Leathem and Smith Quarry

John Leathem and Thomas Smith established this dolomite quarry at the mouth of Sturgeon Bay in 1893. Although it produced dimension stone for building harbors around Lake Michigan, the quarry became a major operation by capitalizing on the growing demand for crushed stone for roads, railroad beds, and concrete. In 1914, a huge stone crushing plant was built on the lower quarry floor. On the upper level, a steam shovel loaded stone into carts, which a miniature locomotive hauled to the crushing plant. Conveyors carried the crushed stone to screens where it was washed and sorted. From stockpiles, the stone was loaded onto ships converted to barges. The steel frontage and wooden pilings along the shore are remnants of the quarry dock. Just offshore lie the remains of two of the stone barges, the Joseph L. Hurd, built in 1869 as a passenger steamer, and the Mueller, built in 1887 as a steam-screw.

Sevastopol, Wisconsin · United States