Slate was first discovered in Vermont in 1839 and later worked by Col. Alonson Allen at the Scotch Hill Quarry near Fair Haven in 1848. The Hooker brothers opened the Poultney Eureka Quarry in 1851. At its peak in the 1890's, Vermont alone had more than 80 quarries employing over 500 workers. Roofing was the predominant use of quarried slate, while other uses included hand carved fireplace surrounds, countertops, farm sinks, floor tile, patio tile, stair treads, and artwork. Immigrants from Wales, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Slavic countries began arriving in the 1860's, drawn to work they had known in Europe, and their cultures, songs, religions, and intellect transformed a sparsely settled area into a thriving series of small communities in the Slate Valley. Today's quarries and mills echo the stories and tragedies of those early workers who carried their mallets, chisels, and lunch buckets to work every day.