From the 1860s to about 1900, tons of quality sandstone were quarried from the high sandstone ridge that runs through Edison Woods. The deeper sandstone there occurred in unbroken beds without seams. Steam engines allowed the quarrying and shipping of massive blocks by rail to distant markets for bridges, building foundations, walls, and sidewalks. The J.S Lowry Stone Quarry and The Baillie Stone Company quarried valuable blue sandstone, a desirable building stone of uniform grain and color. The color and hardness of the local sandstone were said to improve as it aged. Berlin Heights sandstone can still be seen in historic buildings across the country, and the old sidewalks in Berlin Heights came from the local quarries. Local sandstone was used in rebuilding Chicago after the great fire of 1871, and in 1878, 400 car loads of sandstone were shipped to New York.