Approximately 1,400 feet from this point, the first diamond drill hole in the state of Minnesota was sunk in 1890. E. J. Longyear began drilling June 3, 1890 and completed operations on the hole December 9, 1890. Reaching a depth of 1293 feet, during that time Longyear and his new bride honeymooned in a two-room frame building approximately 150 feet from the drill rig, using one half as living quarters and the other half as a business office. From the beginning emerged the world-wide drilling corporation known as the Longyear Company. This site is a designated national and state historic site. All local, state and federal statutes for the protection of this site now apply.