The walls of a building consist chiefly of the foundation and superstructure. As a rule, that portion of the wall which is below the first floor is known as the foundation, and that above as the wall. A part of the foundation is usually concealed beneath the ground and this is commonly constructed out of random rubble masonry. The walls and that portion of the foundation which is above the ground are usually either ashlery or rubble masonry. Stone which is used in the exposed part of a building above ground should be carefully quarried, cut and dressed. The tendency now is to make the joints as small as possible, not exceeding one-fourth of an inch in thickness.
“Stone which is used in a building should have a uniform color, and should be strong enough to support a weight from 10 to 20 times that of the superincumbent load when placed in the walls of a building. A stone should not discolor or fade and should possess a transverse strength which will insure its remaining perfect when used in the caps or sills of a building. If the stone is used in a position where it will be subject to the effects of alternate freezing and thawing, care should be taken to protect it from these agencies.
“The granite which occurs in Madison, St. Francois, Iron, and the adjoining counties in Southeast Missouri, is undoubtedly the most desirable as well as the most durable stone which is quarried in Missouri for this purpose. There is no part of a building in which this stone can not be used to advantage. Buildings which have been entirely constructed out of this stone, present a handsome, as well as a massive appearance. Its uniform color makes it especially desirable for interior or ornamental work. The stone can be obtained in blocks of almost any dimensions, limited only by transportation facilities. The red granite quarried by the Syenite Granite Company, Schneider Granite Company, Milne & Gordon, and others, is well adapted for all parts of a building in which stone other than slate can be used.
“The rhyolite which occurs with the granite, in the same district, has practically the same quality as the granite when considered for building purposes. The rhyolite, however, occurs in small blocks, many of which are not of suitable sizes for buildings. The rhyolite varies in color from a gray to many shades of brown, purple and red. The stone is very strong and durable, but the expense of quarrying, cutting and dressing prevents its use in buildings or monuments. The limited extent to which the granite is used, is a result entirely of the cost of quarrying, cutting and dressing it.
“The limestones and sandstones from all the formations have been used to some extent in buildings. A majority of the quarries in the sedimentary formations are engaged exclusively in producing stone to the supply the local market. However, there are a number of localities in which extensive quarries have been opened and from which exceptionally good building stone is obtained.
“The dolomites of the Cambro-Ordovician are used extensively throughout the southern part of the State for buildings. These formations outcrop everywhere along the hillsides of the Ozark plateau region. The stone belonging to a particular formation does not differ greatly in any part of the region. This being the condition, quarries have been opened in the vicinity of nearly every town to supply the stone needed by the local market. These quarries are not worked continuously and sometimes they remain untouched for several years. Most of them are worked without machinery, the stone being quarried from near the surface, where weathering has opened up the joints and bedding planes, breaking the stone into blocks which can be easily handled. These dolomites have been carefully described in the discussions of the various quarries, which occur in these formations.
“The most extensive quarries in the Cambro-Ordovician formation are located at Jefferson City. At this place both the so-called cotton rock and the pitted dolomite are exploited. When freshly quarried and dressed, the cotton rock has a very pleasing light buff color and when carefully selected may be used to advantage in buildings. In some localities, however, this stone is argillaceous and thinly stratified, on account of which it disintegrates somewhat rapidly when exposed to the atmosphere. The pitted dolomite occurs in thick, massive beds and constitutes a very desirable stone for heavy masonry. It has been used more extensively than the cotton rock, but owing to its massive character, is somewhat more expensive to quarry. This stone is only suitable for rock faced work. The small drusy cavities, with which it is filled, make it difficult to dress with a hammer, for the same reason it cannot be sawed or rubbed to advantage. In spite of the rough, pitted character of the rock, it constitutes a desirable building stone. Other quarries producing this stone are located at Rolla, Koeltztown, Eldon, Elston and Union.
“In the southeastern part of the State, the formations which are of known Ordovician and Silurian age, contain limestones which are more finely crystalline and take on the character of marble. Some of the limestones of these formations have a variegated color and many of them contain pockets of clay which lessen their value as a building material. This marble, which occurs in Madison and Neighboring counties, is not being quarried at present time. However, large blocks can be obtained and, provided the waste in quarrying is not too great, they may some day be exploited for building purposes. Observations on the natural outcrops indicate that large blocks of excellent quality may be obtained, but the amount of waste which, apparently, it will be necessary to remove, may prevent profitable quarrying.
“Very few of the thick beds of sandstone of the Cambro-Ordovician formations are quarried for building purposes. Most of the stone is too friable to be used in buildings. In the vicinity of Cole Camp, near St. Elizabeth, and at a number of other places, it is being used locally for buildings and curbing.
