Comments on: Casket Quarry | Duluth Crushed Stone Co.

By: DECk37

DECk37 — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 04:50:43 +0000

Thanks for the info and post link! I tend to forget that the Point of Rocks is bigger than I think it is and usually just associate it with the part over near the bottom of Mesaba Avenue.

By: Paul Lundgren

Paul Lundgren — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 23:59:46 +0000

I think you're referring to the quarry briefly mentioned in the post about Point of Rocks. In the early 1900s, the city crushed rock there for building materials. This is a photo from the top.

By: DECk37

DECk37 — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 23:45:12 +0000

This is cool information, it’s really neat to see that the railroad came up into it as well. They talk about a breakwater, but wasn’t this the same quarry that supplied stone for the canal as well?

Also, what is the smaller looking one back east a ways, by the Lake Superior Hiking trail? It’s between First and Third streets west, in what’s called central park. It sort of looks like a quarry, and there’s some ruins off 1st that could be related. Google Map’s new 45-degree view, (basically like Bing’s Birdseye view but more updated), shows some tents set up, maybe homeless, or extremely adventurous people.

By: Loki

Loki — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:28:42 +0000

Interesting! This spot has been in a lot of conversations lately. A couple things. This is the focal point of Duluth ice climbing. Second point, this is not city of Duluth property but is St. Louis County tax-forfeited land.

By: markryan

markryan — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:52:15 +0000

Paul, I've investigated this quarry several times -- the first as part of a field trip with the Geological Society of Minnesota (see photo). An interesting side note: in later years (1970s and beyond) the rock from here was quarried and sold as what's called "Minnesota Lunar Simulant," because its composition is so similar to that of rocks brought back from the Moon during the Apollo missions. U of M geologist Dr. Paul Weiblen was involved with that industry -- I think the Japanese were very interested in it for whatever reason. I'm not sure if it's even still active. Anyway, here's a link to one of the articles where the quarry is mentioned in the abstract (as is often the case the whole article have to purchase): Dissolution of a lunar basalt simulant as affected by pH and organic anions I appreciate your relating the site's history. Thanks!

By: Derek Montgomery

Derek Montgomery — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 06:43:04 +0000

Thanks for the info Paul! As someone who moved here about six years ago, but now will be calling Duluth home for a long, long time, it’s awesome to read these interesting stories about Duluth’s history.

By: Paul Lundgren

Paul Lundgren — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:06:19 +0000

By the way, another thing that got me thinking about the quarry this month was a Duluth News Tribune story which noted that a graduate student in the University of Minnesota's College of Design spent the fall quarter creating an imaginary plan to turn the "abandoned granite quarry in West Duluth into a world-class ice-climbing destination and speed-skating oval." Fun and crazy.