“The Trenton or Kimmswick limestone, which belongs to the Ordovician system, takes on the characteristics of a marble in the vicinity of Ste. Genevieve, making a very excellent building stone. It is being quarried and used quite extensively for this purpose. The Normal school buildings at Ste. Genevieve have been constructed out of this stone. In the vicinity of St. Louis, the Trenton limestone is soft and does not make a desirable building stone.
“The Plattin limestone which occurs underneath the Trenton or Kimmswick at Ste. Genevieve is hard and difficult to dress, and therefore cannot be placed upon the market at a price that will compete with the Kimmswick limestone. It is a good stone for foundations and has been quarried locally for rubble.
“The Niagara limestone has been quarried at Kissinger, Bowling Green and several other localities, where it occurs in massive beds which can be quarried with a considerable degree of economy. This limestone does not have a very wide distribution in the State and the few quarries in which it is exploited are unimportant.
“The Devonian rocks have a very limited Surficial distribution and are relatively unimportant as producers of building stone. The stone from this system has been quarried chiefly to supply the local demands for foundations. The Lithographic limestone, which may be of Devonian age, is well developed in the vicinity of Louisiana where it is quarried for rubble. This limestone has a very pleasing light gray to white color and has a uniform fine grained texture. It usually occurs in blocks which are too small for buildings. The vermicular sandstone, which may also be Devonian has, according to Prof. E. M. Shepard, been used quite extensively as a building stone in Greene county, especially for chimneys. This stone is rather soft when first quarried, but hardens upon exposure to the atmosphere. No large quarries have been developed in this formation.
“The formations belonging to the Mississippian system (Lower Carboniferous) furnish by far the best limestone in the State for building purposes. The Chouteau, which is the lowest formation of this system, is relatively unimportant, being quarried for rough foundation work in a number of places in the vicinity of Sedalia. The Burlington formation furnishes the greatest amount of cut and sawed stone of any of the formations in Missouri. This stone has a very uniform light, almost white color, is strong and durable and is quarried in large dimensions. In the vicinity of Carthage, there are six quarries which are producing building stone in large quantities. Extensive quarries are also located at Phenix and Hannibal where the stone is quarried, cut and dressed in large quantities. The Burlington limestone has a very extensive Surficial distribution in this State and the areas from which this stone might be quarried are not restricted to the localities which are being developed at the present time. Other quarries might be opened in the southwestern and central portions of the State, from which equally as good stone might be obtained. The distribution of this stone is shown on the geological map, to which the reader is referred. For detailed descriptions of the stone, reference should be made to the discussion of the quarries at Carthage, Hannibal and Phenix.
“The St. Louis limestone which belongs to the Mississippian system (Lower Carboniferous), is quarried extensively in the vicinity of St. Louis. The stone is used chiefly for rough rubble masonry and practically all of the stone used for foundations in St. Louis is obtained from this formation. Very little of this stone is cut and dressed for buildings. At present the Stolle Stone Co. and the Hill-O’Mera Construction Co. are the only producers of cut stone from this formation in St. Louis.
“The Pennsylvanian system (Upper Carboniferous), comprising in this State the Lower Coal Measures, or Missourian, and the Upper Coal Measures, or Des Moines, consists of a variety of sandstones and limestones which are being quarried at many places to supply the local demand for building stone. The Lower Coal Measures consists of a large percentage of shale and sandstone and produce a relatively small amount of limestone. The limestone beds are usually thin and unevenly bedded, although compact and hard. Some of these beds make excellent coursing stone, but a greater percentage is suitable only for rubble. The principal quarries exploiting stone from the Lower Coal Measures (Missourian), are located at Miami, Warrensburg, Butler, Clint, Milan, Trenton, Lamar, Liberal and Rich Hill.
“The most important sandstone quarries in the State occur in this formation and are located at Warrensburg and Miami. The sandstones at these two places are very similar. The formation in which the quarries are located is from 50 to 125 feet in thickness and affords an exceptionally good opportunity for quarrying. Large blocks of sandstone., of either a blue or white color, may be obtained from any of the quarries at these places. Some of the stone has a ‘reedy’ structure on account of which care should be exercised in selecting that which is most durable. The sandstone from this formation is comparatively soft when first quarried and can be cut and dressed with comparative ease. The stone hardens upon exposure to the atmosphere. For a detailed description of this stone, the reader is referred to the discussion of the quarries at the localities above referred to.*
(* You will find this information in the Missouri Quarries section of this web site according to the location of the quarries.)
“The Upper Coal Measures (Des Moines), contain a greater percentage of limestone and a lesser percentage of sandstone than the Lower Coal Measures. The amount of sandstone quarried in this formation is very small and is used chiefly to supply the local demands in the localities where the quarries are opened. The limestone in general is fine grained, compact and fossiliferous. The bedding planes are uneven and wavy and the stone often contains thin shaly parting planes along which it splits very readily. The quarries located in this formation produce excellent rubble stone for rough masonry and a small amount of coursing. In general, however, the limestone in this formation does not occur in such a manner as to warrant extensive quarrying. At Kansas City, there are many quarries from which the stone is used to supply the local market. The so-called ‘building stone ledge,’ which in places has been stained a yellowish or brownish color, through decomposition, is used for rustic rubble masonry. When used in this way, it has a very pleasing appearance. The principal quarries in this formation are located at Kansas City, St. Joseph, Amazonia, Jameson, Breckenridge, Parkville, Savannah, Plattsburg and Bethany.
“In certain localities in the northern part of the State there are numerous glacial boulders of granite and other igneous rocks in sufficient quantity to be used for building purposes. These boulders are very durable and when used in random rubble masonry, their variegated colors produce unique and pleasing effects.
Monuments.
“The red granite of southeastern Missouri is the most desirable monumental stone quarried in the State. This granite has a remarkable uniform color and can be obtained in blocks of almost any desired size. It takes an excellent and lasting polish and must be regarded as one of the handsomest and best monumental and ornamental stones in the country. The quarries now being operated are located chiefly in the vicinity of Graniteville and Syenite. The individual quarries are described in the foregoing pages of this report, to which the reader is referred.*
(* Please Note: You will find this information in the Missouri Quarries section of this web site according to the location of the quarries.)
“This granite might be developed much more extensively than it is at the present time. There are many inviting localities for the opening up of quarries and it is expected that, eventually, this stone will be used much more widely than now.
“Among the limestones, that which is quarried at Carthage is the most desirable for monumental purposes. It has a uniform color, takes a good polish and when free from suture joints is a very durable limestone. Next to the granite, it is undoubtedly the best monumental stone in the State. It is especially adapted for the construction of mausoleums.
“Marble, which takes a good polish and often has a beautifully variegated color, occurs in Madison and other southeastern counties. These deposits are not being developed at the present time. They are frequently overlain with heavy stripping and contain an occasional clay pocket which makes profitable quarrying somewhat questionable.
“The Pennsylvanian sandstones, which are quarried at Warrensburg and Miami, are used quite extensively for monument bases. The stone at these places has a very good color and can be used to advantage in connection with both the red and gray granites. The J. T. Day quarry at Butler, Missouri, is operated almost exclusively for monument bases.
“In southern Missouri, there are large deposits of onyx in the caves of the Cambro-Ordovician formations. Many of these caves are located some distance from the railroads, which has operated against their development. The onyx varies from a pure white to a deep brown, and is frequently mottled. It is rather porous and the deposits which have been worked have been abandoned for this reason. Extensive deposits may occur which are solid and suitable for decorative purposes. At present none of these deposits are being worked.”
Bridge Abutments and Culverts.
“In the selection of stone used for the construction of bridge abutments, durability is the chief consideration. Uniformity in color is a desirable feature, but is not important. Stone used for this purpose should be heavily bedded, homogeneous and free from stratification planes or other imperfections which weaken the stone. For railroad work, a maximum thickness of 2 feet is required. Although expensive, the red granite in the southeastern part of the State is the most desirable stone for this purpose. It is especially suitable for use at the water line where the action of water and ice is liable to cause rapid disintegration. In this part of the abutments of the Eads bridge at St. Luis, granite has been used. The quarries from which granite may be obtained for this purpose are located at or near Knob Lick and Graniteville and are described in the preceding pages of this report.*
(* Please Note: You will find this information in the Missouri Quarries section of this web site according to the location of the quarries.)
“The heavily bedded dolomite occurring in the Cambro-Ordovician formations have been used extensively for railroad bridge abutments throughout the southern part of the State. In most cases, they have proven very durable. The cotton rock of these formations is not desirable on account of its tendency to disintegrate when exposed to the weather. The Aux Vasse sandstone, which was quarried south of Ste. Genevieve, was used extensively in bridge abutments. This stone was used in the upper part of the abutments of the Eads bridge in St. Louis. In the quarry, the beds show occasional fine stratification planes, on account of which some of the stone is undesirable for this purpose. It should be carefully selected.
“The Burlington limestone, which is quarried at Carthage, Phenix and Hannibal, is very desirable for this purpose, when free from coarse suture joints. Practically the first stone quarried in the Carthage area was used by the Missouri Pacific railroad for bridge abutments. This stone is still perfect, showing very little evidence of deterioration.
“The Mississippian limestone is quarried quite extensively at Noel for bridge abutments. A number of the beds show thin stratification planes which might be injurious if the stone were used in a climate where alternate freezing and thawing is common. However, most of the stone from these quarries is used in the south where the climate is mild. The Warrensburg, Miami, and Liberal sandstones are used to some extent for bridge abutments. Some of the stone quarried at these places is suitable for this purpose, but that which has the so-called ‘reedy’ structure is not desirable.
“The thick beds of the Bethany Falls limestone, which is the basal member of the Upper Coal Measures, have been used for railroad bridge abutments. At Princeton, the beds are from 2 to 4 feet in thickness and the stone is well adapted for this purpose. It has been used extensively by the Rock Island railroad, and ha proven to be one of the best stones for bridge abutments in northern Missouri.
“Much of the Coal Measure limestone contains fine stratification or parting planes which in time will open up and cause the stone to disintegrate. Before being used, the stone from this system should be carefully selected in order to avoid defective blocks.
“What has been said concerning the stone suitable for bridge abutments holds good in the case of culverts. Coal Measure limestone suitable for this purpose was observed at a number of localities in northern Missouri. Too great care cannot be exercised in the selection of stone for these purposes.”
| Plate XLV. Chat Pile, John Jackson Mine, Joplin, Mo. Material for Railroad Ballast, Macadam and Artificial Stone. |  |
| Plate XLVI. Chat Piles.Fig. 1. Loading by hand. |  |
| Plate XLVI. Chat Piles. Fig. 2. Loading by steam shovel. |  |
Curbing and Flagging.
“Probably stone is nowhere liable to greater injury from abrasion or freezing and thawing than when used for curbing, sidewalks and crosswalks. The fact that curbing stone must be set on edge renders it imperative that the stone should be free from bedding planes. Wherever these are present, they will eventually open up, causing the stone to flake. When flagging is used for sidewalks and crosswalks, it is apt to become saturated with water with the attendant liability to disintegrate through alternate freezing and thawing. flagging and curbing should have a capacity to effectively resist abrasion. This, however, does not receive adequate consideration and as a result there is probably no use, to which stone is put, which shows a greater want of judgment in its selection.
“The red granite is the best stone quarried in this state, both for curbing, sidewalks, crosswalks, and steps. this stone is coarse to medium grained, hard and strong, possessing all the qualities which make it suitable for these uses. It seldom becomes slippery and is strong enough to withstand the weight of heavy loads. Granite is more costly than either limestone or sandstone, but its greater durability makes it less expensive in the long run. The Missouri red granite is more durable than that from Georgia, although the latter, on account of its less cost, is used extensively in St. Louis. The schistose or laminated structure of the Georgia granite renders it more susceptible to disintegration than the Missouri Product.
“The pitted dolomite of the Cambro-Ordovician system, when it occurs in thin beds, is frequently used for curbing, sidewalks and crosswalks. It usually has a rather rough surface, but this does not materially injure the stone for these uses.
“The Hannibal formation, quarried near Springfield at Hollman quarry, has been used quite extensively for these purposes. It is an excellent stone for curbing and has proven very durable.
“The Burlington limestone has been used very extensively for these purposes. It is quarried chiefly in the vicinity of Carthage, Phenix, and Hannibal, large quantities of the stone being produced at all of these places. These quarries have been described in the preceding pages of this report. It is sufficient to say that the stone has a uniform, white color, a homogeneous texture, and is not slippery when used for sidewalks.
“The St. Louis limestone has been quarried and used in the vicinity of St. Louis for curbing and sidewalks. Some of the beds in this formation are well adapted to these uses, but, as a whole, the stone is not suitable either for curbing or sidewalks.
“The Coal Measure sandstones, which are quarried at Warrensburg, Miami, and Liberal, are used to some extent both for curbing and sidewalks. These sandstones are rather soft and wear more rapidly than the limestones and granites previously referred to. The asphaltic sandstone, which is quarried at Liberal, has a higher crushing strength and less absorption than the average sandstone. It is probably one of the best sandstone quarried in this State for flagging and sidewalks. Sandstone has the advantage of not becoming slippery, although it is liable to wear unevenly. As a rule, it does not possess sufficient strength to make a desirable curbing stone.
“Isolated beds of limestone occur throughout the carboniferous system which are well adapted to these uses. A great part of the limestone contains thin stratification planes, on account of which it is unfit for curbing and sidewalks. The lower two feet of the so-called ‘building ledge’ in the quarries at Kansas City contains fine stratification planes which make the stone unsuitable for curbing or sidewalks. This stone, however, has been used extensively for both of these purposes. As a result, much of the curbing is now in a very dilapidated condition.”